Mayor’s Corner Elections Have Consequences
WIMBERLEY MAYOR
SUSAN JAGGERS
Good morning Wimberley. There are less than 3,000 registered voters in the city of Wimberley. Less than fifty percent of those usually turn out to vote. I was placed in office by a 1% margin over my opponent who had previously held Mayor and was currently serving as a Councilman. Those that made the time to show up to the polls were ready for a change in management. Wimberley has been incorporated as a City for only a short period of time, less than 20 years. We are growing at a remarkable rate as is all of Hays County. The demand for services and safety are becoming more relevant. We must steer the growth and prioritize the demands to maximize the safety and services we want and need with the limited resources we have. For example, the increased traffic on our roads (both vehicular and pedestrian) is causing a strain on the safety and passage for all who use them. We need to resurface most all of the roads in Wimberley. We especially need sidewalks downtown and probably a pedestrian light or two for crossing. We also need parking and of course a sanitary public restroom, preferably not one in the middle of the square. We must address the care, usage and protection of our parks, nature preserve and river crossings. For example, the fish weir on the Hidden Valley Low water crossing needs to be corrected or eliminated. The River road crossing should be restricted from large vehicles especially those with trailers.
All this requires funds. Our only sources of revenue at this time is the portion of sales tax we collect from our local businesses. Shop and dine local whenever you can. Our business owners depend on us for their success and we depend on them for our city’s prosperity. A sewer coming online will help those businesses expand and prosper. If we manage those funds effectively and are patient, we may be able to live within our means. Thus far we have not had to generate income from a property tax, Ad Valorem. If you elect me to the Council, I will not support implementing a Property tax to pay for a sewer system which primarily benefits a handful at the expense of all. However, we all use the roads and we must address the safety and service of them sooner than later. If the limited funds we have aren’t better managed or worst case become grossly insufficient than we will be compelled to tax property across the city. Either as Mayor, Council person or citizen, I will defend our right to a fair and equitable collection and distribution of taxes if or when they are needed.
On another note, with regards to any further disannexation, if a property owner meets the statutory requirement, they have the right to petition a request to disannex their property and the Council has a responsibility to make a fair assessment on a case by case basis.
Your vote matters, please make the time to cast it and be involved.