Lisa Prewitt
For San Marcos City Council
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Experience and integrity
Growth alone isn't success. A thriving community is.
Success means protecting the San Marcos River, taking care of our people, preserving our water resources, making smart decisions about development, and ensuring City Hall spends taxpayer dollars responsibly.
We get there by standing up for our water, keeping residents safe, opposing development that doesn't pay its own way, and restoring accountability at City Hall.
We're responsible for the long run, not just the next budget cycle — and for leaving San Marcos stronger for the next generation.
PROTECTING OUR WATER
The San Marcos River isn't just a landmark. It's the heart of our community. Fed by the Edwards Aquifer springs, it sustains our environment, local businesses, recreation, and quality of life. As San Marcos grows, protecting our water has to remain our highest priority.
As your Council member, I will:
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Fight to protect the Edwards Aquifer, the springs, and the San Marcos River from over-pumping, overuse, and pollution.
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Oppose developments that place excessive demands on our limited water supply while delivering no meaningful benefit to our community.
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Support stronger conservation initiatives and infrastructure investments that prepare San Marcos for a drier future.
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Ensure growth pays for itself rather than shifting costs onto existing residents through higher utility rates and impact fees.
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Build coalitions with regional partners to preserve our water resources and protect the land for future generations.
Our spring-fed river is what makes San Marcos San Marcos. Once it's gone, we can't get it back.
PROTECTING OUR FARMS, RANCHES, AND WORKING LANDS
The land around San Marcos has been worked by farming and ranching families for generations. Those working lands recharge our aquifer, keep our creeks clean, and hold back the sprawl that drives up the cost of city services. When ranchland gets subdivided, we don't just lose a way of life — we lose open ground that soaks up rainfall and pays for itself.
As your Councilmember, I will:
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Support conservation easements and partnerships that help landowners keep working land in production instead of selling to subdividers.
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Make sure our annexation and extraterritorial jurisdiction decisions respect neighboring agricultural operations rather than surrounding them with incompatible development.
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Protect recharge-zone land through the city's land conservation tools, so the same acres that support our ranchers also protect our springs.
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Strengthen local food access by supporting our farmers market, community gardens, and connections between area producers and San Marcos families.
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Bring agricultural landowners to the table on water policy, because the people managing land over the aquifer have as much stake in it as anyone in city limits.
The families who steward this land are partners in protecting our water, not obstacles to growth.
STANDING UP TO THE DATA CENTER BOOM
San Marcos took an important step by prohibiting large-scale data centers within city limits. Residents were loud and clear: our water, our neighbors' land, our electric grid, and our quality of life are too valuable to zone away.
As your Council member, I will:
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Defend and uphold San Marcos' prohibition on large-scale data centers.
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Monitor state and federal AI and data infrastructure proposals to ensure they don't undermine the intent of the City's ordinance.
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Prepare the city for either outcome — boom or bust — by requiring decommissioning plans, financial assurances, and infrastructure cost recovery from any large energy or water user, so residents and small businesses aren't left holding the bill if the AI market turns.
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Work with Hays County, neighboring communities, and regional partners to address the long-term impacts of AI-driven infrastructure on our water supply, electric grid, roads, and local economy.
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Prioritize businesses that create quality permanent jobs while respecting our natural resources and contributing to long-term prosperity here.
The technology is moving fast. Our policies need to move faster.
EXPANDING TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY
Getting around San Marcos shouldn't require a car for every trip. More mobility options mean less traffic, lower household costs, and reliable access to jobs, health care, and daily needs — for the residents who need it most.
As your Council Member, I will:
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Work with local and regional partners to expand transit service and connect residents to the routes that already exist.
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Put our federal transportation dollars to more effective use and pursue every funding opportunity available to us.
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Continue expanding bike lanes and trails so people can reach the places they need without getting in a car.
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Make sure new development is built to connect to transit, sidewalks, and trails rather than adding to congestion.
Fewer cars on the road means cleaner air and fewer pollutants running into our river.
Families in San Marcos have tightened their budgets as costs rise faster than wages. City Hall should show the same discipline.
Spending on outside consultants keeps climbing while residents are still asking for better roads, public safety, parks, drainage, and basic city services. Before we raise the property tax rate, we owe residents proof that we're spending the dollars we already have wisely.
As your Councilmember, I will:
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Reduce the overuse and duplication of consulting contracts.
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Invest in long-term city staff capacity instead of recurring consultant fees.
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Make consulting contracts, costs, and deliverables easy for the public to find and review.
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Fund a safer community by building and sustaining programs in workforce development, addiction recovery, and services for unhoused residents.
Every tax dollar should deliver real value for the people who pay it.
RESTORING FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AT CITY HALL
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