City leaders discuss growth at State of San Marcos address

San Marcos city leaders discussed the city’s growth, economic development and challenges ahead on Wednesday night. 

San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra and San Marcos CISD Superintendent Michael Cardona spoke to a standing-room only crowd at the State of San Marcos address at the activity center. 

“As your mayor, I'm pleased to report that the state of our city is strong as we continue to grow,” Hughson said. “We are the heart of the innovation corridor, but the real heart and heartbeat of San Marcos is its residents.”

Hughson highlighted the city council’s five strategic initiatives: workforce housing, public transit, stormwater management, community partnership and city facilities. She also said that the city is committed to the economic expansion of San Marcos by diversifying the tax base and increasing job markets. Hughson touted the San Marcos Air Rail and Truck terminal as one of the city’s “exciting current economic development projects.”

“This business park will attract corporate tenants with quality jobs and provide a significant capital investment in our community,” Hughson said. 

Becerra spoke on criminal justice reform and on the cost of inmate outsourcing on Hays County, calling it one of the most pressing issues he’s faced as county judge. 

“We are burning an average of $10-15,000 a day, seven days a week outsourcing inmates,” he said. “You're hurting people's lives, and you're hurting people's pocketbooks.”

Becerra also discussed the county’s plans to address indigent health care reform. He said his office is exploring opportunities to leverage technology that will improve health care for “our most vulnerable populations.” 

“Our healthcare challenges include shortage of physicians and nurses utilizing emergency rooms for primary care — We all know that happens all too much — increasing aging population in our county, growing incidence is a chronic disease and at risk for our average population,” Becerra said. “Transformative technologies can dramatically improve patient quality of life and save lives. 

“We're currently looking at adopting telemedicine to our indigent program," Becerra said. “Some of the indigenous population have transportation issues, they have issues getting to the doctors between the hours of eight and five, or staying compliant when they have multiple doctors appointments. We want to make healthcare more accessible to those in need.”

Becerra also stated that he recently presented a budget to the Hays County Commissioner’s Court that would not increase the tax rate in the county. But he’d like to shave off $5 million to bring lower taxes to Hays County residents. 

“You may say, oh, wonderful, you maintain your current tax rate,” Becerra said. “Yes, that's good. However, if all things stay the same, you will pay an average, for the average house average homeowner, you will pay an average of an extra hundred dollars a year, if I maintain the current tax rate, where you will pay no new taxes from the county … So to not raise your taxes from the previous year that would be for the effective tax rate, the effective tax rate is what we're going towards.”

Becerra is planning three workshops to discuss the budget and his attempt to save taxpayers money. 

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra talks at the state of the city address.

Cardona spoke on the improvements and new programs SMCISD is implementing, including the district’s dual-language program. 

“We just believe that being biliterate makes for a better citizen,” Cardona said. “And so what we want to do in San Marcos is have our students by the time they're in eighth grade finish the AP Spanish language, they will take a college test in eighth grade and then they will have earned college credit by the time they walk into high school, and we think that’s important.”

Additionally, he highlighted SMCISD’s early college high school that will allow students to obtain a high school diploma and associate's degree upon graduation. 

Hughson said the city is continuing to grow and she’s looking forward to the future. 

“We had a phenomenal 2018 and we should all be excited to see what’s coming in 2019,” Hughson told the crowd. “Thanks to each and every one of you who helps make San Marcos such a wonderful place to live. It’s because of you, the members of our community that we have such a quality of life in our hometown.”