Vote may solidify ‘Indigenous Peoples’ Day’
The city’s budget and tax rate are set for final approval Tuesday, as are campaign contribution caps and a new holiday for the city of San Marcos.
The council will consider a resolution delaring the second Monday of October of every year from here on out as Indigenous Peoples’ Day. Previously, the city celebrated Indigenous People’s Day in individual years but had not declared it a permanent holiday.
Regarding city finances, council is set to vote on the second of two readings on an ordinance adopting the budget for Fiscal Year 2019. The budget is just over $229 million, an increase of $15.2 million from last year’s. The budget is based on a tax rate of 61.39 cents per $100 valuation, which council is also slated to approve on the second of two readings Tuesday night.
An ordinance amending the code of ethics to put caps on individual contributions to mayoral or city council candidates as well as aggregate fundraising limits for those candidates is also on the agenda. On the second of two readings, council is expected to pass a measure limiting individual contributions to candidates to $500 and limiting the amounts that those candidates can raise. The aggregate limits are based on a formula: the number of qualified voters in the most recent general election multiplied by 50 cents for council candidates and 75 cents for mayoral candidates.
Based on guidance from council at its last meeting, City Attorney Michael Cosentino is also presenting language for an amendment preventing a council member from voting on matters involving people or businesses from whom the council member had received a campaign contribution. The wording included in the council’s agenda packet states: “It is unlawful for a city official or employee to take any official action that he or she knows is likely to affect an economic interest of a person or business entity from whom the official has received a campaign contribution in an amount of more than $300.”
Council is also slated to discuss a modification to the city code that would require any member of the council to publicly state a reason when they are recusing or abstaining from a vote. This discussion stems from a conversation that took place at the council’s last meeting. Council member Jane Hughson put the discussion on Tuesday’s agenda, seconded by Saul Gonzales.
The council will also vote on the new holiday.
“The area known as Spring Lake located in the City of San Marcos is one the longest continually inhabited sites in North America and was home to many different groups, bands, and tribes of Indigenous Peoples for at least 13,000 years,” the city’s agenda states. “... The City of San Marcos recognizes and values the vast contributions made to our community through Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge, science, philosophy, arts and culture and through these contributions the City of San Marcos has developed and thrived.”
Council will meet at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins St. City council meetings are also televised live on Spectrum Ch. 10 and Grande Ch. 16 or 123-16 and streamed online.
Local Reactions
Maria Rocha of the Institute of Indigenous Cultures and Nikkye Re’Anne Vargas both weighed in on the proposed new holiday. Here’s what they had to say: “As members of the Miakan-Garza tribe, a state-legislature-recognized tribe of Texas, we believe it is important for San Marcos to recognize the irreparable harm done by Columbus to indigenous people of the Americas. We need to stop celebrating a man who considered us ‘good servants’ and started the slave trade, mercilessly tortured and murdered our people, and decimated the Taino population. Instead, we can promote spiritual healing and bring our City together by celebrating the indigenous people who have populated our San Marcos neighborhoods continuously for over 13,000 years. At last San Marcos joins cities across the nation who have instituted the celebration of Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day.”
-- Maria Rocha
“I have been leading this effort here in San Marcos since 2015. There was a good combination of things that led me to pursue the change of this particular ‘holiday’ and why I felt it was important and necessary for San Marcos to join the conversation. In 2012 a movement started called Idle No More. This movement was led by Indigenous Grandmothers from the First Nations ( Canada/BC) and focused on bringing awareness to all the different issues that the Indigenous Peoples faced in light of the rampant colonization that has taken place since 1492.
“Within this movement we began to see more of a defined effort to dismantle the Celebration of one of the most popularized leaders of a massive genocide, known as Christopher Columbus. We wish to correct the narrative, put the truth out where it was suppressed before and allow for a conversation to begin that focuses on repatriation, respect and healing. The survivors of this genocide are still here, correction, we are still here. We want our story told. We want it heard. We don’t want what happened to ever happen again. We want the respect for our Mother Earth to be restored, for our connection to the natural world to not be lost.
“Given that San Marcos is here because of our precious river, the community as a whole acknowledge the fact that this place is considered one of the longest most continuously inhabited sites in Turtle Island (North America). With that being said, we have a responsibility to be a part of this effort to set the story straight. I have been working with the Garzas, our local Coahuiltecan elders and leaders, to help establish a more permanent change within our city government, which is what the vote on Tuesday is all about. I would like to thank The Garza family, Isabela Mata, our current city council, city staff and mayor for their valued participation and efforts towards the first of many steps. We look forward to Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day from this year on.”
-- Nikkye Re’Anne Vargas
