SAN MARCOS, Texas — On Tuesday, the City of San Marcos approved a new contract with the local police department.
It comes after months of controversy over the contract. City leaders initially approved a contract last October, but a group called Mano Amiga got enough signatures to repeal it.
The group demanded the new contract include changes to address police accountability. It wanted a new contract to include five reforms aimed at improving police accountability and transparency.
But Mano Amiga said the new deal ignores what it asked for, and the new contract did not address their specific reforms.
At Tuesday night’s city council meeting, some leaders weren't happy with the deal.
"Trust in the police is important for safety, but there's not going to be trust if people are still feel like they're being unheard," Councilmember Alyssa Garza (Place 3) said.
But others said the agreement incorporates accountability without chasing officers away.
"We can't just push so-called reforms on a department if they're not going to work, and officers don't want to work under those rules," Councilmember Mark Gleason (Place 5) said.
In a statement, Mano Amiga questioned the motive of councilmembers who previously voted to rescind the agreement but approved a similar agreement on Tuesday. The group said it would try to force the removal of civil-service protections for San Marcos police via a ballot initiative.
“At the root of all this is whether or not you believe the most privileged, well-paid and most powerful members of our city government deserve any transparency in how they are held accountable when they govern our community improperly,” said Eric Martinez, Mano Amiga's safety policy director. “Transparency is a fundamental principle of good governance, and that’s not happening with this contract. The community will aim higher than the crumbs that fall from the table: instead, we’ll go after the whole loaf.”
This new contract will take effect in June.