City seats most diverse council in history

A full council chamber and crowded City Hall lobby witnessed the city’s first female-majority council, and the most racially diverse council in city history, take shape Wednesday night when Mark Rockeymoore and Jocabed “Joca” Marquez took their oaths of office.

“San Marcos is positioned for change,” Rockeymoore said before the swearing-in ceremony. “Everyone realizes we are at a crossroads.”

The new Place 4 council member said that voters made a clear and important decision in electing him and Marquez, the new Place 5 member, to serve on council.

“We are going to live up to the mandate the city has given us,” he said.

Mark Rockeymoore (center) with his father Thomas Rockeymoore and fiancée Rebecca Johnston.

Marquez said that becoming a part of the most diverse council in San Marcos history filled her with mixed emotions, including joy and a feeling of pressure.

“I’m honored, I’m excited … I know it’s time to get to work,” she said. 

Maria Rocha from the Indigenous Cultures Institute administered the oath of office to Marquez, who has Coahuiltecan and Lipan Apache ancestry and has identified herself as Native American. During comments to the audience, Marquez expressed gratitude to the voters of San Marcos.

“I’m grateful to know that two-thirds of you voted for me,” she said.

Marquez also noted the historic nature of the new city council and the importance of representation.

“In recent generations, San Marcos has been roughly half comprised of Anglo-Americans, and half comprised of non-Anglos. San Marcos has been half comprised of women, and half comprised of men. If we were a city with absolutely zero racial or gender bias, accordingly you’d expect council to contain a majority of women or a majority of San Marcans of color about half the time,” she said. 

“Instead, this will be the first time in history most our members are women. Gender equity should not be a remarkable feat, nor a one-time ordeal; it must become commonplace practice.”

Dr. Jocabed Marquez was sworn in by Maria Rocha.

Rockeymoore, who is one of a small group of African-Americans to be elected to city government, received the oath of office from his father Thomas.

“I am so grateful,” he said in comments to the audience. “We ran a long, hard race, but we’re finally here, and we’re here together.”

Rockeymoore said that San Marcos serves as an example and an icon.

“San Marcos represents what Texas should be — and what it truly is,” he said.

He said that he will be looking to other council members for advice and guidance and will make transparency a priority going forward.

Rockeymoore concluded his comments with a jubilant, “We did it!” that prompted applause and cheers from the crowd. 

Sophia Marquez struck a pose with her mother’s nameplate. Photo by Jordan Buckley

Minority representation in city government dates back to 1961, when Ruben Ruiz Sr. was elected the first Hispanic council member. Luciano Flores became the city’s first Hispanic mayor in 1972. 

Earl Moseley Jr. was the first African-American member of the San Marcos City Council, elected in 1998. 

Martha Castex Tatum, who was elected in 2000, was the first African-American woman to serve on the council. 

Also in 2000, San Marcos became the first city in Texas to have an Asian-American mayor when David Chiu was elected. Emmie Craddock was the city’s first female mayor, elected in 1981. 

The current dais consists of Mayor Jane Hughson and council members Lisa Prewitt, Melissa Derrick, Saul Gonzales, Ed Mihalkanin, Marquez and Rockeymoore. 

At Wednesday’s meeting, Hughson acknowledged the service of former council member Scott Gregson, who did not run for re-election to his Place 5 seat, and expressed appreciation for Gregson’s expertise as a property owner and developer and the benefit his finance degree from Harvard brought to the city.