HAYS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT
The Hays County Commissioners Court on Tuesday approved an agenda amendment to provide funds for the purchase of a generator for the Hays County Food Bank. The funds were initially proposed to provide SNAP assistance during the federal government shutdown.
Commissioner Michelle Cohen, co-sponsor with Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, said the original item was included on the agenda prior to the end of the government shutdown on Nov. 12.
The original item read: “Discussion and possible action to amend the Hays County Food Bank Social Services Contract for FY 2026, adding one-time funding of $50,000.00 to assist the community with food insecurities related to the federal shutdown of the SNAP Program and amend the budget accordingly.”
In comments following the introduction of this item, Hays County Food Bank Executive Director Lisa Young brought up the Food Bank’s urgent need for a generator for their new facility, which opened on Aug. 27. Located at 1612 S. I-35, the new food bank is nearly triple the size of the last location, and can store up to three months of food. But this facility currently has no backup power supply.
“If that freezer and cooler goes out because of a grid shutdown, or because of a loss of power, we will lose three months of food that I have hoarded,” Young said.
The food bank had initially budgeted $30,000 for a generator, but more recent estimates have put the cost at $100,000. The Food Bank has already secured $23,000 from the First Presbyterian Church and $50,000 from the For Our Neighbors fund, founded by the San Marco Chamber Foundation and the United Way of Hays and Caldwell counties, she said.
“Added to your $50,000, if you so choose, we will combine and we will go ahead and have that generator built. That way we can stay open and operational no matter what happens in the event of an emergency that affects the power.”
The Commissioners Court voted unanimously to amend the item about SNAP funding to one-time capital funding toward the purchase of a generator.
