Gov Business Review: Specials Magazine

Aimee Alcorn-Reed is the City Attorney for Kyle, Texas. She joined Kyle in 2024 after spending more than a decade with the City of Corpus Christi and established the city’s in-house legal office. A University of Texas School of Law graduate, she handles matters ranging from agreements and ordinances to personnel matters, economic development, water projects, litigation and transparency. Her work also continues a family tradition in municipal law that goes back three generations. When Aimee Alcorn-Reed joined the City of Kyle in 2024, she took on more than the role of City Attorney. She built the city’s in-house legal operation, transitioning Kyle from contract counsel to a dedicated City Attorney’s Office. For nearly two years, Alcorn-Reed was the city’s sole in-house attorney, handling essentially every legal matter moving through the organization while laying the foundation for a growing legal operation. Today, she serves as Kyle’s chief legal officer, advising City Council, the City Manager, department heads and staff. She manages the municipal court prosecutor and outside litigation counsel, reviews agendas and legal documents, and attends all Council, board and commission meetings to provide legal advice. These responsibilities keep her closely engaged with the legal questions that come with Kyle’s growth.

When Jonathan Thatcher entered the City of Forney in 2016, he found millions of dollars committed to a development that had yet to materialize. A tax increment reinvestment zone included roads, a bridge and other public infrastructure, but little economic activity had followed. As city attorney, he saw that the reimbursement agreement was heavily weighted toward the developer and could leave the city paying millions, with interest adding to the burden for years. Thatcher brought the issue to management and city council members and advocated for renegotiating the agreement. While the developer was reluctant to give up favorable terms, the city had to demonstrate that a revised arrangement could offer added value to both sides and help spur development. After difficult negotiations, the agreement was renegotiated in late 2018 on terms more beneficial to the city and developer. Since then, property values within the zone have increased by more than $1.2 billion, reflecting subsequent growth in the area. The judgment behind that approach was shaped years earlier in Rockwall County. As assistant district attorney and civil division chief, Thatcher served as lead counsel to the commissioners’ court and, for much of his tenure, was the only attorney in the civil division. The position required him to spot issues quickly, prioritize the court’s needs and give officials concise legal advice. It also demanded restraint because public officials could take an attorney’s words as law. When he did not know an answer, he learned that it was better to say so, research the issue and return with a reliable answer than to shoot from the hip. The same approach carries into his work with Forney’s elected officials, who may arrive with clear goals before confronting legal and financial constraints. Thatcher helps them understand those constraints, weigh the legal ramifications and navigate the different roles of state, county and local government. His role goes beyond identi