2014 Election Profiles – John Thomaides

By Matthew Hamill
News Reporter

John Thomaides, Place 3, is seeking reelection to the San Marcos City Council, where he’s served for about 10 years. That makes Thomaides the longest tenured member of the council. He said he has overseen San Marcos’ richest period of growth and has learned many valuable lessons from his time on the council.

“The most valuable lesson is that public policy and politics really is the art of the possible,” said Thomaides. “When you can find common ground and compromise, that is, when good things happen for your community.”

Thomaides said he is a very open individual and open-minded. He attended the first SMTX Pride Parade and spoke very highly of it.

He acknowledged that San Marcos’ immense growth is a good thing, but he emphasized that the city needs the right kind of growth in order to become the town it strives to be. Thomaides said he believes that this growth can be used to the city’s advantage.

“We need to be able to use that status to accomplish the goals that the city has more jobs, better housing opportunities (and) a serious commitment to the San Marcos River,” he said.

Thomaides said he believes his experience gives him an edge over the opposition. He added that he genuinely loves this city, where he lives and started a business. He has a real appreciation for the San Marcos River, calling it the “jewel of our community” and believes that the river is the city’s most valuable resource. 

“The challenge that we face in our city truly is how to grow in a sustainable way but protect the best parts of our city, and clearly the river is number one,” he said. 

Thomaides said he genuinely wants San Marcos to continue to grow and believes his experience can help the city make the best decisions to sustain the growth.