Cape's Camp proposition approved; mayor, councilmen re-elected
San Marcos voters re-elected their mayor and two City Council incumbents by wide margins Nov. 6 while offering strong support for the creation of a large riverfront park on the east side of I-35, according to unofficial election results.
More than three in four voters said they want the city to purchase a 70-acre tract known locally as Cape's Camp and Thompson's Islands, while about 25 percent of voters opposed the nonbinding resolution.
The acquisition would link the city's extensive riverfront parks system on the west side of I-35 with the 5-acre Stokes Park on the east side. It would also prevent a developer from building a 300-unit apartment complex on the property.
"People feel strongly about completing the San Marcos river parks," said Dianne Wassenich, executive director of the San Marcos River Foundation. "In general, our community really does understand the connection between water quality and buffers around the rivers, so they understand it would be wise to make this a park."
Voters did not favor two additional propositions gauging how the city should acquire the privately owned land, rejecting a pair of nonbinding proposals to either raise taxes or use the city's power of eminent domain.
At the top of the San Marcos ballot, Mayor Daniel Guerrero swept into his second two-year term by an 83.6 percent-to-16.4 percent advantage over challenger Thom Prentice, who ran on a platform of broad issues such as global climate change.
Councilmen Ryan Thomason and Shane Scott also cruised to re-election victories.
- Mayor
- Daniel Guerrero (i) — 8,398, 83.6%
- Thom Prentice — 1,647, 16.4%
- City Council Place 5
- Ryan Thomason (i) — 6,591, 80.7%
- Melissa Derrick (write-in) — 1,579, 19.3%
- City Council Place 6
- Shane Scott (i) — 5,436, 59.3%
- Greg Frank — 3,734, 40.7%
- Proposition 1: Acquisition of Cape's Camp for park land
- For — 8,230, 75.5%
- Against — 2,671, 24.5%
- Proposition 2: Use eminent domain to acquire park land
- For — 5,174, 48.7%
- Against — 5,455, 51.3%
- Proposition 3: Raise property taxes to purchase the land
- For — 3,810, 35.3%
- Against — 6,985, 64.7%
Source: Hays County Elections Administrator
