City Remembered Tragedy, Heroes of Sept. 11, 2001

The City of San Marcos held a remembrance ceremony to commemorate the heroes and victims of 9-11 at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins.

The program opened with a welcome from City Manager, Bert Lumbreras, Mayor John Thomaides ...

Kick Off for Fire Prevention Month, Saturday, October 7, 2017

To kick off Fire Prevention Month, come to the SMFD Open House to learn about fire prevention with fun interactive events and demonstrations. Take a ride in a fire truck, watch a clown show teaching fire safety, witness a vehicle rescue demonstration, inf...

Fire Crews Lend a Helping Hand to Katy FD

Members of the San Marcos Fire Department has joined local forces with New Braunfels, Kyle, and South Hays fire departments, along with San Marcos/Hays County EMS, to deploy to Katy to assist in rescuing victims from the catastrophic flooding in the Houst...

Banana Split Eating Contest Between FD and PD

Dairy Queen on Hwy 80 had a grand opening on Saturday, July 29 and recruited the Fire Department and Police Department in a banana split eating contest.  The Fire Department won the challenge!  If the food had been donuts, then the outco...

Summer Fan Drive

Family Eldercare’s well-known Summer Fan Drive is still accepting donations.  This year marks the 27th anniversary for the Summer Fan Drive. When it began in 1990, staff and volunteers gathered 50 fans for Austin seniors. This summer th...

Lil’ Firefighters Day Camp

The San Marcos Fire Department held its second annual Junior Fire Academy camp one week in June and July.  The camp was available for boys and girls ages 8 -11.   

The mission of the camp was to install servant-leadership, teamwo...

Sam's Club Donates $1000 to SMFD

Fire Chief Les Stephens from the San Marcos Fire Department along with Assistant Chiefs Karl Kuhlman, Rick Rowell, and Administrative Assistant Senior Melinda Villarreal received $1000.00 dollar check on July 21, 2017 from Sam’s Club Store Manag...

SMFD Brings Home Silver

On a couple of hot, arid July weekdays, the San Marcos Fire Department participated in the Texas Firefighter Summer Games that were held in San Angelo, Texas.  The team played 6 matches in two consecutive days with only two substitute players. &a...

Local Business Donates Smoke Detectors

Brett Harmer from United Technologies Aerospace Systems donated almost 40 smoke detectors on July 7, 2017 to the San Marcos Fire Department for the department’s smoke detector program.

The employees of UTC Aerospace Systems held a smoke detector ...

Firefighter’s Receive Paramedic Certification

Firefighters Robert Dallimore, Ross Garman, and Lucas Sergent graduated from University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio and achieved their paramedic certification. 

The program consists of 30 semester credit hours and they attended f...

Junior Fire Academy Day Camp - CAMP FULL FOR JUNE & JULY!

The program is open to boys and girls, ages 8 - 11.  It will give your child a chance to interact with Fire Department staff and to make friends with positive role models.  The mission of the camp is to instill camaraderie, servant-leade...

SMFD and PD Assist with 100 Club Fundraiser

On Monday, May 15, 2017, the San Marcos Fire Department and Police Department assisted the 100 Club of Central Texas to support them in a fundraiser with Freddy’s Custard and Steakburgers.  The event coincided with Peace Officers Memori...

Public Safety Bond Gets Voter OK

The public safety bond included the relocation of the Holland Street Fire Station #2, the construction of a new fire station on the east side of Interstate 35, the creation of a fire training facility located near the airport, and renovations to the San M...

Insurance Services Office (ISO) Rating for San Marcos

A rating schedule was developed by the Insurance Services Office (ISO). This rating schedule serves insurance companies that cover property and casualty benefits for their clients.  ISO representatives use the schedule when surveying a community’...

Groundbreaking Ceremony Held for New Station #4

The new facility will replace the current Fire Station #4, located at 404 Broadway, which opened in 1982 and has been plagued by both structural and functional shortfalls.  At 4:00 p.m., Friday, March 10, 2017, the ceremony started at the site of...

