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San Marcos creates Office of Community Support and backs participatory budgeting pilot
Summary
Council endorsed the creation of a new Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation to address root causes of crime and agreed to proceed with a participatory budgeting pilot that will allocate up to $200,000 for community-chosen one-time projects.
The San Marcos City Council on Dec. 16 directed staff to stand up an Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation and to proceed with a participatory budgeting (PB) pilot that will let residents propose and vote on one-time community projects up to $200,000.
"This office was developed to collaboratively address underlying factors contributing to crime by developing holistic, community-driven initiatives," said Gel Bettis Kerry, Office of Community Support and Resource Navigation manager, describing the office’s cross-departmental work with GIS, police, planning and community partners.
Bettis Kerry said the office will use data analysis, risk-terrain modeling and community listening to target services and prevention strategies. "Our goal is to provide monthly updates in this first year as we ramp up, and then quarterly reporting thereafter," she said.
Staff outlined the proposed PB timeline: idea collection in February, feasibility review in March, volunteer-led proposal development in April, voting in May and implementation thereafter. Projects must be located within San Marcos, open to the public, low-maintenance, one-time expenditures and not exceed the allocated funding cap of $200,000.
Council members asked how community partners would be selected and how evaluation would work. Bettis Kerry said partnerships will vary by focus area and that staff intend to pull directly impacted residents into solution-development. City manager Reyes added the new office will coordinate with county, school and university partners where appropriate.
Several council members voiced support for the PB approach and suggested augmenting outreach with door-to-door engagement and in-person options in addition to online tools. Council signaled unanimous concurrence to proceed; staff will return with implementation materials and outreach plans.
The council did not appropriate PB funds at the meeting; staff said winning projects will be announced in June and worked into project workflows for the remainder of the year.
