Cibolo council hears appraisal-district renovation plan, approves CEDC on-call contracts and several infrastructure items

The Cibolo City Council on May 27 considered a multiyear proposal from the Guadalupe Appraisal District to acquire and renovate the former schoolhouse at 216 East College Street and approved several requests and contracts affecting economic development and subdivision infrastructure.

The appraisal district presentation, given by Chief Peter Sneddon, described capacity constraints at the district's current building and proposed acquiring a three-story, renovated facility on a four‑acre site. Sneddon said probable renovation costs for a three‑story buildout are about $8.4 million, with site acquisition bringing the total to “just shy of $10.3 million.” He told the council the appraisal district cannot issue bonds and must be funded by the taxing units it serves; under the district’s current plan 28 taxing entities would be eligible to vote on the project and the district would need approval from 21 of those 28 taxing units to move forward. Sneddon said the first payment installment would not be due until 2027 and suggested the district could sell its existing facility and use recurring unspent budget funds (he said the district typically returned about $300,000 a year) to help pay principal.

Why it matters: the appraisal district handles property valuations and appeals for many local taxing units; a larger facility is intended to address longer appeal seasons and public access during peak periods. The plan, as presented, shifts most of the financial and approval burden to the appraisal district’s member taxing units rather than the City of Cibolo directly.

Council debate and a request for a city resolution: Council members asked for timing, contingencies (asbestos/lead in an older building), and how cost overruns would be handled. Sneddon said his board included contingency amounts and that any overrun would be taken back to his board for approval. Councilman Ben Hicks…