30 years of operating my landscape business has given me firsthand observation of how climate change has affected our land, water and local ecosystems, how to listen to clients’ needs, respond accordingly, and balance budgets. As a public servant and City Council member in San Marcos (2013-2019) this experience has given me valuable knowledge of creating policies to mitigate the impacts of our changing climate.

I have always fought for local government control because each community is uniquely different in their challenges and assets. Local control empowers people to engage in creating local governing policies, so together we can create the communities we want to build our futures in.

Although I am known for my environmental advocacy, policy has to go beyond just environmental protections, because how we build our communities, implement mobility options for connectivity and minimize greenhouse gas emissions is all interrelated.

I have raised 4 kids in San Marcos, and now they are raising their children here.

Leaving the planet in a better place than we inherited it, is not just an option, it is an obligation.

1. One of our biggest challenges in San Marcos is affordability.

We need to bring economic vitality to San Marcos with better and more creative jobs, not AI Data Centers. Continue working with ACC to bring in tech training for our residents, expand that program’s prototype with other training / employment agencies. We should be tapping into TXST research and development to help identify high-growth industries, state-of-the-art technologies, and specific regional employers that align with forward-looking skill sets.

The businesses we attract much reflect our community values, natural resource capacity and pay their fair share of infrastructure costs along with sales and property taxes. These costs have been riding on the backs or our residents for too long.

Promote Small business growth vs. Corporate tax abatements so we can keep revenue dollars circulating in San Marcos instead of wealth extraction

2. Connect our residents to vital services: education, work, healthcare, childcare, and food is essential.

One area of improvement is taking mobility to a more efficient level than what it has been operating at historically in San Marcos. We need expanded hours, expanded routes and additional types of public transit, i.e. Micro-transit, expand our interurban routes into Austin, look into the feasibility studies of Rapid Bus Transit with our regional boards. In 2019 the COSM took over our direct recipient funds from the FTA which allows us to integrate with TXST bus system while still being in control of the federal dollars. The intention of this partnership is to extend hours and routes for full time residents as well as students, which in now moving forward.

Incentivize small neighborhood retail shops so residents can connect to daily needs including employment opportunities without the long commutes.

3. Expand our sustainability plan in San Marcos and activate its deliverables.

Protect our water resources: We need to be looking past what we have contracted with Alliance Regional Water Authority (ARWA) which is our present future water supply. The question is, will this aquifer system sustain the rapid growth of all the contracted entities in our region, in other words, are there already too many straws in the same glass ? that concerns me. We need to be expanding our reuse water system, requiring rain water harvesting on new builds, especially large commercial water users. We should be offering credits to developments that integrate green-infrastructure models including rain harvesting and solar panels.

YES

I was a member of the city council that created a CUP (conditional use permit) for rent-by-the room apartments. This type of housing model increases the cost of apartments for students and less housing inventory for non-students. And also allows more predatory student housing with exploitative "rent-by-the-room" layouts.

In 2023, TXST purchased 2 large rent-by-the room apartment complexes totaling $ 151 million of taxable value removed from our tax base (because TXST is exempt from property taxes) totaling close to $2 Million. When this happens, it tightens up our budget further than it already is and eliminates even more opportunities that the city could partnership with developers in programs for affordable home ownership.

If the COSM considers entering into an P3 agreement for affordable housing, it would require ownership along with rentals to gain my support, for long term equity in home ownership that builds family wealth for those that can and want to move to ownership.

We need inventory for home ownership that provides long-term housing stability and equity building

Yes, I would advocate for more our neighboring cities cost sharing and if not, request an increase in county funding which would span cost sharing from all municipalities in the county.

Cities and counties tackling interconnected problems will generate better outcomes and improved lives.

San Marcos historically has carried the heavy load of supporting organizations that assist community members experiencing housing and food insecurities. We need more funding for mental health care, medical assistance, job training and transportation.

