[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6687591,"mediaKeyId","3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e","parentId",3409822,"title","Resident pitches LEED-certified data center at 904 Francis Harris, says restrictive covenant will limit water use","audioSeconds",140,"startMs",544000,"endMs",684000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e&start=544&end=684","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e/thumbnail_544000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6687591/San-Marcos-City/Hays-County/Texas/Resident-pitches-LEED-certified-data-center-at-904-Francis-Harris-says-restrictive-covenant-will-limit-water-use","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687591-b99e3bf4ecd8487acc304c44d0413f26/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114799&Signature=oxusHIcv5azidp9P58vWLg7YjaRY0r4DiVr2sjRxcg~b9~cBPH7qWSWdL70ft5WalKBBuNWGVl4KEOTm05ZfKq6aF4Yu4g8f9tD6TcDcvQ7T-Wf8DfKw41~iVzUfz3L-DxysHVbhbfwumF2Af7NjvdgZlEUP5XhfweF58InZswXb6Ft4A07OUwYvWtpQ-AKlj9GNikrY8dCzjbOT2-kVUTvTZWd5sf9k8PvlJYsB0-izXs9ylXEWye~wDyUMDuTrdB9ynIKuuroqfeBvmLjHGdRnCAaKGNICI4ZLzTsEMB9trmHALpPJLRBUuFAolR8DLnptYTbX05e~iJpaHYkVdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Marcos","date","2025-05-20T14:58:00Z","article","John Mayberry, a presenter during the City Council’s citizen-comment period Tuesday, described a proposed project at 904 Francis Harris as a data center that, he said, would use significantly less water than a previously approved residential subdivision and would be subject to a restrictive covenant spelling out higher environmental and development standards.

“If it's in the city, it'll be regulated and taxed,” Mayberry told the council, arguing the site’s placement inside the city would allow local oversight and tax revenue rather than putting the facility in the county, where he said it would be “unregulated and untaxed.” He said the building would be a LEED-certified, state-of-the-art facility and not a cryptocurrency-mining operation: “This is not a Bitcoin mining facility. This is a state of the art LEED building.”

Mayberry said a restrictive covenant under stakeholder review would lock in commitments including using about 50% less water than the previously approved plan for the site, higher storm-water management and detention standards, and limits intended to keep water quality above city code. He said the covenant would be recorded on the land and “bind the land forever regardless of who the owner is.”

Mayberry encouraged council members to review a recent newsletter from the San Marcos River Foundation for more detail and said the covenant and other proposed contract language would be brought to council and stakeholders for review prior to any formal council action. He did not ask the council to take action at the May 20 session.

Council members did not take action during the citizen-comment period. Staff later said individual proposals and restrictive-covenant language would be reviewed with council and stakeholders before any item is placed on a formal agenda.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","San Marcos - City Council on 2025-05-20 3:00 PM - 630 E. Hopkins St. - Work Session This will be an in-person and online meeting. To view the meeting please go to http://sanmarcostx.gov/421/City-Council-Videos-Archives or watch on Grande channel 16 or Spectrum channel - May 20, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A resident speaking during citizen comment described a proposed data center project at 904 Francis Harris as a LEED-certified facility that would use less water than an approved subdivision and said a restrictive covenant will bind future owners to higher standards.","taxTitle","San Marcos City, Hays County, Texas","taxId",9292,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6687596,"Residents urge managed access and stricter enforcement at Rio Vista after weekend trash and safety complaints",320,218000,538000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e&start=218&end=538","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e/thumbnail_218000.jpg","/articles/6687596/San-Marcos-City/Hays-County/Texas/Residents-urge-managed-access-and-stricter-enforcement-at-Rio-Vista-after-weekend-trash-and-safety-complaints","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687596-df837d98e84f54b11f355ec7a5d194ed/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114799&Signature=SPiHOdjB1Sy09JXxso5Zo6JYQi8YWTt3XDowhdkDndRTP8xD6G0TDy89Dpd-MBqjAqaXHrYwJ26m9uvxtwc7cPp4Kvxp5P~pBV3XdzTKHLwAaqR7nsx8npeh6E~tguTgtJYl8CT6W-LdhOkiHPm0-MGOA3LMzooG7SbvbBeIICePnLNf~OzKjBV5fzkLsBuUkv21QzGpHAKYlhdhdoFY1wDQUSk7ZPRG3iDiAYuSyDATpJPDSXSUmWDsFfJcUZ6AhPmz3gbY1L4fvCy-z4RWcxKeAvMCJzImUk-wxwwuvdFCAUFeDnpdEWl9jhsk1-u38MtYiF8~reTkCUosLnV~ug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Two river-advocacy speakers told the San Marcos City Council Tuesday that Rio Vista was experiencing worsening trash, glass and unsafe behavior on busy weekends and urged a managed-access program and stronger enforcement of existing ordinances.

