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THE BIG PICTURE
(City of Buda Weekly Newsletter)
Week of Nov. 3, 2020
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In this Issue:
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Veterans Day Holiday - Wednesday, Nov. 11
- City of Buda Arbor Day Activities, Saturday, Nov. 7
- Unofficial Election Results
- Buda City Council Approves CARES Funding for Hays CISD
- Buda City Council Adopts Resolution in Support of H.R. 7191
- Stagecoach Park Closed to Vehicular Traffic
- Main Street Improvement Project Update
- New Online/Phone Options for Court Defendants
- Free COVID-19 Testing in Buda
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- Free Virtual Caregiver's Seminar
- Water Smart Customer Portal
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Stage 1 Water Restrictions - Effective Monday, Aug. 24
- Transportation Mobility Master Plan Overview
- Hope 4 Veterans Program
- COVID-19 Hays County Resources
- COVID-19 Hotline
- COVID-19 Dashboard
- COVID-19 Updates on City of Buda Website
- Pay By Phone Automated System
- City of Buda E-Billing
- City of Buda Job Opportunities
- Upcoming Meetings
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All city offices, including the Buda Public Library, are closed on Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2020 in observance of Veterans Day. |
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Celebrate Texas Arbor Day with us on Saturday, Nov. 7! There is still time to register for our virtual presentation on tree care with woodland Ecologist, Karle Flocke. You can register at the link below.
We’re lucky in Texas to have our own Arbor Day and we’re especially lucky to be in Buda where we’re home to so many beautiful native species of trees. Did you know that there are dozens of native species that grow easily with minimal maintenance and require little water once established? We know because Buda has earned the “Tree City USA” designation. (https://www.arborday.org/programs/treecityusa/)
To celebrate Texas Arbor Day, the City of Buda is distributing 75 tree saplings that you can plant at your home or business. Swing by the City Hall parking lot (405 E. Loop St., Building 100) on Saturday, Nov. 7 and pick up your free tree to celebrate Texas Arbor Day. Don’t miss out on celebrating Texas Arbor Day getting your free tree sapling to plant, and the first 50 will also receive a soil moisture meter to help monitor water needs around your tree and existing plants. This is a great opportunity to get the kids involved!
𝐏𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐮𝐩 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐒𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝟕 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟏:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌 𝐭𝐨 𝟑:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝟓𝟎 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫.
𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐧!
𝐑𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐤.
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Unofficial Election Results |
Below are the unofficial results for the Nov. 3 General Election. The votes will become official when they are canvassed in a few weeks.
Mayor
𝐋𝐞𝐞 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲 (𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝)
At-Large Position 1 (Special Election)
LaVonia Horne-Williams 45.33%
𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭 𝐒𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝟓𝟒.𝟔𝟕%
At-Large Position 2
Bobby Lane 39.71%
𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝟔𝟎.𝟐𝟗%
Single Member District B
𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧 𝐓𝐮𝐫𝐞 (𝐔𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐝)
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Buda City Council Approves CARES Funding
For Hays CISD
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The Buda City Council has adopted a resolution authorizing the City to provide the Hays Consolidated Independent School District (Hays CISD) with up to $50,000 in federal funding for coronavirus related expenses.
As part of an interlocal agreement with Hays CISD, the $50,000 will come from federal funds allocated to the City of Buda through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
“I am very pleased that the City of Buda is able to partner with Hays CISD to ensure the safety of our children, teachers and workers in the school district,” said City Manager Kenneth Williams. “This is a difficult time for all of us. Using a portion of the City of Buda’s CARES Act funding for education comes naturally in resolving the challenges we all face in dealing with Covid-19. The Buda City Council, administration, and staff are proud to help in this small way.”
School districts across the region have faced increased costs this year due to COVID-19. Hays CISD serves over 20,000 students, including students in Buda.
“We have always enjoyed a strong partnership with the City of Buda. That friendship and cooperation is more important than ever as we work together to navigate the uncertainty and added expenses related to the COVID pandemic,” said Hays CISD Superintendent Dr. Eric Wright. “I am grateful for the contribution the city is making. The money will allow us to continue to keep our students and teachers safe. I like to say to my school district family that we are stronger together. That sentiment extends to our city partners as well. The impact of this pandemic is far reaching and entrenched. It’s larger than any one entity and I am proud to be on a team that includes the City of Buda.”
Hays CISD will need to provide documentation of expenses to the City no later than November 30, 2020. This will ensure that the City is able to comply with its grant requirements through the Texas Department of Emergency Management.
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Buda City Council Adopts Resolution
In Support of H.R. 7197
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The Buda City Council adopted a resolution in support of U.S. House of Representatives Bill 7197. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (Oregon) introduced H.R. 7197 in June.
H.R. 7197, also known as the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020, creates a new one hundred twenty billion dollar ($120,000,000,000) grant program to provide financial relief to restaurants through 2020 due to COVID-19. It would establish a Restaurant Revitalization Fund to provide structured relief to food service or drinking establishments through Dec. 31, 2020. Under H.R. 7197, the Department of Treasury will make grants available to eligible food and beverage purveyors to cover specific costs.
