The mayor of Uhland, a small but rapidly growing town about 60 miles northeast of San Antonio, has been indicted on a felony charge accusing her of misusing public money entrusted to her.
Lacee Duke, 38, was arrested Wednesday by the Texas Rangers and booked into the Caldwell County Jail, according to a news release from the office of Caldwell County District Attorney Fred Weber. She was released Thursday after posting $20,000 bail, Weber said.
Duke is charged with misapplication of fiduciary property in an amount between $150,000 and $300,000 — a felony offense punishable by two to 20 years in prison, according to the district attorney’s office.
The indictment stems from an investigation by the Texas Rangers and Weber’s office into the alleged improper disbursement of $250,000 in city funds to Old Town Uhland LLC in connection with the 2024 Uhland Fall Fest, the news release said. The festival took place on weekends in September and October of that year, featuring a pumpkin patch, live music, games and other attractions, according to its website. Until last year, the event was held in Dripping Springs and operated under the name Dripping Springs Pumpkin Festival.
Prosecutors did not specify what ultimately happened to the $250,000 in city funds. Weber declined to provide further details, citing the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Uhland Fall Fest was hosted at Old Town Uhland, a 97-acre agritourism development on Dairy Road about three miles east of I-35. The project aims to transform a historic dairy farm into a “year-round, Old West-themed development,” according to a 2024 article in the Austin Business Journal.
In June of that year, the Uhland City Council approved a Chapter 380 economic development agreement that provided the Uhland Economic Development Corp. with $1.5 million to help purchase the property. The plan was for the corporation to lease the land to the entity developing Old Town and staging the festival, the Journal reported. At the same meeting, the council also appears to have annexed the 97 acres where the project is located.
The Old Town Uhland project was projected to be completed in 2027 and to include a train depot, restaurant, brewery and “glamping” sites, according to the article.
As of last year, Duke was listed as president of the Uhland Economic Development Corp. on the city of Uhland’s website.
Duke did not return a voicemail left on her cellphone on Thursday afternoon. Phone and email messages seeking comment from the city of Uhland were also not returned.
Old Town Uhland LLC was formed in May of last year, with Christopher Durst of Lakeway listed as its manager in corporate filings with the Texas Secretary of State.
Uhland sits on the border of Caldwell and Hays counties. Its population has roughly doubled over the past decade, growing to about 2,000 residents.
