John Thomaides is seeking re-election to the seat he was first elected to in 2003. His challenger, Mike Davis, has previously served on the city's Planning and Zoning Commission. Early voting for this race and others in the cities of Buda and San Marcos as well as Hays County takes place Oct. 20–Oct. 31. Election Day is Nov. 4. For more information about voting times and locations, look for the Election Guide in the next issue of Community Impact Newspaper, out on Oct. 16. Why are you running? Thomaides: I'm asking the voters to allow me to continue my proven record of working to protect and defend neighborhoods by not being a "rubber stamp" for every apartment complex development, requiring streets to accommodate bikes, pedestrians and vehicles safely, and supporting job-based incentives for higher paying jobs while opposing risky schemes with little or no benefit to the taxpayers. I've provided leadership by using common sense to achieve common ground to meet our single-family housing needs, supporting traffic solutions like eastern Loop 110, ensuring a lasting supply of water for generations to come and protecting our environment and the river. Davis: I've been in business for 35 years. I want to treat city government just like a business. That's the way it should be. It has a financial obligation to its citizens to put out the best product it can. I don't think the city is putting out the best product to its citizens. We need to streamline our rules and regulations for businesses coming in here. The rules and regulations need to be simplified. They don't need to be less strict, but they need to be simplified. What do you believe is the greatest challenge facing the city? Thomaides: The biggest challenge now facing our city and each City Council member is how we can achieve sustainable growth while maintaining and nurturing the character of this community and protecting the San Marcos River. The character of our community and the river are our best selling points. Just being a bigger doesn't necessarily equate to being better. We will continue to grow, but I will work to keep San Marcos unique so that we won't just become like every other city between Austin and San Antonio. Let's get growth right the first time. Davis: All of the challenges are so important, and they're all so interconnected. Without jobs you can't build houses, and without houses there's no place for them to live if they have a job. If you don't have water no one can come. Coping with this new growth that is coming in from all over the country. People are coming here, and they're looking for places to live. Right now all they have are apartments. We can't let the growth rule us. We have to as a city rule the growth. San Marcos has been named the fastest-growing city in the country for two consecutive years. What can be done to ensure that growth continues in a healthy, responsible way? Thomaides: Our city has just adopted a Comprehensive Master Plan that took the work of the entire community for over a year. This plan lays out the broad-based consensus of our citizens on how and where we should grow, and sets out logical and affordable plans for roads, utilities and related services. This plan represented a compromise between those who are happy with unbridled growth and those who are uncomfortable with a bigger San Marcos. The way we grow in a healthy and responsible way and to meet the challenges outlined above is to stick to our plan. Davis: City Hall can't create jobs, but it can hinder jobs. It can hinder growth. It can hinder growth in a number of ways. Making it so difficult that companies can't come in. We can find all sorts of ideas not to let something happen, but my idea is, let's find a reason to make something happen. Let's find a reason we can make it work. Don't give me examples of, 'This will not work because of this and this and this.' Let's find a way we can make this work. Do you believe the city is too lax in regulating developments in close proximity to delicate environmental features (the river, recharge zones, etc)? Why or why not? Thomaides: I opposed the Cape's Camp apartments along the San Marcos River and other developments located on or near highly sensitive environmental areas like the Sessom's Canyon apartments. It's no secret however that some families desire to live on the west side of our city, our most sensitive area. In these instances, I have used common sense to achieve common ground so that this single-family housing demand can be met. We need to enforce our environmental ordinances on new developments, however the direction and type of development is ultimately up to the City Council. That's why this election is so important. Davis: Regarding the river, there are more rules and regulations on the state level than on the city level, I believe. The state is actually going to protect the river as well as the city does. We need to simplify the understandability of these rules that we have. If you have a rule that says one thing and the contractor comes in and says 'I want a variance on this,' why is it granted? The rules are the rules. Stay within the rules. I understand there are special situations, but the river is one of the most important things in my opinion. What can the city do to attract more high wage jobs? Thomaides: I believe protecting and improving our quality of life is job one. To accomplish this involves respecting the natural beauty of our environment and protecting the San Marcos River for generations to come. We must generate jobs, keeping our graduating seniors in San Marcos and employing our citizens. I will continue promoting single-family neighborhoods, having available housing options and ensuring reliable and long-term sources of water. It is critical to also keep property taxes low while ensuring a safe and secure environment. Employers locate where talented people live, and talented people live where there's a good quality of life. Davis: Streamline the processes and make them more simplified. We need some engineers with some real hands-on experience. Why does it take two and a half years to complete a project downtown and have 60 businesses close? That doesn't happen in the real world. That only happens in government. You can't have the lifeblood of your city, which are your small businesses, 80 percent of those businesses are hurting severely. There is no reason we can't run this city like a business.