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Two candidates will be on the ballot for the San Marcos City Council Place 3 seat in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
The details
Candidates Jane Hughson and incumbent Alyssa Garza will be vying for the position. Hughson currently serves as San Marcos Mayor. Candidates Amanda Rodriguez and Ryan Thomason will run to fill her seat.
Early voting runs from Oct. 19-30, and Election Day is Nov. 3.
What else?
Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines or for style and clarity.
For more information on voting and polling locations, visit your county's website or www.votetexas.gov. For more election coverage, visit www.communityimpact.com.
Mayor, Councilmember, Planning, Ethics, and Charter Commissions, Multi-county boards, President of five community organizations
Why are you running for this position?
I am running to continue my service as a council member. My experience in all aspects of city government provides perspective as we face new challenges. Since most of our council is relatively new, my institutional knowledge will help provide continuity, informed decision-making, and effective leadership as San Marcos grows.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
Keep San Marcos a great place to live by: Continuing to protect our river, environment, and neighborhoods; managing growth responsibly to provide housing opportunities and attract/expand commercial businesses that create good-paying jobs; and continuing workforce efforts so residents can learn/upgrade skills to qualify for better-paying jobs.
How will you balance the community’s response to data centers and the potential economic benefits following the city’s prohibition of that development?
Data centers employ few people but generate significant property tax revenue. While protecting our people and environment, we need businesses for tax relief and good paying jobs. We remain a desirable location and we have a new Economic Development department to recruit companies, support business growth, and create opportunities.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for San Marcos in the next 5 years?
Managing growth while balancing residential, commercial, and industrial development. Included in that effort is ensuring our infrastructure including streets, utilities, water, and other services, is ready to support growth. At the same time, we must continue to protect our river, environment, and our wonderful quality of life.
Community Organizer, San Marcos City Council Member since 2020, B.S. & M.A. in Sociology
Why are you running for this position?
I’m running because San Marcos deserves leadership that is experienced, but never complacent. After six years on Council, I know how City Hall works and how much more is possible when we’re willing to challenge old assumptions. I believe local government can be imaginative, courageous and genuinely connected to community.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
Affordability, infrastructure, public safety and responsible growth are obvious priorities. My focus is how we make real progress: making local government easier to navigate and influence, understanding what our community actually needs, and using our resources responsibly to ensure basic needs are met and improve people’s lives.
How will you balance the community’s response to data centers and the potential economic benefits following the city’s prohibition of that development?
I supported prohibiting data centers because the potential benefits did not justify costs to our water, energy and environment. Good policymaking requires listening, learning and questioning assumptions. I’ll keep weighing potential benefits against long-term costs, demanding more from developers and saying no when the math doesn’t work for San Marcos.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for San Marcos in the next 5 years?
Our greatest challenge is complacency: accepting incremental progress when our neighbors deserve more. For decades, residents have asked for the same fundamentals: opportunity, equitable infrastructure and responsive government. We need leaders with intellectual humility to question old strategies, imagination to try something different and courage to push beyond what’s comfortable.