The Main Street Advisory Board voted to support the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 at their Oct. 14 meeting.
“The Main Street Advisory Board proudly support the restaurant and food and drink industries in our vibrant city,” said Main Street Advisory Board Member Matthew Putzi. “As partners with them in the development of our city, and as neighbors who understand the strain of these unprecedented times, we have adopted a resolution in support of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.”
Main Street Advisory Board Member Wayne Justice added, “We do not want to miss this opportunity to generate assistance for restaurants and bars in Buda, especially as the winter season approaches. If the bill is passed, the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020 would help our local establishments recoup some of their losses, retain employees and maintain operations moving forward.”
The Main Street Advisory Board encourages the community to contact their respective members of the United States’ Congress to show support for the RESTAURANTS Act of 2020.
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Stagecoach Park Closed to Vehicular Traffic
For Trail of Lights Setup
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Stagecoach Park is closed to vehicular traffic starting today (Wednesday, Nov. 4) due to the Trail of Lights setup. The park is still open to pedestrian traffic. Therefore you can still walk/run on the trail. We will share more on this year's Trail of Lights event soon! We will be hosting a drive-thru experience for this year's event in order to limit large crowds of people gathering. |
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Main Street Improvement Project Update |
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Cox Commercial Construction and their sub-contractor continued working over the weekend and knocked out a busy intersection. This week will be sidewalk illumination piers, driveways, cleanup, and prep for the next 4" of asphalt base late this week and into next week! Phase II is only a few weeks from being done! |
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New Online/Phone Options for Court Defendants |
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On Thursday, Nov. 5, the City will roll out several new options for court defendants:
- Online Case Resolution (InSite) – The City of Buda currently uses some of the options offered through Online Case Resolution, but this upgrade will allow the City to enable additional features like Court Dismissals and Court Scheduling. Basically, any service the City offers on-site will now also be offered online.
- Interactive Voice Response (IVR) – Municipal Court defendants will be able to call 1-866-311-9322 to pay on citations over the phone. This is a new option being offered by the City.
- Tyler Notify – The City has been using notifications by phone call for a while, and now we have the ability to use text messaging at no cost to the City.
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Free COVID-19 Testing in Buda |
Free COVID-19 testing is available in Buda through Curative! Please note the location change. Curative is located in the parking lot at Main Street and China Street near the public restrooms across from Main Street Dental.
Use the QR code to select a time slot in advance. Walk-ups are welcome! This testing is available for ANYONE. You do not have to be experiencing symptoms.
All testing is provided by Curative; they're using non-invasive oral swab tests.
𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐃-𝟏𝟗 𝐌𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐚
*𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 (𝐧𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐨𝐦𝐬) 𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐥
𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐚
𝟗 𝐚.𝐦. - 𝟓 𝐩.𝐦. - 𝟕 𝐃𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤!
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Free Virtual Caregiver's Seminar |
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Age of Central Texas and the City of Buda's Task Force on Aging are teaming up for a FREE virtual caregiver's seminar for National Family Caregivers Month in November. The "Avoiding Caregiving Burnout During COVID-19" seminar is scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13 from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Register for free at www.TinyURL.com/BudaNov13.
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On Monday, Sept. 28, the City of Buda reopened most public facilities. Although the number of COVID-19 cases are declining in Hays County, it is still important to wear a face covering and maintain social distancing to keep the community safe. Phone and online methods of communication are still encouraged.
City of Buda Employees are following strict social distancing practices and will be wearing masks or face coverings to provide protection for co-workers and the public.
𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐚 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠
Per Governor Abbott’s Executive Order, face coverings are required wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.
- City-sponsored public meetings may resume with strict social distancing practices in place and room capacity is limited to 25%. City Council and Boards and Commissions meetings may resume in-person meetings or virtual meetings.
- No rental of indoor public spaces.
- Daily disinfection cleaning.
- Stay home if you are sick.
𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐚 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐋𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲
- The Library will reopen with limited hours at 25% capacity with a maximum of 30 patrons at a time for “grab and go” service. Library hours are 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
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Library will continue to offer curbside pickup service. Buda Public Library Curbside Service will be Mondays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon and 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. People who can’t pick up during those times can email librarian@budalibrary.org to arrange another pick-up time.
- No in-person library programming.
- No study rooms.
- Use of Library public computers is by appointment only for one hour blocks for card holders. Computer pods will be disinfected after each use.
- Daily disinfection cleaning
- Stay home if you are sick.
𝐕𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 (𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞)
𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬
- Notary Public Services are provided at the front reception desk. For additional questions, please call 512-312-0084.
𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐝𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰:
City of Buda Main Number (Reception) - 512-312-0084
Public Works (512-312-2876)
Buda Police Department - Non-Emergency (512-393-7896)
Parks and Recreation (512-523-1081)
Utility Billing (512-295-8845)
Municipal Court (512-295-2562)
Library (512-295-5899)
Planning, Permitting, and Engineering (512-312-5745)
Visitor’s Center (512-295-7170)
𝐔𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 payments may be paid online at https://www.municipalonlinepayments.com/budatx or through the automated phone system at 1-866-279-0787. Additional ways to make utility payments include online through your bank, by mail to 405 E. Loop St., Building 100, Buda, Texas, or by utilizing the utility payment drop boxes at the front entrance of the building and near the library book drop. Customers can contact utility billing staff directly by email at utilitybilling@ci.buda.tx.us or over the phone at 512-295-8845.
𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐬:
You can view City Council meetings online here:
For more information on Buda Library Services:
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𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐈 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡?
You can register your account (for free) on the Water Smart Customer Portal. All you need is your account ID and your zip code. By signing up on the portal, you can set water usage alerts, leak alerts, keep up with your monthly usage and more!
Water Smart Customer Portal Instructional Video
Register Your Account on the Water Smart Customer Portal
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Stage 1 Water Restrictions
Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020
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Effective Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, Stage 1 Water Restrictions will go into effect for City of Buda water customers in accordance with the City’s adopted Water Resource Management and Drought Response Ordinance. This is due to the lack of consistent precipitation, and higher than normal demands on our water production system.
Under Stage 1, irrigation with hose-end (sprinkler attached to a hose) and automatic sprinkler systems is restricted to twice per week. Irrigation with handheld bucket, handheld hose, soaker hose, or drip irrigation system is allowed any day and at any time. Violation of the ordinance could result in a fine of up to $2,000 per offense and a surcharge on the customer’s utility bill.
𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞-𝐞𝐧𝐝 (𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐬
Twice per week on designated day; prohibited between the hours of 10:00am and 7:00 pm
- Odd-numbered residential: Wednesday and Saturday
- Even-numbered residential: Thursday and Sunday
- Commercial, mixed use and multi-family: Tuesday and Friday
- It is recommended that outdoor watering be limited to one of the permitted watering days each week to promote conservation
𝐈𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭, 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐬𝐨𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦
- Allowed any day and at any time
For more information on Stage 1 restrictions and water conservation tips please our website.👇
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Transportation Mobility Master Plan Overview |
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The video below details the draft Transportation Mobility Master Plan under consideration by the City Council and a video explaining the short-term priority mobility projects included in the plan. You can also visit the City's "Buda Moves" website page at www.ci.buda.tx.us/644/BudaMoves.
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Hope4 Hays County Veterans Program |
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(Information Taken From Hays County Press Release)
The Hays County Veterans Service Office has created the “Hope4 Hays County Veterans” program for U.S. military veterans and surviving spouses.
Hays County Veteran Service Officer Jude Prather said the program is designed to help with past due rent, mortgage, utilities or car payments, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans Assistance.
“It’s important we help our former military brothers and sisters,” Prather said. “This program will be a bridge to help our veterans and their families. When we served, we watched each other’s backs. During these difficult times, the Hope4 program will continue that legacy.”
Retired Air Force 1st Sergeant Wesley Matthews, M.S.W from the Hays County Veteran Service Office will manage this assistance program while also connecting veterans to other services available for them and their families.
“Our goal is to offer hope to Hays County Veterans while supplying them with solutions, a workable budget, and plan moving forward,” Matthews said.
About Hope4 Hays County Veterans: This program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families. For more information, visit www.TVC.Texas.gov.
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Hays County has provided a list of resources for residents who have lost their jobs or need food, mental health support, or other assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Hays County has a COVID-19 hotline. The number is 512-393-5525 and it is operational Monday through Friday from 8 AM to 5 PM.
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(The information coming from Hays County will continue to change. Please follow Hays County at www.haysinformed.com)
An online dashboard created by City of San Marcos provides the public with a current count and other statistics related to COVID-19 cases in Hays County in near real-time.
The data on the dashboard shows a snapshot of COVID-19 related information for the County, as well as the number of active and recovered cases per City.
For example, the public can see the current number of confirmed cases as of that day. The data includes the cases considered active or in recovery, along with the number of tests administered. The data is also available in map format.
County residents may visit
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As a reminder, you can visit the City's website at www.ci.buda.tx.us/coronavirusinformation for the latest on COVID-19. This page includes the Governor's Order, Hays County Order, and Mayor George Haehn order. We have also embedded the COVID-19 Dashboard from Hays County with the latest number of cases.
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Pay By Phone Automated System |
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The City of Buda has launched a new way for customers to pay bills by phone. You will be able to call 1-866-279-0787 and pay through an automated system over the phone.
- Save postage by paying your bill by phone.
- Access your updated account instantly.
- Hear real-time balances, payment amounts, and due dates
- Enter your information securely through an automated system
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City of Buda
Job Opportunities
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Interested in joining our team? Check out our latest employment opportunities.
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Thank you for subscribing to "The Big Picture" weekly newsletter! It's a "Budaful" way to keep up with the latest City news.
Sincerely,
City of Buda
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405. E Loop St., Building 100
Buda, TX 78610
512-312-0084
Monday-Thursday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.
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