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Residents and Southside leaders urge Hays County to invest in community center as prevention strategy
Summary
Board members and volunteers for Southside Community Center told the commissioners the nonprofit multiplies county support into broader assistance — including food, hygiene and housing navigation — and urged stable, long‑term county funding to reduce needs tied to public safety and incarceration.
Southside Community Center board members, staff and allies told Hays County commissioners on Feb. 24 that the nonprofit’s mix of food, hygiene, case management and transitional housing support reduces health risks and helps prevent crime.
Sue Ann Harrison Floyd, a retired pediatrician and Southside board member, described the center’s role delivering nutritious meals, hygiene services and access to basic necessities for vulnerable residents across Hays County. Erica Rosa, another board member and founder of a partnering outreach ministry, said an independent consultant identified Southside as a lead social‑service agency for the county and that modest county investments leverage broader direct assistance (she cited an example where $36,000 of funding was leveraged into nearly $70,000 of direct assistance).
Sam Benavides, a newly elected board member, framed stable funding as a preventive public‑safety measure. He told the court that prior data from the county’s mental health court showed more than 80% of people in the jail had mental‑health issues, and argued investment in social services could reduce downstream criminal legal costs. “Investing in Southside is the logical, essential next step in the ongoing conversation we’ve been having about public safety in this county,” he said.
Mindy Weber, a Wimberley resident and incoming board member, noted gaps in countywide access to eviction prevention and other services and pressed commissioners to ensure county support reaches residents outside San Marcos.
The court heard these comments during the public‑comment portion of its meeting; commissioners and the judge thanked presenters and acknowledged the links speakers drew between housing stability, health and public safety. The court did not adopt a targeted appropriation at the meeting, but multiple commissioners said they would continue discussions on county budget priorities and program support.
