Candidate forum centers on ‘responsible growth’

Candidates for San Marcos City Council Place 1, Place 2, and mayor shared their perspectives on responsible growth at the 19th annual Candidate Forum at the Dunbar Recreation Center.

“The population, unfortunately, it’s going to keep on growing,” Place 2 City Councilmember Saul Gonzales said. “It’s not going to stop. We’ve just got to be ready for it.”

Incumbents Maxfield Baker (City Council Place 1) and Jane Hughson (Mayor) took on challengers Matthew Mendoza (City Council Place 1) and former Mayor John Thomaides with Hays County Government Affairs Committee Chair Cody Lantelme moderating Thursday’s event hosted by the Four Rivers Realtors Association.

Adam Ardnt, who did not attend the forum, is challenging Gonzales for his Place 2 seat this election.

City Council Place 1

After opening statements, Lantelme asked the Place 1 candidates four questions on the following topics: affordable housing, workforce and talent retention, initiatives as a councilmember, and their thoughts on the 90-day eviction ordinance, giving each candidate 90 seconds to respond.

The first subject City Council Place 1 candidates tackled was affordable housing.

Lantelme asked the Place 1 candidates, what role the city should play in addressing the issue of affordable, diverse housing, and what city strategies are most effective in achieving these housing goals?

Mendoza said he believes in supply and demand, but he also supports bringing more responsible developers into San Marcos.

“I think doing that, and involving the people who know projection, people who know growth, involv[ing] [them] in our policies and our discussions are very important,” he said.

Baker agreed with Mendoza’s point on supply and demand while pointing out it is only part of the solution.

“We know there are things like title insurance that make housing more expensive for first-time homebuyers. We know there are issues revolving around the vacant amount of properties around town,” Baker said, adding, “Infill development is something we desperately need.”

Lantleme then asked the Place 1 candidates what they believe the greatest workplace challenge is in San Marcos and how the community should address it.

Baker believes too many people in San Marcos are stuck in entry-level jobs for too long.

“Businesses should expect that when you come in there, you help employees move up in that business or move out, helpfully so that they can build their resume and they can go on and achieve higher wages,” Baker said.

Baker suggested businesses could pay the wages of employees seeking certifications and work with Texas State University or the Department of Labor to help members pay for certifications.

“We need to continue to embolden and work with companies like Amazon, or even smaller businesses, like the call center I used to work for here on Guadalupe Street,” Baker said. “I think the city and the county hold a responsibility to work to empower their employees to seek those opportunities for a better education and a better paycheck.”

Mendoza highlighted the importance of bringing tech and innovative industries into the city to help move people into higher-paying jobs.

“Let’s say IT that involves everything, jobs that will provide somebody with a high school degree with $15 to $20 starting with benefits, with the quality of life that we all deserve,” he said. “That’s what we have [to do] to get ahead of the game.”

Mendoza said his primary goal as a councilmember would be to address infrastructure while responding to the forum’s third question, which asked what would be each candidate’s top priorities, while Baker said he would focus on equity and community engagement.

Baker and Mendoza clashed over the fourth and final question on the 90-day eviction notice.

The 90-day eviction delay ordinance was introduced as a COVID-19 relief measure and requires landlords to give a Notice of Proposed Eviction and give tenants 90 days to pay back rent.

Baker said rescinding the 90-day eviction notice would add to the homeless problem, while Mendoza advocated for a more balanced approach.

“Renters’ rights are very important, but so are all of yours,” Mendoza said.

City Council Place 2

Gonzales said he has learned “quite a bit in the last six years” as a city council member.

“I came in thinking I could conquer the world in San Marcos and make things better, and it’s not that easy,” Gonzales said.

When asked what his priorities are for managing growth and preparing for the San Marcos of the future, Gonzales responded, “I really believe that infrastructure comes first, and then we can bring everybody in.”

Gonzales also said he supports companies that want to come to San Marcos and provide “good jobs [and] good insurance.”

To the question of how to expand housing affordability, Gonzales answered “better-paying jobs.”

“I’ll be honest, there’s no affordable housing in San Marcos,” he said. “What we need here is for companies to come in to be able to pay as well as to be able to afford those $200,000 or $250,000, and that’s still at the low end.”

Other questions Gonzales answered were: What do you see as the most important role of a city council member, and how will you involve the business community in citywide discussions and help bridge the gap between private citizens and the local business community?

In his answer to the first question, Gonzales said setting taxes and the city budget, as well as determining “what kind of growth we want here in San Marcos and where we want the growth,” are all essential duties of city councilmembers.

“When new neighborhoods come in, new subdivisions ... People know what they’re getting into, and that’s okay. They know what they’re buying into,” Gonzales said. “But when it comes to coming into someone’s neighborhood and changing the character completely, I have a problem with that.”

To the second question, Gonzales suggested forming a subcommittee to promote engagement between businesses and the community.

“It’s like a marriage,” he said. “You’ve got to have a good dialogue to find out what the problems are.”

Mayor

Former San Marcos Mayor John Thomaides says “it’s time for a change.”

Thomaides, elected as the 45th Mayor of San Marcos in 2016, is running on a campaign of cutting red tape and will face off against incumbent Jane Hughson in the November election.

Hughson was elected Mayor on Nov. 6, 2018, and reelected in 2020. She also served on the city council for many years.

In addition to questions on housing affordability and the 90-day eviction notice, Hughson and Thomaides received the following new questions:

•What is the balance between historic preservation and property rights?

•Where do you believe is the disconnect between city staff and council, and how do you propose we provide any kind of predictability to people looking to invest in our community?

Thomaides said he favors common sense policy when balancing historic preservation and property rights.

Hughson agreed with Thomaides, providing an example of a city ordinance she helped pass.

“It started with the old phone company that was slated for demolition,” Hughson said. “What we heard from the community was why didn’t they tell somebody, and we need some time. And so,  that’s what we did in our ordinance.”

Thomaides said he attributes the disconnect between city staff and council to  “a culture in San Marcos [of] resistance to growth.”

Hughson clarified the procedures city staff must follow when a new developer comes in with an idea for a project.

“It is city staff’s responsibility to vet a project,” Hughson explained. “Are they following our codes? Are they following our rules? That’s number one, because if they’re not, then that’s something that’s not likely to move forward.”

“I think things will be more streamlined in the future,” she added.

Voting information

The last day to register to vote is Oct. 11.

Early voting in Hays County begins Oct. 24 and ends Nov. 4. The general election takes place Nov. 8. For more information, visit https://hayscountytx.com/departments/elections.