Mayor, 8 years (2018-current). City Council 10 years (1996-2002, 2014-2018).

Planning and Zoning Commission, Ethics Review Commission, and Charter Commission.

San Marcos High School Rattler, Texas State Bobcat, and long term resident.

Leadership positions on multiple civic and non-profit organization boards.

Board member of multi-county organizations – Capital Area Council of Governments (10 counties) Executive Committee (Chair 2020), Capital Area Emergency Communications District Board of Managers (Chair 2020), Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Clean Air Coalition (Chair 2022), Economic Development Advisory Council (Chair 2022-2024); Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (6 counties); Alliance Regional Water Authority; Hays Caldwell Economic Development Partnership.

Past President – Leadership San Marcos, Hays County Food Bank, Heritage Association of San Marcos.

Retired IT professional, Texas State University (33 years), Technology Resources Dept - Assistant Director Business Services, Assistant Director Client Services, Senior Business Process Analyst. I connected people to technology as the software and desktop computer manager.

We need to support staff to keep San Marcos a great place to live by ensuring that all the routine city business is kept running. That includes: Streets, library, parks, sidewalks, water, electric, wastewater, IT, and the business aspect including accounting, purchasing, payroll, etc.

It also includes: Continuing to protect our river, environment, and neighborhoods; managing growth responsibly to provide housing opportunities and attract/expand commercial businesses that create good-paying jobs; and continuing workforce efforts so residents can learn/upgrade skills to qualify for better-paying jobs.

We are close to finishing the Tenants’ Bill of Rights, as much as we are allowed to do given legislative restrictions. The city council should be seeing a draft in the next few weeks.

We are making decisions on which option to choose from The Rio Grande Legal Aid organization to help our residents manage issues with landlords. We have been provided these services for several years.

We must continue to manage the growth and address the needs of our low-income community members. This means making good decisions on new Low Income Housing Tax Credit projects. We choose the benefits that can include: bus/van services to grocery and other stores, after-school projects for children, and an on-site emergency food pantry.

One that I already accomplished is an example of what I do. We made it easier for those who need help paying their utility bills.

The city allocates $120,000 each year to assist with paying utility bills. Community Action took the applications, determined if qualified, and distributed the funds. They work with many grants and funding agencies, so their application is more complex than others. Approval can take up to 3 weeks. I suggested that we add agencies who can work faster to distribute those funds. Council agreed. We now have 3 agencies who can distribute the funds in just a few days, not weeks.

Another approach to the issue of affordable housing is workforce development. We want our residents to have a stable full-time job with benefits instead of multiple part time jobs and no benefits.

Through a partnership with Community Action Inc. providing the funding, Austin Community College providing the classes, and the city providing the facilities (I played a big role in that), more than 50 people now qualify for a career in HVAC that can provide a living wage. Those newly certified can get a better job, with benefits, and rent a better place or start on the path to home ownership.

We cannot afford to provide 50 houses, but we can provide training for a better job. And it’s at no cost to the student or the city.

I was the mayor at the time that we passed this, so YES.

Housing affordability is a national issue and there is no easy solution.

In the 2018 Land Development Code, we added several housing types and zoning districts with the intent of making housing more affordable. Unfortunately, home builders continue to build the traditional 3 (or more) bedrooms, 2 bath homes. We added tiny homes to the list and we now have a tiny home community with units for rent, but it’s outside of town.

Apartment housing is much more difficult to address, and we are still working on that one.

Another approach to the issue of affordable housing is workforce development. We want our residents to have a stable full-time job with benefits instead of multiple part time jobs without benefits.

Through a partnership with Community Action providing the funding, Austin Community College providing the classes, and the city providing the facilities, more than 50 people now qualify for a career in HVAC that can provide a living wage. Those newly certified can get a better job, with benefits, and rent a bigger place or start on the path to home ownership.

We cannot afford to provide 50 houses, but we can provide training for a better job. And it’s at no cost to the student or the city.

I have voted for funding to assist Southside Community Center from City Human Services funds and from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for Southside. These funds were primarily to fund Case Management, which was very much needed. Southside was helping with individual issues, but needed the funds to help people overall with solutions. I have voted for funding for Southside every year I've been on the council (18 total) from our funds, ARPA funds, and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds.

The City of San Marcos policy is for "complete streets" which means sidewalks and bike paths or very wide shared-use paths for new streets. We have converted existing driving lanes to bike lanes on a number of our streets including in our downtown area. I have voted for bike lanes for years

Immigration is a federal responsibility and San Marcos does not participate in identifying people who may or may not be citizens. I do not support our police being involved in ICE activities. The current state of ICE is often abhorrent, cruel, and horrific and I look forward to changes in the future to stop their activities as currently conducted.

I have not spoken out publicly because, as mayor, I do not want to draw attention to San Marcos and place a target on our backs any more than it already is. I support the people who do speak out.

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Regarding SB4, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2017, the city council took a cautious, but strong stand. We sought legal advice because there were concerns about what elected officials and city employees could legally say or do. On August 15 we voted unanimously to issue a formal statement and direct staff to take several actions. It:

• Expressed concern about the effects of SB 4 on the entire San Marcos community.

• Emphasized maintaining and improving trust between residents and local government and police.

• Said SB 4 may impose an unfunded state mandate.

We directed staff to explore programs addressing the fears and concerns of our residents.

Council also made clear that San Marcos Police would continue protecting residents regardless of immigration status and urged people not to allow fear of immigration enforcement to prevent them from calling police when they needed help.

The council did not join the litigation challenging SB 4. Instead, we decided to monitor the existing lawsuit, noting that any ruling would apply statewide. We specifically discussed the legal risks of taking a more aggressive position because SB 4 contained provisions that could expose elected officials to civil penalties or removal from office for certain actions that were deemed to materially limit immigration enforcement. We did file an amicus curiae brief to the suit filed by the City of El Cenizo.

I was mayor when the City of San Marcos did not extend the Flock contact. I spoke against it and I voted in the majority to say NO to Flock.

I voted against the zoning that would have allowed a data center inside the city limits of San Marcos. We have some very strict rules regarding data centers now. We had set the rule such that data centers would only be allowed in Heavy Industrial zoning districts and only with city council direct approval. No one who ever keeps up with the news would bring us a data center application now or anytime soon. I did not vote to remove data centers from all zoning districts because I didn’t want to send a message to OTHER types of businesses that we would not welcome them for the jobs they would bring. I was also concerned about the publicity that it would bring, and it did. We are now targets for some powerful legislators and that isn’t good for our community.

San Marcos is one of the founding members of the Alliance Regional Water Authority. I am currently the chair. While this is bringing water to us for the future, Texas as a whole is in serious trouble regarding water. San Marcos has a robust reuse water distribution and we have a number of businesses that are buying reuse water instead of drinking water. We need more of this in our city and across Texas. We need conservation of all types and all levels to have enough water for the future. San Marcos has some policies and rebates, and we need more. I’d like to see a housing development that double pipes the water – drinking water and purple pipe which is reuse water – for landscaping and other outdoor uses.

This is a tough one. There is too much killing on both sides.