TDEM testing returning to San Marcos

Hays County Emergency Management Coordinator Alex Villalobos announced a private partnership with the Texas Department of Emergency Management to provide COVID-19 testing at San Marcos High School from Aug. 24 - Aug. 30. 

They are in the process of finding a secondary location within Hays Consolidated Independent School District. 

Texas State University is also planning to conduct random testing for students on campus at the Student Health Center. 

The CommuniCare testing location in Wimberley will begin operations on Sept. 2 and on Sept. 6 in Kyle. The testing locations will be open for public testing weekly. 

The San Marcos location for public testing will be open five days a week, starting Aug. 31, as soon as they solidify a lease agreement for a building in the medical parkway off of Wonder World Drive in the same price range as a previous agreement for a property off of State Highway 123 that  fell through.

In the second budget workshop, the District Attorney’s office requested to regrade certain employees in their office to be closer to market midpoint salaries. They are currently 8-29% lower than market midpoint salaries for comparable counties. 

District Attorney Wes Mau said their office has lost good candidates in the middle of the hiring process due to below market salaries. 

Hays County treasurer requested three  additional staff as their work volume increased four-fold from 2018. 

The clerk requested two additional staff as their caseload was doubled from this time last year, with the establishment of the Office of Magistration and the Indigent Defense Coordinator’s position creating new streams of paperwork. 

The county constables requested a few new deputies, a new vehicle and to reclassify a position from justice clerk to trainer. 

Many residents participated in public comment to advocate for more adequate funding to law enforcement. Becerra made it clear he is not intended to defund law enforcement with his budget.