Quick housekeeping post today – a recap of the council election fireworks so far, and the yearly wrap-up. The new season of San Marcos City Council starts next week! Happy July.
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Election season is going to be bonkers. You’ve probably seen it all on social media, but let me lay out the fireworks.
Let’s start from the beginning.
Three seats are up for election:
- Mayor’s seat (encumbent: Jane Hughson)
- Seat 3 (encumbent: Alyssa Garza)
- Seat 4 (encumbent: Shane Scott)
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The drama:
Saturday, July 25th: Jane shocks everyone by announcing she is not running for re-election. Instead, she will be the campaign treasurer for Ryan Thomason, who is running for mayor. (He is a former council member from 10-15 years ago.)
Everyone takes the weekend to digest this.
Monday, July 27th: Amanda shocks everyone by announcing that she will now run for mayor, rather than completing the third year of her term. This is exciting and I am thrilled.
So now there are four council seats up for election:
- Mayor (no encumbent)
- Seat 3 (encumbent: Alyssa Garza)
- Seat 4 (encumbent: Shane Scott)
- Amanda’s former seat, Seat 6 (no encumbent)
Immediately, two current and former San Marcos local politicians – Lisa Prewitt and Miguel Arredondo – file to run for Seat 6. Lisa was on council about a decade ago, and Miguel has been on the school board for years.
Then! Thursday, July 30th: Jane shocks everyone again by announcing she’s going to run for Seat 3, challenging Alyssa Garza. Alyssa is a popular, two-term encumbent. What the hell?!
This is wild. It feels like Jane thought she could handpick her successor. Then when she realized the new generation might actually win over council, Jane lost her shit and felt like she had to wage war. It feels unhinged.
(And all within one week!)
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Current state of things:
Mayor: Amanda Rodriguez vs Ryan Thomason
Seat 3: Encumbent Alyssa Garza against current mayor Jane Hughson
Seat 4: Encumbent Shane Scott vs Heather Hunter
Seat 6: Lisa Prewitt, Juan Miguel Arredondo, and Bill Miller are all facing off.
Stay tuned! Exciting times!
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Onto the Yearly Wrap-up
Note: Council meeting minutes are now being restored. There was a gap from May 2022 – January 2026, but they’re catching up. This is good!
August 2025
- Citizens bring land next to Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos up to Council to consider for purchase
- Texas State Boutique Hotel approved next to downtown Target
- JAG grant to SMPD sent back for revision
- Tenants Rights ordinance first comes to council
- Utility fees, reconnections and disconnection fees
- Maberry data center is voted down. (Requires supermajority, but only gets 5 votes.)
- Council sets upper bound of tax rate of 67.69¢
September 2025
- Council approves 67.69¢ tax rate on first reading
- Hazmat routes set around town
- First mention of EMS issues
- Council approves 65.15¢ tax rate at the last second (and I am very salty about it.)
- Workshop on Tenants’ Right to Organize
- Workshop on SMPD vehicle rental policy
- Workshop on Airport Master Plan updates
October 2025
- Tenant’s Right to Organize ordinance passes (first vote)
- Preliminary discussion of participatory budgeting
- Report on 2025 summer season at the river: fencing off Rio Vista, and charging admission in 2026
- Voting guide for November election
- Tenants’ Right to Organize approved on second vote
- Proposal for downtown location to be added to City Hall proposals
- Workshop: Historical Preservation Plan
November 2025
- Matthew Mendoza re-elected, Saul Gonzalez and Josh Paselk head to run-off
- One year contract extension for SMPD and SM Fire Fighters, while we figure out EMS
- Dunbar History Walk
- HSAB funding
- Dunbar Home Economics Building restoration
December 2025
- Light modifications to the downtown TIRZ
- Rezoning the corner of 123 and Wonderworld
- Mural at the Price Center, ie peak council ridiculousness
- Flock cameras contract is not renewed
- River Bridge Ranch shrinks
- Cape’s Dam nominated for National Registry of Historic Places
- Maberry data center resurrected for Round 2
- San Marcos Community Survey results
- Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation
- Participatory Budgeting
- Airport updates
January 2026
- River Bridge Ranch wants to increase their PID along with shrinking.
- Historic Preservation Plan is in progress
- Warning signs on Bitcoin ATMs
- First workshop on the path to creating a San Marcos EMS
- P&Z meeting: coverage of the meeting where P&Z approves Maberry’s data center, in a reversal of their decision the previous March.
- Paid parking at the Lion’s Club – end of pilot program and rollout of permanent program
- Fencing and charging admission at Rio Vista for Summer 2026
February 2026
- Historic Preservation Plan
- Presentation on Maberry data center, without a vote
- Rooftop on the Square loses their alcohol permit
- 4th HEB up by Whisper North
- Centerpoint bridge over train tracks
- Maberry’s data center fails
- 2027 strategic plan
- SMPD staffing report
March 2026
- First discussion of Land Development Code details, with data center policy debate
- Mayor Jane proposes reducing citizen comment from 3 minutes to 1 minute
- Reallocating the last bit of ARPA money
- North Campus area plan
- Budget policy statement
- Downtown TIRZ gets tweaked
- Expand free parking at the Lion’s Club to include SMCISD
- Charging admission to out-of-towners at Rio Vista
April 2026
- CDBG money
- Finalized fee structure for Rio Vista
- Salvage from demo sites
- Joint meetings with county and SMCISD
- Building in-house EMS
- Annexing parks at Five Mile Dam
- Land Development Code amendments: data centers, mobile bars, and more
- Mission Able issues
- Results of Homeless PiT count from January
- Homeless Action Plan update
May 2026
- Annexing Crestwood shopping center
- Selling water to Kyle
- SMPD parking spots downtown
- More debate on LDC amendments
- First Housing Finance Corporation settlement
- Grant money application to build trail to New Braunfels
- Edwards Aquifer Incidental Take Permits
- Water and wastewater fees
- Public Art Policy
- New HEB gets a taller sign
- Budget update
- Utility assistance program
June 2026
- New wastewater treatment plant by Redwood
- New student housing complex downtown
- LDC amendments: data centers banned within city limits. Entire things passes.
- City Hall steering committee reopens for more members
- City Hall updates on three proposals
July 2026
- Multiple subdivisions around Redwood
- HSAB and CDBG funding allocations
- New city logo and brand
- water and wastewater fees
- Long term plans for river parks and Quail Creek park
The San Marxist 