The Hays Coalition for a Better Bond formed in September to inform and educate voters about a sudden decision the county commissioners made on Aug. 13 to put a road bond on the November ballot for $440 million.  

Speakers from the San Marcos River Foundation, Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, and Save Our Springs, plus many other residents working against specific roads, spoke against the inclusion of proposed roads meant to encourage more development over the several aquifer recharge zones in the county. The Coalition believes there is plenty of time to hold more discussions about the bond with the public, reconsider priorities, and get the road bond on the May ballot.

Many voters will have no idea what’s in the proposed $440 million Hays Road Bond ballot. The bond package was developed by consultants and staff, and voted on to the ballot at the last minute, with inadequate notice, and no public participation in shaping the proposal. A fundraiser was held in Austin to support this bond with big donations from groups that may not show up on election fundraising reports until after the elections. It is typically engineering firms and developers who need a particular road who are the supporters of such road bonds. 

The bond should provide equitable funding for the east side of the county, which has been sadly underserved and ignored, road-wise, for decades – and which is seeing major growth. It is a shame to now only offer to fix those roads as part of a package to build new big expensive roads over recharge zones, which citizens have been objecting to for many years. It is a bad idea to combine all the roads into one big $440 million package that could fail at a time when people are seeing taxes and daily costs of living go up. A road bond for the roads and bridges that really need safety improvements, and with a public process done first, could get widespread support. 

But alas, the commissioners voted to put it on the ballot anyway. So the Hays Coalition for a Better Bond was formed and is accepting donations for signs and educational materials on this topic. They believe Prop A, as it will show up on the ballot, will raise taxes and spend hundreds of millions to build new roads to support land development in Western Hays, threatening the quality and availability of our groundwater. A road bond is needed quickly! But we must vote No on Prop A in November.
 
A better bond could be put before the voters as early as next spring, to address what we really need in Hays County: A bond that enhances what we love about the Hill Country, instead of paving over it in the wrong locations.
 
In summary: The coalition as a group believes a “Better Bond” means:

It includes community involvement, planning and feedback.

It does NOT raise taxes without community input.

It protects sensitive natural areas, not blasting holes and cracks in the limestone rock that holds our aquifer water or scraping all vegetation off the land.

It does NOT risk polluting our aquifers and local wells with road runoff.

It pays for roads that residents want and need right now.

It does NOT pave the way to nowhere.

It fixes existing roads that are failing.

It prioritizes safety issues and intersection improvements.

It includes public transportation.

It is truly equitable in how the funds are distributed.

It prioritizes investments in eastern Hays County roads. 

Just vote “NO! Thank you” to this $440 million tax burden and let’s have a citizen-backed bond vote in May 2025. 

We have a strong coalition of organizations and residents that are opposing this bond, and we are looking to raise money to spread the word. If you are concerned about this very badly planned road bond and wish to donate to the “Hays Coalition for a Better Bond” SPAC, through which we will pay for things like road and yard signs, you can send a check to the cause: 11 Tanglewood Trail, San Marcos TX 78666.

BY DIANNE WASSENICH