2017 Veterans Day Parade Entry Form

Honoring All Who Served will be the theme of the 2017 Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, November 11, 2017, sponsored by the City of San Marcos with assistance from the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and local veterans’ organizations...

New Activity Guide Available

The Activity Guide covers September 2017-February 2018. Click here to view it.

New Park Rules

Park Rules

• ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGE CONSUMPTION/DISPLAY PROHIBITED
• NO SMOKING OR E-CIGARETTES/INHALED VAPOR DEVICES
• NO GLASS CONTAINERS
• NO STYROFOAM CONTAINERS
• MOTORIZED VEHICLES PROHIBITED BEYOND PARKING AREAS
• ANIMALS ARE TO REMAIN RESTRAINED AT ALL TIMES
• ALL WILDLIF...

Fall 2017 Preferred Scenario Amendment

PSA-17-04 Yarrington Commons – A request for approximately 95 acres of Employment Center near Yarrington Road and Post Road. CLICK HERE for more information.

City Initiated Amendments – Changes to the Preferred Scenario Map to support the adoption of CodeS...

Revised Fee Schedule

The City Council provided direction to Planning and Development Services staff to research fee revenue and actual cost of service to process permits, review applications, and inspect permitted projects. Staff researched fees charged by other cities and an...

Code SMTX - Adoption Process Begins

Code SMTX, the project to update the City’s land development code, continues to make progress and has moved into the approval stage. Find out more about how the Code is implementing the City’s Comprehensive Plan.

Police Entrance Exam

San Marcos Police Department will be hosting a Police Entrance Exam on Friday November 3, 2017 at 8:30 am. For further details see Addition Information below

34th Annual National Night Out October 3, 2017

neighbors and law enforcement while bringing back a true sense of community. It provides a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Come and join the San Marcos Police Department in celebration of the 34th ann...

Communications Antenna Installation Begins at Water Tank Site

Construction has begun on the foundation for a new telecommunications antenna near the Franklin Water Tank site within the San Marcos Cemetery. The 195 foot tall monopole will support equipment for the City’s Neighborhood Services’ tel...

Sixth Annual SMAart Awards Set for Oct. 5

In observance of National Arts and Humanities Month, the San Marcos Arts Commission will again present its SMArts Advocacy Awards to individuals and organizations that are making a significant contribution to the San Marcos arts and cultural scene. This y...

San Marcos returns to Stage 1 drought restrictions

The City of San Marcos will return to Stage 1 water restrictions on September 24 after a brief respite from drought conditions. The Edwards Aquifer Authority implemented Stage 1 on September 16.

Stage 1 drought rules restrict use of sprinklers to one day p...

SMPD & SMFD Team Up for National Night Out

Neighborhoods that are interested in participating in National Night Out should contact Corporal Jesse Saavedra at 512.754.2271 or use the registration links at http://www.sanmarcostx.gov/505/National-Night-Out by Sept. 25, 2017.

During National Night Out,...

Mermaids to be Unveiled Saturday

The statues of the Mermaid March will be unveiled Saturday, Sept. 16 at 3 p.m. during the Mermaid Aqua Faire at San Marcos Plaza Park, 201 N. CM Allen. Mayor Pro Tem Jane Hughson will be the keynote speaker.

The San Marcos Arts Commission selected ten arti...

Storm Debris Removal Wrapping Up

KDF Enterprises, the city’s contractor for storm debris removal in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, is finishing its work in San Marcos. Residents who still have storm debris are urged to take advantage of the service.

The contractor was hired to re...

After School Programs Goal:POST and SLOEP Starting this Fall

The City of San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department, in partnership with Texas State University’s Department of Health and Human Services, will host two after school programs this fall. Goal:POST (Partnered Out of School Time) will be hosted ...

Registration Open for Fall Master Composter Program

The fall Master Composter Program registration is open. The City of San Marcos and Bobcat Blend, a student-run composting organizations at Texas State University, have teamed up for the Master Compost Certification Program to educate and promote compostin...

