The Burnet Bulldogs will have a new head coach leading the boys soccer team on the pitch next season with the announced departure of Head Coach Benjamin Boorman at the end of the 2025-26 school year.
Boorman, who led the Bulldogs to their first bi-district soccer championship win in school history in 2024, told DailyTrib that he would be leaving the program to spend more time with his family and care for his father.
“It is very hard to leave the soccer teams and their families,” Boorman said. “I believe that I am leaving the program better than I found it. We have a championship banner and a golden ball in the trophy case for the first time in school history. We have a growing program with many middle schoolers excited to play soccer. Burnet’s interest in soccer is growing.”
Boorman gave his appreciation to district staff for finding a swift replacement in Aaron Jimenez, who has coached in Marble Falls, Harker Heights, and Florence.
“I am pleased that the promptness of my resigning led to the administration’s ability to find a quality replacement,” Boorman told DailyTrib. “(Jimenez) will do a great job, and I am excited to see the boys maintain the high expectations that we have set for the program under Coach Jimenez’s leadership.”
Boorman said that he will continue to be a part of the Burnet community and support the Bulldogs. He is also currently pursuing a teaching position within BCISD, where his two daughters will be enrolled.
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The Marble Falls High School football team will head into next season with significant changes to its coaching staff after three coaches announced their departures from the program over the last month.
According to Marble Falls Independent School District Athletic Director Keri Timmerman, the coaches will depart before the beginning of the 2026-27 season. Offensive Coordinator Logan Simmons, Co-Defensive Coordinator Ryan Craven, and Offensive Line Coach Humberto Garza are reportedly leaving due to new career opportunities and family commitments.
“We’re happy for (our departing coaches) to continue their futures and create new opportunities for themselves and their family,” Timmerman told DailyTrib.
Craven, who also served as the head coach of the boys soccer team, has accepted a position as the assistant football and soccer coach at Liberty Hill High School. Timmerman said that Craven and his family live nearby the school, and that his kids already attend Liberty Hill Independent School District.
Simmons accepted a new role as the head football coach at Dawson High School, about 35 miles northeast of Waco.
Garza, a longstanding member of the football team’s training staff, recently became a grandfather and will retire to spend more time with his family.
As the Mustangs move into a time of uncertainty at multiple coaching positions, Timmerman told DailyTrib that he was excited for the next season and what’s to come.
“We’re excited about the new opportunity for coaches to come in and impact our community and staff,” Timmerman said.
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Some governing bodies in Burnet County saw abysmal voter turnout in their recent local elections, with a small fraction of registered voters making big decisions in several cities and in the Burnet Consolidated Independent School District.
While local elections in May often have low turnouts according to data from the Burnet County Elections Office, the May 2, 2026 elections had exceptionally low voter participation. A notable exception was the city of Burnet, which nearly doubled its turnout from May 2025.
Even with improved numbers in the city of Burnet, overall turnout in the area is far lower than the national average for a regular mayoral election, which is around 20 percent according to the University of Chicago Center for Effective Government.
In some cases, relatively few voters made major decisions on behalf of their fellow residents. Proposition A in BCISD, amounting to $133 million in bonds for school district improvements, was effectively decided by 48 votes, passing 913 to 865. The race for Marble Falls City Council Place 3 was decided by 29 votes, with challenger Dave Rhodes defeating incumbent Lauren Haltom 172 votes to 143.
Some numbers of note from the May 2, 2026 elections in Burnet County:
Marble Falls City Council: 6.31 percent voter turnout, 316 voters out of 4,991 registered voters in Marble Falls
Burnet City Council: 14.66 percent voter turnout, 637 voters out of 4,344 registered voters in Burnet
Granite Shoals City Council: 6.14 percent voter turnout, 170 voters out of 2,766 registered voters in Granite Shoals
BCISD bond election: 9.13 percent voter turnout, 1,778 voters out of 19,465 registered voters in BCISD
Bertram City Council: 11.03 percent voter turnout, 152 voters out of 1,378 registered voters in Bertram
The May 2, 2026 numbers are mostly low, even by local standards. In the May 2025 elections, Marble Falls turnout was 16.26 percent, Burnet turnout was 7.71 percent, and Granite Shoals turnout was 13.79 percent. Bertram did not have an election in 2025, but in May 2024 the city only had 5.54 percent turnout.
