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San Marcos council approves $750,000 in human services grants after on‑floor amendments boost Southside funding
Summary
Council adopted a $750,000 package of human services grants recommended by the Human Services Advisory Board, and after several on-the-floor amendment attempts the council approved the package with adjustments that increased funding for Southside Community Center; the final motion passed 7–0.
The San Marcos City Council approved a $750,000 human services grant allocation for 2026 on Nov. 18, adopting most recommendations from the Human Services Advisory Board and agreeing to limited reallocations after public testimony from Southside Community Center.
Carol Griffith, the city’s housing and community development manager, described the board’s review process: 32 applications from 25 agencies were evaluated for community need, readiness, impact and alignment with council priorities. The board recommended fully funding 16 programs, partial funding for several others and declining one request. Griffith said the board prioritized domestic abuse services, food provision and early childhood intervention when making recommendations.
Southside Community Center representatives urged the council to increase Southside’s award. “Receiving the full $100,000 would allow us to serve approximately 50 more families in 2026,” Southside’s Jessica Cain told the council, citing the center’s eviction-prevention program and a $2,000 average cost per family served.
Councilmember (speaker label) Mendoza proposed incremental reallocations—small dollar shifts from lower-ranked recommendations into Southside’s award—sparking debate. Several amendments were offered and discussed on the dais; some failed after roll-call votes, while others did not receive seconding support. Councilmember Garza and others cautioned against modifying the advisory board’s rankings without fuller context, arguing that the board’s process and letters of support mattered when reallocating funds.
After debate the council approved the human services funding resolution as amended by the assembly of motions considered during the meeting. The council recorded a unanimous 7–0 vote to adopt the resolution and the amended allocations.
Council members said they aimed to balance immediate community needs with the advisory board’s recommendations and prior city investments. Griffith said the board’s ranking, risk analysis and scoring materials will remain available on the HSAB web page.
The resolution directs the city manager or her designee to execute contracts with the selected agencies and declares an effective date. The council did not adopt a separate, across-the-board increase to Southside’s requested $100,000 beyond the amounts set by the successful amendments; funding moved in modest increments during the debate and the final tally matched the amended resolution on the floor.