Sign Up for the Keep Texas Beautiful Fall Sweep

Keep San Marcos Beautiful (KSMB) will kick-off the Keep Texas Beautiful (KTB) Fall Sweep cleanup Oct. 7, a new event to celebrate its 50^th anniversary in partnership with Don’t Mess with Texas and the Ocean Conservancy’s International ...

Deadline Approaching for Arts Grant Applications

The deadline to apply for City of San Marcos Arts Commission funding is approaching, and the City is still seeking applicants for the program.

The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. Applicants are encouraged to schedule a pre-review meeting with ...

Entries Invited for San Marcos’ Veterans Day Parade

Honoring All Who Served will be the theme of the 2017 Veterans Day Parade on Saturday, Nov. 11 sponsored by the City of San Marcos with assistance from the Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee and local veterans’ organizations.

Veterans groups, mi...

City Seeks Applicants for Youth Program Funding

The City of San Marcos is currently accepting applications to fund programs serving children and youth in the San Marcos area for the second round of Grant Funding for the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year. Applicants who received funding in April of 2017 will not be...

Annual Park(ing) Day to Bring ‘Pop-up Park’ to San Marcos

A series of parking spaces in Downtown San Marcos will be transformed into one-day, interactive “pop-up parks” to celebrate International Park(ing) Day on Friday, Sept. 15 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the corner of Guadalupe St. and San An...

Sounds of San Marcos Open Mic Night Sept. 11

Sounds of San Marcos Open Mic Night is Monday, September 11, 2017 at 7pm in Eddie Durham Park, 217 W. MLK Dr.

Local singer-songwriter Ashleigh Stone is MC of the free, two-hour event. The lineup features musicians Nix Nova, Sam Warden, John Zavala and Alle...

September 2017 Downtown Business of the Month

For the month of September, Main Street is proud to present the Downtown Business of the Month award to Rick’s Lock & Key for their longevity as a Downtown business and their contributions to the local community.

Owner Rick Williams was worki...

City to Remember Tragedy, Heroes of Sept. 11, 2001

The City of San Marcos will hold a remembrance ceremony to commemorate the heroes and victims of 9-11 at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, 2017 at City Hall, 630 E. Hopkins.

The program will open with a welcome from City Manager Bert Lumbreras. Mayor John Tho...

City Signs Contract for Residential Storm Debris Removal

The City has contracted with KDF Enterprises to remove fallen limbs, trees and other plant material blown down on residents’ property by Hurricane Harvey.

Residents are asked to place debris on the curb or in city right-of-way, making sure it doe...

City Joins Region in Preparedness Month Information Drive

The City of San Marcos is joining other cities and counties in the Central Texas region in promoting WarnCentralTexas.org, a website residents can use to register their cell phones for hyperlocal emergency notifications.

WarnCentralTexas.org has ...

City Calling for Comments on 2015 Disaster Recovery Funds

The City of San Marcos will hold a Public Meeting Thursday, Sept.14, 2017 in Room 2 of the Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins from 6 -8 p.m. to discuss the use of the additional funds in relation to the unmet needs in the community from the Floods of 2015 an...

San Marcos to go out of drought restrictions

The City of San Marcos is going out of drought restrictions effective Wednesday, Aug. 30 and will return to year-round water conservation rules.

Year-round rules allow use of sprinklers any day before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m. Hand watering and using soaker ...

City Offices Closed on Labor Day

City of San Marcos offices, including City Hall, Public Library, Activity Center, and Utility Offices, will be closed Monday, Sept. 4, 2017 for Labor Day.

Texas Disposal Systems will operate its usual trash collection and recycling routes. Rio Vista Swimmi...

Man Dies After Altercation; One Arrested on Murder Charge

A San Marcos man has been charged with murder after another man died of injuries he suffered in an altercation last week.

On Aug. 24 at approximately 12:13 a.m., SMPD Officers were dispatched to the Verandah Apartments, 1805 N IH-35 for a reported assault....

SCAM ALERT: Fake Utility Metering Box Call

Scammers are calling San Marcos utility customers telling them they need to pay a hefty fee to replace “outdated” metering boxes.