“We don’t really see a lot of turnout with local (May) elections,” Interim Burnet County Elections Administrator Stephanie Ellis told DailyTrib. “A lot of people don’t know who the candidates are or who is on the city council.”
While turnout in local May elections can be low, the participation in state and federal elections held in November is often much higher. For example, the 2024 presidential election saw 73 percent voter turnout in Burnet County.
Ellis believes this disparity in turnout could be because people are generally more invested in federal or state elections.
“You would probably see more ballots and voters for their local elections (if they were held in November during general elections),” she said.
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Granite Shoals is moving forward with a plan to seek state funding for a $28,900 license plate reader project.
Granite Shoals City Council approved pursuing funding at its April 28 meeting through the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority, a division of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, under the Catalytic Converter Grant Program. If awarded, the grant would fund the installation and initial maintenance of license plate readers for the police department.
The total project cost is estimated at $28,900, with the grant covering 80% and the Granite Shoals Police Department responsible for a 20% match, or $5,780.
The technology captures images of passing vehicles along with data such as time and location, which can be used by law enforcement to identify stolen vehicles, locate missing persons through alert systems and assist in criminal investigations.
Police Chief John Ortis said that if grant funding is discontinued in the future, the city could either continue operating the system at an annual cost of about $25,000 or remove the equipment.
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Huber Carbonates is in pursuit of an expanded air quality permit from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to increase its allowable dust production at its limestone quarry on U.S. 281 in Marble Falls. The TCEQ is hosting an open meeting on the matter to get public feedback before making a decision on the permit application.
The public meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 7, in the Max Copeland Gym at Marble Falls High School, 2101 Mustang Drive.
The permit request was originally made in January 2025, when Huber asked to roughly quadruple its allowable dust output, which would allow for increased aggregate production and storage. Marble Falls leadership formally opposed the permit request in May 2025, and has maintained that opposition since.
“The city of Marble Falls is closely monitoring the permit request from Huber Carbonates LLC that could increase production, operating hours, and emissions within city limits,” reads a statement issued by the city on Monday, May 4. “Given the potential impacts on the community, the city has formally submitted opposition to the permit amendment.”
Background
File a public comment at the meeting or file one online with the TCEQ. To submit a comment, visit this link and enter the permit number 8252. According to Huber’s air quality permit application, the company is asking for overall increases to its allowable “particulate matter emissions” at its quarry, referring to the potentially airborne dust and debris that would be produced from its limestone mining operation. Depending on their size, the particles can be classified as “inhalable,” which poses health risks like decreased lung function, asthma, and other respiratory issues.
The smaller the particle, the greater the potential health impacts.
• Totalparticulatematterincreaserequest-from2.45tonsperyearto10.54tonsper year (314 percent increase) • Requestforincreasetoparticulatematterof10micrometersorless-from1.9tonsper year to 6.26 tons per year (229 percent increase) • Requestfordecreasetoparticulatematterof2.5micrometersorless-from.95tons per year to .94 tons per year (1 percent decrease)
At this stage, the permit amendment application has been declared “administratively complete,” and a technical review by the TCEQ is underway.
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A man was reportedly killed in a utility terrain vehicle crash on Saturday, May 2, at Hidden Falls Adventure Park just outside of Marble Falls. The victim was said to be Caleb Miller, the fire chief of the Rosebud Volunteer Fire Department.
According to the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, first responders were toned out at around 5:32 p.m. on Saturday to Hidden Falls Adventure Park, an outdoor recreation area at 7030 RR 1431 just outside of Marble Falls.
