Facing a packed City Council chamber, Jane Hughson vowed to help maintain and improve the quality of life in San Marcos for present and future generations of residents after she was sworn in as mayor on Nov. 14. Hughson, a longtime San Marcos resident, worked at Texas State University for 33 years before retiring in 2015. She also served as the Place 3 City Council member from 1996-2002 and as the Place 4 City Council member from 2014-2018. “First, I want to thank my parents who raised me with the concept that public service is a good thing,” Hughson said. “I’ve spent most of my life trying to make things better for others, through my 33 years at Texas State University and over 30 years of community and public service to others.” According to official election results, which were canvassed by San Marcos City Council at the Nov. 14 special meeting, Hughson won the mayoral election with 7,490 votes, or 52.71 percent of all the ballots cast. Then-mayor and incumbent John Thomaides garnered 6,719 votes, or 47.29 percent of the vote. Hughson said she plans to focus on what the council has deemed its top five priorities—bringing workforce housing to San Marcos, public transit, stormwater initiatives, community partnerships and city facilities. “I look forward to working together with everyone in our community to keep San Marcos a wonderful place for all of us,” Hughson. “That means taking care of the river and our environment, our neighborhoods and we’ll continue to welcome new businesses that make a positive change in our city.” Melissa Derrick was sworn into the Place 6 City Council seat for another three-year term. Derrick received 6,613 votes, or 52.76 percent of the vote. Her opponent, Juan Miguel Arredondo secured 5,921 votes. “This has been such a crazy campaign season, but I am really honored to be able to serve my community again for three more years,” Derrick said. “We have a lot of work coming and I hope that we can find more unity as we work together during this time of growth.” Derrick said she’s committed to making San Marcos the best place it can be. “We’ve been given a jewel in the San Marcos River, and we are stewards of that river and that’ll be central to a lot of decisions that we need to make, as well as protecting our neighborhoods,” Derrick said. “So we’ve got to all pull together and work together on this.”