Customers are being told that their meter box is outdated and they need to pay between $400 - $800 to exch...

City Offers Many Options for Storm Debris

The City of San Marcos is offering residents several options for disposing of branches and limbs blown down during Hurricane Harvey.

Green Waste Cart: Any vegetative debris that is smaller than 5” in diameter can be put in the resident&...

Hays County, City of San Marcos Deactivate Emergency Operations Center; Remind Residents to Be Alert

Hays County Emergency Management Coordinator Kharley Smith and City of San Marcos Interim Emergency Management Coordinator Gib Watt announced this morning that the joint Emergency Operations Center is being deactivated and normal response operations will ...

San Marcos Municipal Court Delayed Until 10 a.m.

Hays County offices will have a delayed opening at 10 a.m. on Monday due to potential severe weather.  The San Marcos Municipal Court, which is housed in the Hays County Government Center will also open at 10 a.m.  All other City of San ...

City of San Marcos Prepares for More Outages

City of San Marcos Prepares for More Outages

The City of San Marcos Electric Utility (SMEU) continues to make repairs after addressing over four hundred outages today and fielding more than one thousand calls.  City officials say many of...

Los funcionarios advierten a los residentes que permanezcan alertas sobre el clima

Con los cierres de carreteras adicionales en la Ciudad y el Condado de Hays jurisdicciones, gestión de emergencias y funcionarios de primera respuesta seguir recordando a los residentes que las condiciones climáticas inusuales produc...

Harvey Continues to Bring Strong Rains and Officials Warn Residents to Stay Alert to Weather, Drivin

Harvey Continues to Bring Strong Rains and Officials Warn Residents to Stay Alert to Weather, Driving Situations

With additional road closures throughout Hays County and City jurisdictions, emergency management and first response officials continue to remi...

Shelter Will Open for Local Residents at 11:30 p.m.

The City of San Marcos will open the San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins at 11:30 p.m., as a shelter for San Marcos residents who want to voluntarily leave flood-prone areas.

“This is a precautionary measure for San Marcos residents who wa...

Expect More Rain Through the Night, Possibility of Extended Power Outages

Additional roads could be closed in the City of San Marcos and throughout Hays County, and power interruptions could last for extend periods of time as dangerous wind conditions delay electric utility crews working multiple outages throughout the area.

Hay...

El Condado de Hays y La Cuidad de San Marcos activar completamente el Centro de Operaciones de Emerg

El Condado de Hays y La Cuidad de San Marcos activar completamente el Centro de Operaciones de Emergencia; Establecer una línea telefónica no urgente para residents.

El Conda...

Hays County, City of San Marcos Fully Activate Emergency Operations Center; Establish Non-Emergency

Over Friday night and through early Saturday morning, sporadic heavy rains were reported and several low water crossings are closed throughout the county. No unusual events have occurred and no shelters are open at this time. Officials anticipate that hig...

Reminder: Don't tether your pets during severe weather.

It is illegal to tether pets outside during severe weather. 

According to City Ordinance: 

City of San Marcos

Sec. 6.011. – Tethering dogs and other animals.

Sec. 6.011 (13)

To allow an animal to remain tethered during a severe weat...

City Preparing in Case of Weather Emergency-UPDATE 1

The City of San Marcos continues making preparations as Hurricane Harvey approaches the Texas Coast.

City preparations

The City is monitoring weather conditions and readying first responders and on-call personnel to for possible heavy rain or flooding. If n...

San Marcos Animal Shelter Hosts Biannual Shelter Game Night

The San Marcos Animal Shelter is preparing for their third Biannual Shelter Game Night. The event will be on Friday, Aug. 25, from 6-9 p.m. at the San Marcos Rec Hall, 170 Charles Austin Drive.

The event features many rounds of Bingo, baked goods and drink...

San Marcos Arts Commission Accepting Grant Applications for Art and Cultural Diversity Projects

The City of San Marcos Arts Commission is accepting funding applications for art projects.