Miller was pronounced dead at the scene. He had apparently crashed a UTV and suffered fatal injuries in the process.
The incident is still under investigation, but is believed to be an accident according to the BCSO.
A post made to the Rosebud VFD Facebook page on Sunday, May 3, memorialized Miller and his role as chief.
“As we try to find answers to reasons we can’t understand, all we know is we lost more than a fire chief yesterday, we lost a brother, a mentor, and the kind of leader you only get once in a lifetime,” reads the post. “Caleb Miller was genuine, compassionate, and selfless beyond measure. He led with heart, served with pride, and cared for his people like family.”
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Burnet Consolidated Independent School District voters narrowly approved a $135 million bond package on Election Day, May 2. With the passage of the bonds, BCISD staff will soon move to plan a timeline for major projects addressing key campus changes and maintenance throughout the district.
The two propositions, A and B, were decided by a close race, each passing by less than 150 votes according to the unofficial cumulative county results posted at 8:43 p.m. on May 2. The breakdown of the numbers according to those results are as follows.
Unofficial Bond Election Results
Proposition A: $133 million, for general facilities repairs, modernization, deferred maintenance, and land acquisition
For – 913 votes, 51.35 percent
Against – 865 votes, 48.65 percent
Proposition B: $2 million, for district-wide technology upgrades
For – 955 votes, 53.95 percent
Against – 815 votes, 46.05 percent
The full bond package includes plans for the full demolition and rebuilding of Burnet Middle School, classroom additions at RJ Richey Elementary, and various maintenance projects throughout the district. District officials said plans for those projects will move ahead immediately.
“With voter approval secured, Burnet CISD will move into the next phase of implementation, including detailed design, project sequencing, and construction timelines,” reads a BCISD press release about the bond’s approval.
BCISD Superintendent Dr. Aaron Peña shared his sentiments with voters in approving the bond, stating that its passage will undoubtedly be an investment in the future of the district.
“This outcome reflects the engagement of our community and their participation in this process,” Dr. Peña said. “We are grateful to every resident who contributed — whether through the planning committee, community meetings, or by casting a ballot. This investment will have a lasting impact on our students, our campuses, and the future of Burnet CISD.”
For more information about the bond program and next steps, visit the BCISD Bond 2026 webpage.
The bond breakdown
BCISD’s $135 million bond is split into Proposition A and B:
Proposition A, $133 million, allows for funds to be used on general facilities, modernization, deferred maintenance, and land acquisition.
Proposition B, $2 million, allows for funds to be used on district-wide technology upgrades.
Bond projects will be phased to allow for the least amount of academic disruptions during the school year. This phased approach is planned to include completing the new Burnet Middle School prior to deconstruction of the current campus.
Various maintenance projects and the design of the new Burnet Middle School are to begin immediately. The timeline for the new middle school is unknown, but is likely to be a multi-year project.
BCISD previously included an at-a-glance look at the planned projects in a press release for the bond. The projects listed are:
Burnet Middle School – Campus overhaul, new academic facility, and renovations
New academic building and performance space designed for 900 students, with capacity to expand to 1,200 students in the future
Classrooms and collaborative learning spaces
Science labs and elective spaces
Library/media center
Cafeteria and kitchen
Special education spaces
Renovation of existing fine arts and athletics spaces
RJ Richey Elementary – Campus improvements
Redesigned interior spaces to improve capacity and flow
New academic classrooms built within existing cafeteria and courtyard space
Conversion of interior gym into a cafetorium and kitchen
Dedicated art and music rooms
Right-sized special education spaces
Increases student capacity to better match the district’s other elementary schools and delay the need for an additional new elementary campus
Deferred maintenance at campuses
Roof replacement
Electrical system upgrades
HVAC replacements
Replacement of selected interior finishes
Building protection system upgrades
Conversion to energy-efficient LED lighting
Bertram Elementary School
New secure front entry to improve safety and controlled access
Districtwide needs and future planning
Replacement of aging buses to support safe and reliable transportation
Refresh of student technology devices used for instruction and assessments (Proposition B)
Purchase of land for a future elementary school and a future middle school near Bertram
Previous reporting on the bond
April 17 – Early voting on $135 million BCISD bond package begins April 20
March 30 – BCISD to hold info meetings, campus tours for $135 million bond vote
March 5 – Burnet leaders talk flood recovery, bond package
Feb. 10 – $135 million BCISD bond package slated for May 2 election
Feb. 3 – Final BCISD board meeting schedule before decision on bond package
Jan. 22 – BCISD ponders $141 million infrastructure bond package
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Highland Lakes area voters chose new leaders and made big decisions in Burnet and Llano counties in the May 2 elections this past Saturday.