We also need better municipal and county partnerships for animal shelters and advocacy.

Yes, to both questions. I have done both during my tenure on Council 2013-2019 and will continue to do so. We need to offer safe options to our residents to become less single care dependent, which also cut down on greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing our carbon footprint.

I would not support the San Marcos Police Department entering into a 287(g) agreement beyond our legal requirements. These 287(g) agreements pull local tax dollars away from public safety needs that our officers and residents depend on to keep our community safe.

I support Investing in local policing policies that increase trust in our local officers to keep all of us safe. When families are afraid of calling 911 to report a crime, they stop calling and victims stay silent, witnesses stay home, and the whole community becomes less safe.

We need to ensure public safety while upholding constitutional rights and due process for all of our residents. San Marcos should be a place where every family feels safe calling for help.

No, I do not support modern mass surveillance systems, including automated AI-powered data networks connected to LPR, which raise serious privacy and civil liberties concerns.

Although proper use of LPR can help investigate serious crimes after the fact, safeguards that are strong enough to prevent data abuse and privacy violations remain a large concern among lawmakers and community members, including myself.

I would need to see the clear public safety benefit including enforceable rules for access, data retention, sharing, and independent oversight before supporting them.

I believe investing in community-based social programs—such as mental health care, youth mentorship, and substance abuse treatment—is widely supported by research as an effective way to address the root causes of crime and reduce reliance on solely traditional enforcement

I have attended public community forums, commissioners court and city council meetings and spoken out voicing concern and opposition to the current programs that have been considered locally.

I support the COSM zoning laws prohibiting AI Data Centers within our city limits and advocate for local control in our counties.

We don't have the natural resources to support AI Data Centers. While closed-loop systems recycle water internally to cut direct consumption, they still require massive amounts of off-site electricity generation (which consumes substantial water) and regular maintenance flushing, making zero-impact claims misleading. Large hyperscale facilities can directly consume millions of gallons daily, straining local aquifers and municipal supplies.

“Forever” chemicals used in the cooling system are also a major concern.

Massive facility footprints, sprawling electrical infrastructure can alsot alter local microclimates, creating localized urban heat islands that extend outward and impact adjacent agricultural yields and surrounding farmland.

Large-scale computing infrastructure also drives high electricity demand—frequently necessitating new local fossil-fuel power plants—and is heavily tied to workloads like mass surveillance, fueling local opposition over transparency, noise pollution, and community burden.

Residents from all political affiliations across the state of Texas are speaking out against these massive Data Centers and demanding for local authority regulations so these AI Data Centers are not forced in their communities and neighbors backyards.

People and Water over Profit.

have attended multiple community discussion forums on AI Data Centers. I have studied and educated the best to my ability to understand all perspectives, and have spoken out publicly in opposition to AI Data Centers.

All new large commercial, industrial and housing developments would be required to implement some forms of green infrastructure, including rain harvesting and permeable pavement.

To help developers navigate these requirements, the city of San Marcos can implement a structured compliance and incentive checklist. This layout clearly separates the mandatory baselines from optional elements that unlock development credits, ensuring alignment with flood plain management and smart growth.

Ensure that all new infrastructure has gray water lines to future gray water use.

Slow rain water flows by requiring a “catch, retain and utilize” approach for flood plain management.

Maintain cut and fill requirements to mitigate increased flooding impacts from developing natural spaces.

The city council resolution did not gain the majority vote to pass, and ended with a 5-2 outcome.

I believe what is happening to Palestinians in Gaza meets the definition of genocide by United Nations commission of inquiry, leading genocide scholars, and major human rights organizations.

I personally grieve for every civilian life lost in this conflict, Palestinian and Israeli alike, and I support the call for a ceasefire of this war and all wars.

Speaking from the heart of a mother and grandmother, globally we share a sacred, unconditional commitment to protecting life and humanity against the devastation of war and any other form of violence.