Marfa City Council candidate questionnaires

MARFA — Marfa residents will cast their ballots for mayor of Marfa and two City Council seats this election season. Early voting begins April 24, leading up to Election Day on May 6, and voting takes place at Marfa City Hall in the Casner Room.

Incumbent Mayor Manny Baeza will appear on the ballot against opposing candidate Stephen Salgado Boelter — however, Salgado Boelter has said in a statement that he is withdrawing from the race. As it is too late to remove his name from the ballot, he will have to decline the role if elected, leaving the City of Marfa to fill the vacancy by appointment. 

Current Councilmember Raul Lara is running for reelection, against new candidates Travis Acreman and Christa Marquez, who did not submit a questionnaire. Voters will be instructed to select up to two out of the three council member candidates. City Council candidate Mark Morrison is running unopposed, so is declared elected for a one-year term. 

Here, the candidates share a bit about themselves and talk about pressing issues the city is facing.

Mayor of Marfa 

Incumbent Manny Baeza 

• What qualifies you to serve as the mayor of Marfa? 

I’ve decided to run for reelection because I want to make sure that the projects that the city has planned come to fruition. We currently have a major streets project that will be seeking RFPs (requests for proposals) once engineering finalizes the scope of work, that will include complete renovation of Mesa, Russell, 3rd, Summer, Edinburg and Gonzales streets. We have also applied for a $500,000 TXCDBG grant to help with street improvements for the roads connecting to the Marfa Housing Authority on Madrid Street. 

We are also working on the completion of a new water well and are making repairs to our sewer system. While mayor, the City of Marfa has created a Streets Department, passed its annual audit(s), and has a contingency fund with at least three months of operating funds in the account. The city has also purchased a new ambulance, contributed to the expansion of the Marfa Volunteer Fire Department’s building, are making renovations to the Marfa Museum, continued conversion of older natural gas lines to poly, and have extended the hours of the landfill. We have put together a great team over the past few years that is dedicated to the community. I want to continue to support their efforts for improving our community.

• What local issues are you passionate about that you hope to advocate for on City Council? 

I’m passionate about improving Marfa’s infrastructure. I strongly feel that local government’s role is to provide its community with a safe and healthy environment. To achieve these goals, we must continue to work on street improvements, upgrade water and wastewater facilities, and continue to improve EMS and Marfa PD’s equipment and technology. I also plan on exploring the change from mechanical water meters to AMI meters. I strongly feel that this will improve meter reads and help with billing discrepancies. That said, the Marfa Nutrition Center is dear to me, and we must continue to fund their operations and make improvements where needed.

• Constituents on both sides of the issue regarding short-term rental regulations recently approached the council. If you are re-elected, how do you plan to address short-term rentals, if at all? 

STRs and housing are complex and important issues for our citizens, no matter where their views fall. Staff has been and will continue to look into the issue along with legal counsel. Since the Legislature is in session right now, it’s best to wait and see the outcome of STR-related bills in both the House and Senate. Once those have been tackled, the city will have a clearer path about how to possibly address these issues.

• In light of recent news about new development projects in and around Marfa, how do you think the city should be involved moving forward with future developments and growth? 

The city should continue to focus on improving our infrastructure. With any new developments inside the city, staff works closely with meeting the needs of developers. It has been an honor serving ALL citizens of the City of Marfa for the past 15 years. With your continued support, I feel that we can tackle more pressing items to the city in the next two years. Once again, thank you for your continued support!

Marfa City Council Members 

Incumbent Raul Lara 

• What qualifies you to serve on Marfa City Council? 

I’ve been on City Council since 2019 and was on the Marfa ISD School Board as well. I’m a life-long Marfa resident. I’m deeply committed to the community and residents and want to continue my public service and helping Marfa continue to prosper.

• What local issues are you passionate about that you hope to advocate for on city council?  

I love the people of Marfa and I want to make sure they have programs in place to help them at all stages of their lives. I’m especially passionate about the Nutrition Center and library. Both of these departments help some of our most special residents, and I love the commitment of our staff. The library goes above and beyond to help kids find a love of reading, and our nutrition program not only helps our seniors’ bodies but their minds and sprints as well.

• Constituents on both sides of the issue regarding short-term rental regulations recently approached the council. If you are re-elected how do you plan to address short-term rentals, if at all? 

I think the most important aspect of this issue is education. While we’re aware that cities in other states have made moves to restrict STRs, that doesn’t help give us guidance since we’re bound by Texas laws. Staff has been looking into property rights vs. regulation and what other cities of our type have done. However, with the Legislature in session, we’re in a bit of a holding pattern and need to see what will come out of the House and Senate this summer. Once they adjourn, we’ll have a better idea of where we stand.

• In light of recent news about new development projects in and around Marfa, how do you think the city should be involved moving forward with future developments and growth? 

Growth is inevitable, and we work with developers to make sure that their projects follow all city guidelines. City administration and Public Utilities staff work with anyone who is developing a project in the city limits. They make sure all of our regulations are followed and check in on the progress regularly. So far, everyone has worked well together, and I’m proud of the open line of communication staff has with the developers.

