The San Marcos mayoral candidates debated their platforms during an event hosted by Texas State’s Student Government at 5 p.m., Monday, Oct. 14 in the LBJ Ballroom.
San Marcos Mayor Jane Hughson and challenger Juan Miguel Arredondo are vying for the mayoral seat in the upcoming general election. During Monday’s debate, the candidates laid out their visions for the city’s future, highlighting their key policies that affect Texas State students.
Texas State hit record enrollment this year with 40,678 students. Hughson said a goal of hers is to bring in more affordable housing to accommodate that growing number.
“We have approved over 3,000 units of low-income housing for our residents, which could include college students after graduation,” Hughson said.
Arredondo harped on his experiences as a Texas State alumnus himself in understanding the need for housing adjacent to the university.
“I experienced that convenience of being located close to our university, being able to walk downtown, being able to walk to class and you shouldn’t just have to live in the historic district of San Marcos to have that experience,” Arredondo said.
Another topic the candidates talked about was the relationship between the city and university, which Arredondo said could be improved.
“Meeting with university administrators regularly is critical. Being an advocate for the university is critical, and not just when you’re on the ballot. It’s one thing to say that you support Texas State when you’re on the ballot on campus asking students to vote for you, but my track record speaks for itself,” Arredondo said.
For Hughson, it is important to her to work with Texas State and be as involved as she can be within the campus community. An example she provided was her involvement with the University Master Plan.
“I would love to talk to students more, but I do believe that we’ve got a good working relationship, and I don’t have an issue with students,” Hughson said.
The candidates then spoke about the San Marcos economy and its ability to retain students to stay in the city post-graduation as well as attract new residents. However, Arredondo said the key issue is a lack of access to high-paying jobs and economic opportunity.
“I would point to specific examples of young people who fought so hard to stay in this community, but just couldn’t, because the economic opportunity isn’t there, and that goes for graduates and lifelong residents alike,” Arredondo said. “So what would I do? It would be actually having a commitment to addressing those issues.”
Hughson explained that it is not realistic to have jobs lined up in San Marcos for the thousands of students who graduate from Texas State every year.
“Not all students want to stay here. I’m happy for the ones that do, it’s nice that they do but some wish to return home, some seek job employment elsewhere,” Hughson said.
The San Marcos mayoral race will appear on the general election ballot, with early voting scheduled from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1, leading up to election day on Nov. 5.
