Texas town drops nearly $1 Million on “Jolene” but it’s not what you think

Sometimes local government spending reaches levels that make you wonder if anyone’s watching the books.

A small Texas city just decided to spend nearly $1 million on a relationship that may not last.

And why locals in the small Texas town are paying so dearly for “Jolene” blindsided everyone.

Kyle, Texas officials commit $932,800 to relocate "Jolene"

The Old Stagecoach Heritage Oak Tree – nicknamed "Jolene" by locals – has stood in Kyle, Texas for four centuries.¹

That’s older than the United States itself.

But when city planners decided they needed to widen Old Stagecoach Road, this massive oak became a problem.

The tree spans 51 inches in diameter and sits within just 6 inches of the road’s edge.

Rather than adjust their road project, Kyle city officials chose the most expensive possible solution.

They’re spending $932,800 to dig up Jolene and move her a quarter-mile north.

The city claims they "explored multiple options" including removing the tree entirely and preserving the wood for art projects, or realigning the road around the tree.²

But somehow they settled on the option that costs nearly a million dollars with no guarantee of success.

Local resident Casey Landers summed up what many folks were thinking back in January: "The tree is older than the United States. We need to preserve it."³

A Change.org petition to save Jolene collected more than 2,000 signatures from people who thought there had to be a better way.

City admits the tree might not survive the move

Here’s where this story gets really interesting.

Kyle city officials are being unusually honest about the risks involved.

"Although relocation does not guarantee survival according to multiple contracted studies done on behalf of the City of Kyle by certified arborists, the city is committed to the long-term maintenance efforts needed to give the live oak its best chance," they announced online.⁴

Translation: We’re spending nearly a million dollars on something that might die anyway.

The city plans to move Jolene this fall and then provide post-relocation care through 2027.

They’re creating a "parklet" or pocket park around the tree’s new location, chosen for its proximity to the original spot and matching soil profile.

But all the careful planning in the world can’t change the basic reality that moving a 400-year-old tree is risky business.

https://twitter.com/unumihaimedia/status/1972825183762149883

The math doesn’t add up for taxpayers

Let’s put this in perspective.

Kyle is spending $932,800 to relocate one tree for a road project that voters approved back in 2020.

That’s nearly a million dollars that could have funded parks, road maintenance, or public safety improvements.

Instead, they’re gambling it all on whether a centuries-old oak can survive being uprooted and transplanted.

One Kyle resident who’s lived there for 25 years captured the emotional attachment people have to Jolene: "That tree has been a HISTORIC part of our town. That tree has been here long before us, it deserves to be protected and preserved to last a LONG time after us."⁵

The sentiment is understandable.

But so is asking whether there wasn’t a more cost-effective way to preserve this piece of local history.

The city council voted to proceed with the relocation back in February, despite the petition drive and public opposition.

Now Kyle taxpayers are on the hook for a project that even certified arborists can’t guarantee will work.

Sometimes government priorities reveal themselves in the strangest ways.

In this case, Kyle officials decided that moving one tree was worth more than most people’s annual salaries.

Whether Jolene survives her expensive relocation remains to be seen.

¹ Jillian Frankel, "Texas City Is Relocating a 400-Year-Old Oak Tree Named ‘Jolene.’ It’ll Cost Nearly $1 Million," PEOPLE, September 29, 2025.

² Ibid.

³ Ibid.

⁴ Ibid.

⁵ Ibid.