San Marcos council formalizes core values — customer service, fiscal responsibility, teamwork and professionalism

The San Marcos City Council on March 11 adopted a formal set of core values intended to guide city operations: customer service/problem solving; fiscal responsibility; teamwork/partnership; professionalism; and ‘build to last.’

The plan to formalize the values was introduced at the meeting by resident Bryant Rumbaugh, who told the council he appreciated the clarity and read the list aloud. Rumbaugh urged continual improvement and said the values should guide how the city operates. Mayor Rebecca Jones framed the item as “who we are” and the council quickly moved to adopt the wording to memorialize the city’s approach.

Council members did not debate substantial edits during the meeting. The mayor moved to adopt the core values and a second was received; the council voted unanimously in favor. Mayor Jones described the change as a way to “memorialize our customer service” and to ensure consistent stewardship of taxpayer money by favoring durable investments.

Action: Motion to adopt the core values passed unanimously. The vote followed public comment and a brief staff presentation. No implementation schedule or ordinance was attached; the values were adopted as a council policy statement to inform future staff work and public communications.

Why it matters: The adoption formalizes council expectations for how staff and officials will prioritize decisions on contracts, programs and community engagement. The change is procedural and sets a policy direction rather than creating a legal requirement.