Conveniently located in Central Texas between Austin and San Antonio, San Marcos truly is the center of everything. Founded in 1851 along the spring-fed San Marcos River, the city has a rich history dating back more than 12,000 years, with artifacts from ancient Native Americans discovered along its banks. Today, San Marcos offers a blend of natural beauty and modern convenience, with rolling hills, crystal-clear rivers, and outdoor activities like swimming, kayaking, and hiking at Purgatory Creek and Spring Lake.
San Marcos is home to Texas State University, bringing energy and educational opportunities to the community. The city also boasts the San Marcos Premium Outlets and Tanger Outlets — the largest outlet shopping destination in the Southwest. Its historic downtown features a thriving arts and music scene, with iconic venues like Cheatham Street Warehouse and the Texas Music Theater. Events like the Mermaid Festival and the Hill Country Jazz Festival add to the city’s vibrant cultural life.
With a lower cost of living than the national average, San Marcos offers affordable housing and a family-friendly atmosphere. Its central location provides easy access to major cities while maintaining a laid-back, community-focused feel. Residents come from diverse backgrounds and are dedicated to a wide range of civic, cultural, and outdoor activities, making San Marcos not just a place to live, but a place to belong.
Government
San Marcos operates under a council-manager form of government. The City Council holds the authority to enact local legislation, adopt budgets, and establish city policies. San Marcos is a home-rule city, giving it full power of local self-government, including the ability to amend its charter under Texas law.
The City Council consists of a Mayor and six Council Members elected at-large for staggered three-year terms, ensuring continuity in leadership. The Mayor serves a two-year term and represents the city at official functions while working with the Council to set strategic direction. The City Manager is responsible for administering city government, ensuring efficient operations, and executing the Council’s policies.
The Position
The City Marshal serves as the chief administrator of the City Marshal’s Office, providing strategic leadership and oversight of daily operations, including law enforcement services across the City’s 2,100 acres of green space, 40 miles of trails, and park system. This role manages three key divisions—Deputy Marshals, Parking Enforcement, and Municipal Court Security/Warrant Service—ensuring that enforcement and security services align with the City’s values and safety goals. The City Marshal is responsible for developing and implementing operational plans, policies, and procedures, while also directing staff recruitment, training, and performance evaluation. Additionally, the City Marshal oversees budget planning and resource allocation to maintain effective operations and service delivery.
Reporting to the Assistant City Manager for Public Safety, the City Marshal plays a key role in coordinating multi-department efforts to ensure a safe environment during high-traffic periods, such as summer holiday weekends. The Marshal monitors compliance with City codes and ordinances, responds to public inquiries and complaints, and serves as the TCOLE Agency Head, managing state reporting requirements.
Duties and Responsibilities
Provides leadership, direction and planning for the operations and services of City Marshal’s operations.
Oversee daily operations, activities, programs and services of the department.
Performs a full range of supervisory functions including selecting, training, evaluating, counseling, and developing and providing guidance/corrective action to employees if found appropriate.
Schedules and coordinates the provision of enforcement and security services at City of San Marcos parks, especially during the Summer Season from Memorial Day holiday weekend through Labor Day holiday weekend.
Directs, supervises, and reports on the enforcement of City codes and ordinances regarding activities at City of San Marcos riverfront parks.
Participates, and may lead the coordination, of a multi-department effort to provide a safer parks atmosphere during summer holiday weekends such as Memorial Day holiday weekend, July Fourth holiday weekend, and Labor Day holiday weekend.
Directs, supervises, and reports on parking enforcement for the City of San Marcos.
Directs, participates in and supervises the development of tactical and operational plans, goals and objectives.
Responds to written and verbal inquiries and complaints regarding areas of responsibility.
Develop strategic long-range plans to determine goals and objectives for the department.
Develops budget plans, projections, and justifications for the annual budget.
Monitors current expenditures on programs and services.
Schedules and coordinates the procurement and maintenance of equipment.
Reviews and assigns staff resources as needed to achieve objectives of programs and services while monitoring safety and personnel issues.
Develops and implements policies and standard procedures regarding all activities and operations of the department.
Conducts ongoing observation and evaluation of activities, services, programs and personnel to assess performance and evaluation of individual, unit and department strengths and weaknesses.
Prepares, coordinates and makes presentations to City Council, citizen groups, and staff.
Serves as TCOLE Agency Head for the City Marshal’s Office and the City of San Marcos Fire Marshal’s Office. Compile and ensure statistical information, racial profiling data and other required information is submitted to the State of Texas.
Work collaboratively and maintain a cooperative environment with other police agencies, the City of San Marcos Municipal Court, the Parks and Recreation Department, and other City departments.
Education and Experience
Qualified applicants will have a bachelor's degree in criminal justice or in a related field from an accredited college or university, and a minimum of ten (10) years of closely related experience including five years of supervisory experience; an advanced TCOLE Certification is required.
The Ideal Candidate
The ideal candidate will be an experienced law enforcement professional with a strong background in public safety and strategic leadership. The ideal candidate should be a strong leader with a deep understanding of community-based policing, with a proven ability to develop and implement effective law enforcement strategies in park and trail environments.
The successful candidate will demonstrate sound judgment, adaptability, and the ability to make decisions under pressure. The ideal candidate should have experience managing budgets, allocating resources, and driving organizational efficiency while maintaining high standards of public service. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are critical, as the City Marshal will need to foster relationships with City officials, staff, and the community to build trust and promote a safe and welcoming environment.
A collaborative and forward-thinking mindset is essential for success in this role. The ideal candidate must be capable of addressing public safety challenges while balancing the needs of park patrons, natural habitats, and City infrastructure. A commitment to transparency, accountability, and professionalism is vital, along with a strong dedication to the City’s values and long-term public safety goals.
Salary
The City of San Marcos is offering a salary range between $98,880 to $123,600, commensurate with experience, and a comprehensive benefits package. Relocation assistance will be available for the successful out of area candidate.
How to Apply
Interested applicants should forward a cover letter and resume to:
resumes@affionpublic.com
Reference: SMTXCM
Affion Public
PO Box 794
Hershey, PA 17033
717-214-4922
www.affionpublic.com
*The deadline to receive resumes is May 02, 2025*
The City of San Marcos is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.
