Get to know San Marcos City Council Place 1 Candidates

San Marcos City Council Place 1 candidates Maxfield Baker and Matthew Mendoza shared their thoughts in a San Marcos Daily Record questionnaire on various issues facing San Marcos and how they would address them if elected.

Early voting continues through Friday. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Maxfield Baker

1. What qualifies you for the position you’re running for?

As the incumbent I have spent the last three years standing up for the rights of renter’s, women, those that identify as LGBTQiA, lower income community members, animals, and neighborhoods. I’ve lived in San Marcos for 15 years, over the course of which I attended TXST, rented housing, became a homeowner in 2020, and worked for local small businesses. All of this experience has shaped me to understand and empathize with the diverse makeup of San Marcos.

I lead from the heart, have a clear set of goals, show up prepared for Council meetings, and communicate openly with the public.

2. What are the biggest challenges facing San Marcos and how would you address them?

Lack of community engagement: We need more town halls, and more diverse representation on boards and committees. I’ve recommended that we pay these citizen positions, to create more access and receive better feedback from the community.

Housing: We will not solve this crisis by simply building more housing as some would suggest. We need to address issues at the local, state, and federal level which create barriers to housing or arbitrarily increase the cost. This would include title insurance, credit score requirements, non-violent criminal background triggers, and our inclusion in the “Austin Area Median Income” for low-income housing level costs.

3. With the growth San Marcos is experiencing, how would you balance incoming development with protecting natural resources?

San Marcos should implement a climate action plan to better protect the San Marcos river. Zoning allows for development, so we must be careful how we annex and zone as we navigate uncertain changes in the weather. Large corporate businesses coming here for “economic development” should be expected to build the most sustainable project with electric and water use reduction techniques. When building near sensitive features, they should be subject to extra scrutiny, constant monitoring, should not receive tax incentives, and include a clear consequence for failure of design/engineering should it exacerbate flooding or pollution.

4. What ways can transportation be improved in San Marcos and if elected how will you help address the issue?

San Marcos needs to finish combining the Texas State Bus System with our CARTS program, and create a multimodal transit hub near downtown. Studies show that we cannot simply continue building more roads to address traffic. We need to continue to pursue a rail option for the region and work with our neighbors along the corridor, to embrace more innovative and sustainable ideas.  We should consider a “park and ride” garage along 35, for those that commute. There is also a need to address transportation equity, which the federal government has grant funding available for cities like San Marcos.

5 If elected, how will you work with the community to ensure their voices are heard at city hall?

We need to address community distrust; people think decisions are made behind closed doors, they feel like they don’t have a voice, and that San Marcos doesn’t care about them. In April 2022, I co-hosted a town hall at the Dunbar Center and created a document to share with our community to help increase access to public officials and cultivate a better understanding for the role residents play in government. Reading agendas, writing emails, requesting information, and creating accountability can be intimidating. This resource serves as a starting point for the community and is on my website (BakerforSMTX.com).

Matthew Mendoza

1. What qualifies you for the position you’re running for?

Being a current Planning and Zoning Commissioner has allowed me to learn the inner working of our local government and has taught me the importance of the votes I cast in protecting our quality of life. I was raised here in San Marcos, graduated from San Marcos High School, and my family goes back generations in our community. This has allowed me to form relationships that go beyond politics, and taught me the important of collaborative government. I have 19 years of experience in the IT industry managing an international team for a global company.

2. What are the biggest challenges facing San Marcos and how would you address them?

We need to continue to bring more jobs that provide good benefits and real advancement and provide a good quality of life to keep our Rattlers and Bobcats here. For too many years many of our neighborhoods have been ignored for vital infrastructure projects. We need to start and complete those projects in a timely manner without damaging our neighborhoods and environment.  We must ensure we are wise with the taxpayer dollars to ensure the city provides the services we all need: Quality infrastructure, libraries, community outreach, art programs, and especially first responders.

3. With the growth San Marcos is experiencing, how would you balance incoming development with protecting natural resources?

I support the city’s Sustainability Plan, the NOAA Atlas 14 report, and the environmental guidelines in our Land Development Code. We must encourage responsible and innovated developing while opposing projects that could threaten our rivers and natural resources. On Planning and Zoning, I’ve supported good projects to provide quality affordable housing in San Marcos, while opposing projects that threaten our environment. I believe we can find a balance to preserve the beauty of San Marcos while supporting reasonable growth and development for new housing and quality jobs for citizens.

4. What ways can transportation be improved in San Marcos and if elected how will you help address the issue?

We need a multimodal approach to regional transport in the central Texas Corridor. To start, we should combine and expand our bus system with Texas State University, and work with Kyle, Buda, New Braunfels, and other cities in the region as part of a regional transportation plan. For traffic and congestion in our Downtown, safe bike lanes and a regional bus network will help alleviate those issues in the short term, but I believe we need a long-term plan for a downtown parking garage and/or park and ride system.

5. If elected, how will you work with the community to ensure their voices are heard at city hall?

Outreach is one of the most important tools a City Council member can use. I recently helped organize a community meeting with concerned neighbors and city employees. I believe we should have more community and neighborhood meetings where Council members attend. During infrastructure projects, more status update meetings are needed, particularly if a major project is delayed. On Planning and Zoning I’ve worked to be a bridge between our citizens and our city, and I plan to do the same while on City Council.

HEADING TO THE POLLS?

San Marcos voters can cast their ballots at one of 14 early voting locations around Hays County. There are three voting locations in San Marcos: Broadway (CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic) — 401 Broadway Street #A;  Hays County Government Center Conference Room (Main early voting site) — 712 South Stagecoach Trail; and  LBJ Student Center, Texas State University — 601 University Dr.

Early voting hours are 7 a.m.-7 p.m. from Wednesday, Nov. 2 to Nov. 4.

Check https://teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do to ensure you’re registered to vote. Bring one of the following forms of photo ID: A state driver’s license, Texas election identification certificate, Texas personal identification card, Texas license to carry a handgun, U.S. military ID card with personal photo, U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo or a U.S. passport.