Virginia Parker of the San Marcos River Foundation said she visited Rio Vista on Sunday and described what she saw: “It looked like floodwaters, brown, murky, disgusting,” Parker said. She said she observed glass and Styrofoam, heavy alcohol use, and so much trash that volunteers who clean the river reported the worst morning cleanup she’d seen. Parker noted volunteers organize Monday-morning cleanups and urged the council to “consider manage access at Rio Vista and do what you can to clean that situation up.”

Kylie Reid, a board member of the Eyes of the San Marcos River, also urged the council to adopt a managed-access program aligned with the city’s single-use container ordinance. “Managed access is a step in the right direction,” Reid said, adding that volunteers cannot sustain the river’s health through after-the-fact cleanups alone. Reid described finding glass bottles “sunk to the bottom of the river in piles,” thousands of cigarette butts, and fishing line and tube fragments left in trees and riverbanks.

Speakers said volunteer groups regularly collect large quantities of trash and identified enforcement of the single-use container restriction as inconsistent. Neither speaker asked the council for a specific ordinance change; both called for managed access, greater enforcement and for the city to use “the tools at your disposal to protect our watershed.”

The remarks came during the citizen-comment portion of the May 20 work session; council did not take formal action during the session. City staff and council members asked clarifying questions during the later budget presentation about staffing and enforcement resources that could affect park and river patrols, but no new enforcement policy or schedule was announced at the meeting.

The public comments cited community volunteers and local cleanup efforts as evidence of ongoing problems and urged council attention before summer peak use.","Members of the San Marcos River Foundation and Eyes of the San Marcos River told the City Council on May 20 that Rio Vista was littered and unsafe during recent weekends and urged the council to implement a managed-access program and better enforce the single-use container ordinance.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6687601,"San Marcos staff outline $1.1 million shortfall, offer tax-rate and cut scenarios to balance FY26 budget",3939,722000,4661000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e&start=722&end=4661","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3409822-b4da661664a89b3aba2110ac9f23884e/thumbnail_722000.jpg","/articles/6687601/San-Marcos-City/Hays-County/Texas/San-Marcos-staff-outline-11-million-shortfall-offer-tax-rate-and-cut-scenarios-to-balance-FY26-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6687601-84aacf505833d92f281f0b2fe9ff966e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771114799&Signature=Gruu2z8VcB~XQkZTYXfroS4H5ViDJjLsvsJCqCemMQAPCq2ch7Wtx4lJWiMrbHeEdBk4xWmJ9e6Q2m3lx7haY0LJ6aegEeYJ6oH5Ld8oTaQbuTRZMYeFOFVSYVHARiEOo5dHBV8hDzKO-ec1LSDk4Fkwgvg8R7ES9vpweyzwrv21uMKaSfA48h4tTOk7ti-upbxbtpz1v9rvIQlIBZv2I7xwWPg-5oliUywjvQjwEfnBuCwHkktHxuCeGAh6OY7m~5v0y1jGK6Vn3Gsh4~vppDQKkZACDhxmGRbXVwpsOvcdYFFuy4BzmY3GYgzq1ilwAAR7X2rQcXUYYYAUihcIbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Marcos city staff presented a preliminary fiscal year 2025–26 general fund forecast Tuesday, telling the City Council that the proposed budget currently shows a $1,100,000 shortfall and outlining options that include program cuts, use of one-time funds and raising the tax rate.

City staff emphasized that property-taxable value declines and falling sales-tax receipts are the primary drivers of the shortfall. “Collections have been down compared to prior year and budget,” staff said, and sales tax is a major revenue source together with property tax, which “make up two thirds of the overall general fund revenue,” Finance Director John Locke said.

