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Mayoral candidates speak at runoff forum: Arredondo, Hughson answer SMDR questions

Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Editor's note: Mayoral candidates Jane Hughson and Juan Miguel Arredondo spoke at a runoff forum hosted by the Daily Record on Monday. This is part one in a two-part series showcasing what the candidates had to say. 

The two candidates answered six questions over the course of a half hour on Zoom with over 300 live viewers and more than 1,000 post-event viewers. 

The first three questions, written by the Daily Record staff, aimed to gather more information on where the candidates stand than had already been given in General Election forums and voter guides. The last three questions were submitted by voters, who were given three days' time to tell the Daily Record what they want to know most from the candidates. 

Hughson opened with a message of listening, making San Marcos better and trying to find consensus. She spoke to ensuring growth that can be positive for all, including low and moderate income levels; particularly through incentives for good paying jobs and benefits. 

She pledged not to defund the police and that she would continue to vote for grants to fund social service agencies. 

“Things in San Marcos were going well before the pandemic hit,” Hughson said. “It affected many of us adversely. Tough decisions were made.”

Arredondo disagreed.

“A majority of our citizens live below the poverty line, living paycheck to paycheck, job to job with limited access to health care, and other essential services, and the pandemic has only put a spotlight on the economic inequality and difficult situation,” Arredondo said. 

He, like Hughson, emphasized a need for good paying jobs with benefits, as well as affordable housing.

Arredondo said Downtown San Marcos was his favorite part of town because it encapsulates the entire community. 

“It shows the best of what San Marcos has to offer; that it's a place that small businesses can be successful,” he said. “It is a place that families and young people and young families, and just other citizens can enjoy and appreciate.”

To preserve downtown and its success, he vowed to ensure downtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) dollars are not used to take property off the tax rolls to block or prevent future development, but to reinvest those tax dollars into the businesses that make downtown “so unique.”

Hughson spoke about the people, heritages and cultures of San Marcos as her favorite part of the city. 

She discussed the importance of ensuring San Marcos is a great place to live to make sure its people stay there. As the chair of the comprehensive plan citizen advisory committee, Hughson set a vision to do that with the Land Development Code to create more housing options and more opportunities for home ownership. 

She said she wants to see low to moderate income residents who want to own a home have the ability to do so. Hughson says she will do this by continuing their track record of bringing good companies with good jobs and benefits to San Marcos. 

She envisions a San Marcos where, “people have the time to spend with their kids, church activities, hobbies, and generally enjoying the quality of life available in San Marcos, our library, parks, green spaces and entertainment.”

She also spoke to necessary environmental protections in the development code and floor mitigation projects to protect the “gem of the city,” the river. 

On criminal justice reform, Hughson stated she is generally in favor of criminal justice reform and Cite and Release in certain cases. She stated she would support Chief Stan Standridge in his efforts to engage with the community. 

“I think it's important to address what causes people to commit crimes. And that maybe there's something we could do to change that course, and the associated cost to our taxpayers. We might save their lives, the lives of others ... maybe some taxpayer money,” Hughson said. 

Hughson wanted to start with a resolution for Cite and Release rather than a ordinance and she maintains, “Of course there are crimes such as rape, murder, major assault and more for what going to trial and possible prison time are needed.”  

Both Hughson and Arredondo praised Chief Standridge and expressed hope and confidence in his efforts to unify the community. 

Arredondo challenged Hughson for not doing more to unify the community during tense conversations about Cite and Release. 

“Sitting down with the brave men and women of our San Marcos Police Department and the organizations who are pushing for Cite and Release and criminal justice reform and acknowledging that we have to work together to address the challenges that are facing our community, especially when it comes to fundamentally reforming the carceral system and the systems that have historically been in place that have oppressed people of color and of low economic means,” Arredondo said. 

Arredondo also stated that addressing housing affordability and poverty goes hand in hand with criminal justice reform, and vowed to put in that work from day one. 

A question about holding meeting decorum and bridging a divide between councilmembers with differing ideological opinions had both candidates acknowledging there is a problem. 

“I think it's finding common ground and a willingness, an open mind to work together and to promote collegiality,” Arredondo said. “And again, I think we just all have to acknowledge that the issues that affect the East side, West side affect the college population, affect multi generational San Marcans ...We have to acknowledge that the challenges that impact some of us, impact all of us.”

Hughson maintained that councilmembers agree on most things, and that each member of the council has their own right to speak and state opinions politely when they disagree. 

“I'm criticized about this but I prefer to err on the side of allowing discussion than cutting off discussion,” Hughson said. “It's important for issues to be on the table and questions to be answered. And for the public to know where their council members stand on issues. In general I expect all council members who are elected by the public individually to be polite and respectful to their colleagues, same in the public comments.”

She also spoke about the new dynamic of virtual meetings and the opportunity of social media to interact and “bash” fellow colleagues. 

The answers to resident submitted questions will be published in Friday’s edition of the San Marcos Daily Record.

 

This article has been updated since it was first published on Nov. 25, 2020.

San Marcos Record

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