Travis Acreman 

• What qualifies you to serve on Marfa City Council? 

I live in Marfa, I love Marfa, and I am willing to take the position. Our city has occasionally had difficulty finding enough candidates to fill the council, or convincing members to remain through an entire term. I realize that it may not be tremendous fun, but it is tremendously important. Every decision the city makes has an immediate impact on the daily lives of its residents. In that spirit, I am willing to serve as a competent and reasonable administrator of city government duties. I don’t have a pet cause, and I am not running on any particular issue other than residents of Marfa have the right to rely on thoughtful and measured local leaders who take their responsibilities seriously. I believe that I have good judgment and that I am fair. Those are the qualifications I bring to our voters.

• What local issues are you passionate about that you hope to advocate for on city council? 

I like to think of myself as an aggressively boring candidate. The first priority of local government should be to do no harm. The city has limited resources, and the council is responsible for stretching that limited pool as far as it can reach, providing the best services to the most people in as equitable a way as possible. As a council member, I would work with city staff to identify projects with the most potential to improve the lives of residents, starting with the fundamentals; streets, sewers and fire hydrants may not be glamorous, but they are foundational to life in Marfa. The next council should continue the necessary modernization works already underway and accelerate them whenever possible. I would also look forward to partnering with local business leaders to encourage our economy to thrive even more. Working together, I believe we can identify new opportunities and efficient practices that would earn the community more value in exchange for the hospitality we provide, replenish the city coffers, and allow the council to do more for more of its residents.

• Constituents on both sides of the issue regarding short-term rental regulations recently approached the council. If you are elected how do you plan to address short-term rentals, if at all? 

Very little can change without an engaged community, so I appreciate everyone who came to City Council to make their voices heard. Their passion underlines the challenges we face with cost of living and housing availability. Understandably, everyone wants a piece of Marfa, but there is only so much Marfa to go around. This requires a delicate balancing act, encouraging the visitors that make our economy flourish while respecting and empowering the people who live and work in Marfa and make our city so special in the first place. 

This should begin with advocacy at the state Legislature to reclaim more control at the local level. Until Marfa has the right to fully determine its own planning and licensing policies, the city risks becoming entangled in costly legal battles that are already being fought by larger cities with more resources. Until then, the city should pursue options that would open new housing opportunities that would not risk legal challenges. 

We might consider loosening restrictions on mixed-use and live-work planning within reasonable districts, and we should prioritize building a war chest dedicated to improved housing access. I have seen the community come together and support each other through difficult circumstances in the past. By putting people first and mobilizing all of the energy, creativity and resourcefulness available in Marfa, I have full confidence that we can make it through this challenge as well.

• In light of recent news about new development projects in and around Marfa, how do you think the city should be involved moving forward with future developments and growth? 

Change is inevitable. When so many people want to come to Marfa, they will find a way to do so. Recognizing this, the city should be focused on smart growth that welcomes our well-heeled visitors while prioritizing the needs of the people who are here full-time. We need to work with the county to ensure that any new developments are fully sustainable in terms of our natural resources. We can’t control what we can’t measure, so we need to start by passing the water district proposition and give local authorities more tools to identify and address ongoing needs. This is especially important when considering the developments taking place outside of city limits. Unless the residents of those areas decide to petition for annexation, the city has no jurisdiction and can only advocate for responsible oversight from Presidio County. For projects proposed within city limits, the city should encourage or directly incentivize contributions back to the community. Affordable housing and improvements to shared space can be a key component of new developments, and the effects of new growth on existing infrastructure must be taken into account.

Mark Morrison — unopposed candidate, “declared elected” for 1-year term 

• What qualifies you to serve on Marfa City Council?  

I have been a small business owner for the last 20+ years in the healthcare field and the residential construction field. I have been able to learn and navigate regulations, zoning, client expectations, and making and keeping budgets. I believe that having a varied work experience will be beneficial for learning about issues, examining and evaluating the facts at hand, and will help in making decisions that I hope will be in the best interests of our community.

• What local issues are you passionate about that you hope to advocate for on city council? 

I will be advocating for improving our infrastructure and keeping a responsible, balanced budget. Sure, there are flashier things to be passionate about, but we can’t ignore the day to day business of keeping a city running smoothly. I will be looking forward to learning as much as I can so that I can be a responsible and helpful council member.

• Constituents on both sides of the issue regarding short-term rental regulations recently approached the council. As a new council member, how do you plan to address short-term rentals, if at all? 

I’m not sure it is the responsibility of the city council to run headlong into rapid regulation of the short-term rental issue. I do believe that we should learn more about how different municipalities have been affected by STRs, and what actions have been suggested/implemented. I also suggest that we learn as much as we can about Texas laws regarding STR’s, property owner rights, zoning regulations and other legal aspects concerning this issue.

• In light of recent news about new development projects in and around Marfa, how do you think the city should be involved moving forward with future developments and growth?  

I think the city should be involved in the growth and development issues within the city limits, enforcing existing zoning regulations consistently. We should also look to the future with our zoning regulations to anticipate needs for updating existing zoning and possibly enact new zoning regulations to help ensure an equitable environment for our community. 

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