That combination of weaker revenues and ongoing inflation has pushed the city to consider both spending reductions and tax-rate adjustments. Staff presented a range of scenarios: keeping the current tax rate of 60.3¢ would leave the city about $1.1 million short and require cuts; keeping the rate but making additional structural reductions would require roughly $2.6 million in cuts; a structurally balanced tax rate was shown as about 63.41¢; and the staff’s estimate of the “no new revenue” tax rate was about 64.47¢, which would provide roughly $900,000 of additional capacity.

Why it matters: staff said the gap is driven by a combination of declining sales-tax receipts, lower new development added to the tax roll and reductions in existing taxable value. John Locke and budget staff showed that FY26 new taxable value added to the roll is lower than the three-year average, and that sales tax collections trailed prior years (a rolling 12-month comparison showed a 2.3% decline at one point). The result, staff said, is a roughly $5.0 million swing in revenue growth the city had relied on in prior years.

Staff described several actions already taken to shrink the gap. They paused a public-safety staffing plan, which staff estimated saved about $1.4 million; reduced other expenses by $1.1 million (including adjustments tied to a conference-center-related account); identified $990,000 of one-time CIP interest funds to be used for ongoing facility maintenance and asphalt work; and set a managed-hiring target of $950,000 where vacancies must be justified before hiring. In addition, departments across the general fund were asked to make collective operating cuts totaling $100,000, and staff removed an estimated $611,000 that had been included for inflation in the initial forecast, for combined departmental reductions staff quantified at $711,000.

Staff also highlighted tax-increment financing and grant-related steps that affect the forecast. The Transportation Reinvestment Zone (TRZ) for FM 110, staff said, will close by state statute on Dec. 30, 2026; the city estimates it can transfer about $4.8 million from that TRZ into the general fund in FY26. Tax increment reinvestment zone No. 3 (associated with the conference center) and certain lease payments, staff said, would free roughly $653,000 to the general fund as debt is defeased.

Council members asked for clarifications throughout the presentation about the sales-tax trends, the use of one-time funds, and how department budget cuts were allocated. Staff said the department cuts were determined by examining each department’s average unspent budget over a three-year period and applying a proportionate share so that larger unspent balances bore larger shares of the $100,000 collective cut. Staff also noted that public-safety staffing and minimum staffing requirements remain a consideration and that exceptions have been made in the past for unavoidable contract increases.

Staff walked the council through impacts on a typical homeowner under the different tax-rate scenarios. Using an example average homestead value, staff showed how assessed values declining would push the “no new revenue” rate higher so the city collects the same levy from existing properties. Staff noted ongoing legislative changes to homestead exemptions that may affect homeowner bills but cautioned that those state actions do not solve the city’s structural revenue needs.

Staff emphasized timing and next steps: the certified tax roll is expected in July; staff will present a draft budget for all funds at a subsequent workshop; the budget will be submitted to council on Aug. 19 and adoption of budget and tax rate is scheduled for September with a minimum of four public hearings (two on the budget and two on the tax rate). Staff also said the police staffing analysis (“PD 1”) will be on the June 3 work session.

Council and staff repeatedly framed the choice as between short-term balancing and creating a structurally balanced budget that maintains long-term service levels. “We are at a fork in the road,” staff said, describing the difference between a budget that is balanced for a single year and one that is structurally sustainable over time.

The presentation included illustrative impacts of changes in the tax rate: staff said 1¢ on the tax rate would pay for roughly five police officers (including vehicles and equipment), nearly an entire code-compliance budget, two neighborhood paving projects, almost half the animal shelter cost, and about a third of the library’s budget.

No formal votes were taken at the work session; council directed staff to continue work on the fiscal forecast and to return with additional analysis and options consistent with the schedule described by staff.","City staff told the San Marcos City Council during a May 20 work session that the preliminary fiscal year 2025–26 general fund budget faces a $1.1 million shortfall and presented options including cuts, one-time funding, and tax-rate scenarios that would restore structural balance.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Resident pitches LEED-certified data center at 904 Francis Harris, says restrictive covenant will limit water use

Residents urge managed access and stricter enforcement at Rio Vista after weekend trash and safety complaints

San Marcos staff outline $1.1 million shortfall, offer tax-rate and cut scenarios to balance FY26 budget