Hays County Propositions 1 and 2

In August, Hays County commissioners formally decided to place two propositions on the November ballot. Proposition 1 totals $106.4 million and would address the county’s law-enforcement facilities, including an expansion at the county jail, a new law-enforcement training center and a co-located emergency communications center. Proposition 2 includes $131.4 million for transportation projects throughout the county.

To learn more about Propositions 1 and 2, click here.

San Marcos mayor

Five candidates are vying for the San Marcos mayor’s seat. Sam Brannon is a community activist who has been involved in efforts to remove fluoride from the city’s drinking water supply, among other things. Jacob Montoya is a former City Council member who served from 2001-04. Cherif Gacis is a banker who has lived in San Marcos 18 years and has served on the Veteran Affairs Advisory Committee and completed the San Marcos Citizen’s Academy in 2015. Ruben Becerra is a small-business owner and is the board president of El Centro Cultural Hispano de San Marcos. John Thomaides has served on City Council for 13 years and resigned his Place 3 seat this summer to pursue the mayor’s seat.

San Marcos City Council, Place 1

Lisa Prewitt has served on San Marcos City Council since 2013. She also owns a small business. Her challenger is Rene Compean, who works for H-E-B.

San Marcos City Council, Place 2

Three candidates are running for the Place 2 seat on City Council, which has been held by Jude Prather, who is not seeking re-election. Saul Gonzales has served for eight years on the Planning and Zoning Commission, six years on the zoning board of adjustments and two years on the drainage advisory board. Shane Scott served on City Council for five years and owns three small businesses. Lisa Marie Coppoletta said she has been active in city politics for 30 years. She has served on the arts and neighborhood commissions.

San Marcos City Council, Place 3

Four candidates are vying for Place 3 on San Marcos City Council. The seat was formerly held by John Thomaides. Gaylord Bose served on City Council from 2004-10 and has also served on the board of Community Action Inc., San Marcos Main Street Program and the sunset advisory commission. Brian K. Henderson has lived in San Marcos one year and 10 months and is the interim pastor at Antioch Buda School. Ed Mihalkanin served on City Council from 1996-00 and from 2001-06. He has also served since 1997 as an officer and board member of the Lyndon Baines Johnson Museum of San Marcos. Jason Dalton Montgomery is a veteran of the U.S. Navy and has served on the San Marcos Industrial Development Corporation, and the sunset advisory committee.

Buda City Council, Place 1

Three candidates are running for Buda City Council Place 1. Theodore Kosub is a water quality permit coordinator and air quality planner for the state of Texas. John Hatch served on the Buda Master Plan Commission in 2001 and helped lead the 2012 ballot initiative that allowed restaurants and bars to acquire mixed beverage permits in the city of Buda. Lee Urbanovsky has lived in the city for 15 years and works in construction management.

Buda City Council, Place 2

Wiley Hopkins has served on Buda City Council since 2013. He previously served as the executive director of the Travis County Housing Authority. Jeffrey Kevin Morales is challenging Hopkins. He has lived in Buda for six years and is the current vice president of the Hays Athletics Booster Club.

Hays County Sheriff

Incumbent Gary Cutler, a Republican, is facing a challenge from Democrat Rodrigo Amaya. Cutler, a Driftwood resident, began serving as sheriff in 2010. Amaya is a former Texas Department of Public Safety state trooper and Austin Police Department officer.

Texas House District 45

Republican incumbent Jason Isaac is running unopposed for his third term in the Texas House of Representatives, District 45. The district includes Hays and Blanco counties.

State Board of Education, District 5

Incumbent Republican Ken Mercer faces two challengers in the race for State Board of Education District 5. The Democratic challenger in the race, Rebecca Bell-Metereau, took the lead in political donations this election season, according to the latest round of campaign finance reports, released Oct. 31. Bell-Metereau has raised four times as much as Mercer. Libertarian challenger Ricardo Perkins has not raised any political contributions for his campaign, according to documents from the Texas Ethics Commission.

Mercer, a resident of San Antonio, was elected to the State Board of Education in 2006 and re-elected in 2010 and 2012. He is a former member of the Texas House of Representatives.

Bell-Metereau is a San Marcos resident and professor of English at Texas State University.

Perkins is a chemical engineer who lives in Oak Hill.