Below are the unofficial cumulative results from all of the local elections. These results will be confirmed in the coming days by the election offices of their respective government bodies.
Note: In the Burnet City Council elections, each voter was able to choose up to three candidates on their ballot to fill the three available full-term seats. The three candidates with the most votes won the seats.
Burnet City Council- Three full-term council seats
Note: In the Bertram City Council election, voters were able to select up to two candidates for the available full-term seats on the council, and up to one candidate for the one-year unexpired term.
Bertram City Council- Two full-term alderman seats
Andis Goble– 68 votes, 31.78 percent
Randal Fisher– 51 votes, 23.83 percent
Tracy Wilson- 46 votes, 21.50 percent
Philomena Carr- 27 votes, 12.62 percent
Jane Scheidler- 22 votes, 10.28 percent
Total votes cast- 214
Bertram City Council – One one-year unexpired term alderman seat
Llano Independent School District Board of Trustees
LISD Board of Trustees- Place 4
Chris Carrell– 995 votes, 52.87 percent
Penny Wimberly- 887 votes, 47.13 percent
Total votes cast- 1,882
LISD Board of Trustees- Place 5, one-year unexpired term
Michelle Chance– 1,058 votes, 56.76 percent
Charles Bowen- 806 votes, 43.24 percent
Total votes cast- 1,864
LISD Board of Trustees- Place 3
J.D. Baker– 1,461 votes, 100 percent (unopposed)
Total votes cast- 1,461
Llano City Council
Note: In the Llano City Council election, voters were able to choose up to three candidates to fill the three available full-term seats. The top three candidates with the most votes took the available seats.
Llano City Council- Three full-term alderman seats
Addie Wootan– 373 votes, 26.05 percent
Travis E. Allen– 351 votes, 24.51 percent
Kelli Tudyk– 286 votes, 19.97 percent
Steve Duncan- 169 votes, 11.80 percent
Les McDaniel- 134 votes, 9.36 percent
Michael Herrera- 119 votes, 8.31 percent
Total votes cast- 1,432
Llano Municipal Utility District No. 1 Board of Directors
Note: In the Llano MUD No. 1 Board of Directors Election, voters could select up to three candidates to fill the available three seats on the board.
Llano MUD No. 1 Board of Directors- Three full-term directors seats
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Granite Shoals is moving forward with utility improvements, including a water main upgrade set to begin May 4 and more than $103,000 in replacement parts for its aging water treatment plant.
City council approved a $103,401.19 purchase during its April 28 meeting for replacement parts at the city’s membrane water treatment plant, which has operated since 2007 and is experiencing increasing equipment failures, with most onsite backup parts depleted.
Utilities Director Josh Hisey said many of the electrical components are long past their intended lifespan.
The approved purchase includes manufacturer-specified valves, actuators, sensors and other electrical components required for system compatibility and safe operation.
Separately, the city is beginning a water main project on Kingdom Drive and Kingshores Drive to replace existing lines with larger 6-inch mains and new fire hydrants starting Monday, May 4.
The purchase will be funded through the city’s Water Infrastructure Bond, which is expected to have about $275,000 remaining after completion of two water main projects and the replacement parts.
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