|
Posted November 9, 2005, 3:30 a.m.
|
SAN MARCOS - Susan Narvaiz was one happy mayor Tuesday night.
San Marcos voters cheerfully gave her and her city council $11.2 million for infrastructural improvements in Tuesday's election, overwhelmingly approving five of six bond proposals.
Among the winners were three proposals totaling $6.23 million for road and street improvements. Another $2.96 authorized by voters will build a new fire station, probably in the northeast part of town, and another $2 million will purchase 251 acres at the headwaters of the San Marcos River and turn it into a park.
"I'm thrilled that we have citizens who understand that it's important to invest in our city's future," Narvaiz said. "When you have citizens who are engaged like that, it just puts you in a great position. We are the center of the (Austin-San Antonio) corridor and we're the most attractive location and we'll continue to be the most arrtactive location on the corridor."
The city also conducted a city council race in Place 4, which will go to a Dec. 6 run-off between the top two vote recipients, Texas State student Chris Jones (43.5 percent) and Texas State professor Moe Johnson (30.1) percent. Incumbent Councilmember Bill Taylor finished third with 25.7 percent of the vote.
The only loser of the six proposals would have moved the city's municpial court operations from City Hall on Hopkins Street to the police station on IH-35. Voters killed Proposition 2 by a margin of 61.3 percent to 38.7. Narvaiz said she supported the idea, but, on balance, wasn't disappointed.
"There's already an area at the police department that already had its own entrance," Narvaiz said. "It would have allowed us to increase our municipal court processing. It would have allowed us to upgrade some of our systems."
The city considered developing a $45 million hotel and convention center at Spring Lake a year ago, before environmentalists hackled and quashed the project. The voters showed they support environmental protection over economic development in that case, passing the $2 million purchase for parkland at the site by a margin of 68.4 to 31.6 percent in Proposition 1.
Proposition 3, to build the fire station, passed with 64.39 percent of the voters in approval.
The road bond proposals all passed easily.
Proposition 4 requested $2.45 million for better drainage and guardrails along a one-mile stretch of Sessoms Drive between Ed JL Green Street and Academy Street and an additional eastbound lane on Hopkins Street from City Hall to Thorpe Lane. It passed with 69.61 percent of the voters in approval.
Proposition 5 asked for $2.58 million to construct a four-lane railroad overpass along Aquarena Springs Drive at Post Road, along with reconstruction of streets in the Victory Gardens neighborhood. The funds also will pay for lighting, landscaping and repairs to sidewalks along a two-block stretch of North LBJ Drive. Voters gave the proposal their loudest consent, with 70.59 percent in favor.
Proposition 6 authorizes $1.2 million to add sidewalks and bike lanes around the city. Major routes would include Aquarena Springs Drive from IH-35 to Sessoms Drive, RM 12 from Holland Street to Craddock Avenue and along the San Marcos River under IH-35 from River Road to Riverside Drive. The proposal drew favor from 69.45 percent of the voters.
The heaviest participation came on Proposition 6, with 4,236 voters. The lightest vote went to Proposition 3, with 4,100 voters.
The Hays Highway privacy policy
The Hays Highway disclaimer and terms of use]
.