The deadline to apply is Monday, Sept. 25, 2017. Applicants are encouraged to schedule a pre-review meeting with city staff to discuss and review applications prior ...

Rose Brooks Selected for First San Marcos Community Outstanding Senior Citizen Volunteer Award

San Marcos Parks and Recreation and the San Marcos Senior Advisory Board invites the public to join them for the first ever San Marcos Community Senior Citizen Volunteer Award presentation at the San Marcos Activity Center, 501 E. Hopkins on National Seni...

City Seeks Nominations for Women’s Hall of Fame

The City of San Marcos is seeking nominations of outstanding local women to induct into the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame annual ceremony in October.The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, Sep. 8, at 5 p.m. Entry forms are available...

FEMA Proposes New Flood Maps for San Marcos

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), the State of Texas, and local communities and counties, have released preliminary flood maps for public review and comment. These preliminary flo...

SECRETARY CARSON ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $179 MILLION TO HELP STATES RECOVER FROM 2015, 2016 DISASTERS

SECRETARY CARSON ANNOUNCES ADDITIONAL $179 MILLION TO HELP STATES RECOVER FROM 2015, 2016 DISASTERS

Funding to support recovery in hard-hit areas of Florida, West Virginia, Texas, and the Carolinas

WASHINGTON – U.S. Housing and Urban Development (...

Summer Road Construction in San Marcos

Roadway repairs and constructions are in high gear this time of year. Texas State University student traffic is lighter now than any other time of year allowing the City of San Marcos and Texas State University crews to make necessary repairs and perform ...

City Asking Public’s Help Identifying Tree Vandals

The City of San Marcos is seeking help from the public identifying the person or people who spray-painted an ancient cypress tree on Thompson’s Island.

The damage was discovered July 1. It is believed the offense took place sometime the week befo...

Dog Exposed to Rabid Fox on 1400 Blk of Wonder World Dr.

The City of San Marcos is issuing a rabies alert after a fox that attacked a family dog on the 1400 block of Wonder World Drive June 28 tested positive for rabies.

The dog is in the custody of a local veterinarian and will undergo a state-required 90-day i...

Call For Artists – Raising Cane’s Retaining Wall

The City of San Marcos in partnership with Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers is seeking proposals from Central Texas area artists to design and create a mural on the retaining wall located at the restaurant. This mural will be an addition to a seri...

City Confirms Five Finalists for City Manager Position

City Confirms Five Finalists for City Manager Position

The City of San Marcos is considering five candidates for the City Manager position that was vacated when former City Manager Jared Miller stepped down in January to become the City Manager of Amarillo...

Rumor: The City of San Marcos is anti-pet and won’t allow animals at eating establishments & bars.

Rumor:  The City of San Marcos is anti-pet and won’t allow animals at eating establishments and bars.

Fact: Texas State law within the 2006 Texas Food Establishment Rules, which the city has adopted, prohibits animals on the premises of food estab...

Rumor: The City of San Marcos is charging fees for entry into the San Marcos River.

Fact: The City is not charging for access to the river or river parks, and has no plans at this time to implement park user fees.

The Parks Advisory Board and City staff made a presentation to the City City during the February 21, 2017 City Council meeting...

Rumor: A scary clown hoax has made it to San Marcos.

Fact: At this time, the San Marcos Police Department has no active cases involving clowns as suspects, witnesses, or victims.

The department is aware that there is at least one spurious clown social media account in San Marcos.  

While there have b...

Rumor: Resident are concerned about what appeared to be a kidnapping or hostage situation.

Fact: We looked into the concerns and our police department tells us the incident took place Monday night after patrons and employees of IHOP saw a man and woman arguing near a vehicle next to the Old CiCis pizza in Springtown Center. There was also anoth...

Rumor: The City of San Marcos has hiked the minimum wage to $15 an hour plus benefits.

Fact: The City of San Marcos and the State of Texas adopts the federal minimum wage rate.

The San Marcos City Council voted on Feb. 2. 2016 to amend the City of San Marcos Economic Development Policy to require all jobs calculated or counted for economic d...