Campaign Endoresements
State Representative Erin Zwiener (HD 45), Hays County Commissioner Dr. Michelle Cohen (Precinct 2), Hays County Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe (Precinct 1), and Congressman Greg Casar (TX-35)
I’m a community organizer and public servant who believes local government can be a powerful force in people’s lives. My academic training (B.S. & M.A. in Sociology) taught me to analyze data, interrogate research and question assumptions. Serving on Council since 2020 has taught me how to turn ideas into policy and navigate local government to get things done. I value institutional knowledge, but I believe experience should make elected officials bolder about what local government can accomplish, not more comfortable with the status quo. I bring analytical rigor, imagination and courage, grounded in the voices of people too often left out.
Questions like this give me pause because of course affordability, housing, infrastructure & public safety are priorities. The harder question is how we make progress. So, if I have to name 2, mine are about how we get better at solving these problems. 1st, make local government easier to understand, navigate and influence so more people can shape decisions affecting their lives. 2nd, understand community needs well enough to deploy limited resources where they can have the greatest impact. I bring ideas & experience, but no elected official has all the answers. Good policy requires data, community knowledge, political courage & imagination.
Immigrants are part of the fabric of San Marcos. They are our neighbors, coworkers, business owners, students & families, and they make our community stronger. I am unapologetic in my belief that EVERY person deserves dignity& the protection of their constitutional rights, REGARDLESS of immigration status. Our responsibility is to the people who call San Marcos home, and local resources should not be diverted to doing the federal government’s immigration enforcement. We should protect personal info., support trusted community partners& use our voice and legal authority when federal actions threaten our neighbors’ rights, dignity, & safety
People should not need to be City Hall insiders to understand how decisions are made or have a meaningful role in making them. We should demystify local gov., make participation easier and bring people in early enough to actually shape decisions. Expertise does not live only inside government. Our neighbors understand their communities, their needs and the consequences of our decisions in ways we cannot learn from a staff report alone. Democracy can be slower and messier, but efficiency is not the only measure of good government. For six years, I’ve pushed City Hall to remember that the people we serve are not an obstacle to the work.
Growth is not automatically progress. We should ask what a project gives back to San Marcos, what it demands from our water and infrastructure, and how it affects the people already here. I supported prohibiting data centers because I did not believe that math worked for our community. I support development that creates good jobs, housing and opportunity, but being pro-growth cannot mean saying yes to everything. We should demand more from developers and use the tools we have to make growth work harder for our community. Responsible leadership also means having the courage to say no when the long-term cost is too high.
Mayor, 8 years (2018-current). City Council 10 years (1996-2002, 2014-2018).
Planning and Zoning Commission, Ethics Review Commission, and Charter Commission.
Rattler, Bobcat and long term resident.
Leadership positions on multiple civic and non-profit organization boards.
Board member of three multi-county organizations.
I approach solving issues by collecting data, listening, asking questions, and collaborating with others. I ask council members and staff for opinions and expertise. I seek compromise with the public and council members.
I am known for my integrity, honesty, and commitment to San Marcos.
Continue economic development opportunities that bring us good-paying jobs. Not every company seeks incentives for their projects but when asked, we analyze the project to determine the additional tax base dollars they can bring to us, water use, how many new jobs, and do those jobs provide a living wage or better.
Continue to manage growth so that there are housing opportunities for our residents. I voted for our Land Development Code that allows for a variety of housing types and denser neighborhoods which can make housing more affordable for homeowners and renters and provide transit options.
Immigration enforcement is handled primarily by federal agencies, not local police. Our police officers’ responsibility is to protect public safety by responding to calls, investigating crimes, and enforcing Texas laws irrespective of anyone’s immigration status. While Senate Bill 6 (2025) requires some county sheriff departments, in certain limited situations, to investigate, apprehend, and detain, our municipal police officers are not required to do so.
We had Citizen Comment on our agenda years before it was required.
As mayor, I use the sign-up list to respectfully call each person to the podium, where they have three minutes to make their comments.
Council members listen to the speakers. San Marcos is fortunate to have many residents willing to share their extensive knowledge of water, building development, and/or flooding; topics often on an agenda. While we cannot engage in conversation during Citizen Comment, we can follow up with speakers. Sometimes a topic brought to us will become an agenda item; other times it is a reason to amend an item already on the agenda.
We must balance housing growth with the needs of existing residents which includes jobs and quality of life. We need commercial tax revenue to help offset the cost of city services.
Fortunately, we do not have to decide one against the other; we have welcomed both.
We planned for long-term water needs in 2007, and that water is here today. Our 10-year Capital Improvements Plan addresses infrastructure needs for streets, utilities, and more. Our Comprehensive and specialized master plans guide responsible growth.
Our development code does not allow data centers. I voted against the last one and would vote against the next one.
