Marble Falls council makes EDC, mayor pro-tem decisions
Mayor Dave Rhodes was named council representative to the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors on May 21, 2024. Staff photo by Nathan Bush
A Marble Falls City Council appointment on Tuesday, May 21, took two nominations and two votes before Mayor Dave Rhodes was named council representative to the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp. Board of Directors.
The decision was 6-1 with Councilor Bryan Walker dissenting.
Also during the meeting, the council unanimously elected Councilor Craig Magerkurth as mayor pro-tem.
Rhodes volunteered to serve as EDC representative before any nominations were taken, but Walker threw newly elected Councilor Richard Westerman’s hat into the ring instead. That attempt failed 2-5 with Walker and Councilor Griff Morris voting for Westerman, who did not vote for himself.
“Richard is a business owner in town and did good the last few times he was on the EDC board,” Walker told DailyTrib.com after the meeting. “I thought he was a more-than-qualified person for it. Sometimes, things just don’t go your way.”
Westerman, who previously served the City Council as mayor, explained to DailyTrib.com after the meeting why he didn’t vote for himself.
“Traditionally, the mayor has always gotten his choice here in Marble Falls for appointments,” he said. “While it is council’s choice, I am not there to bring a circus atmosphere to our City Council. It’s always been a very dignified and business-like atmosphere. I am there to do good work, not to disrupt.”
Rhodes told DailyTrib.com his vision of the Marble Falls Economic Development Corp.
“I want (the EDC) to be run more like a business in terms of (return on investment),” he said after the meeting. “I realize there are things that aren’t attached to dollars and cents like parks, which are just as important as other things, but I really want to look at the way we do accounting and how we invest our efforts, and that includes money.”
He would also like the EDC to consider ways to bridge the gap between the cost of housing and the average household income in Marble Falls. According to 2024 data obtained from the Burnet Central Appraisal District and the EDC, the average market value of homes in Marble Falls is $447,194, while the average household income is $87,834.
“Given that the median household income needs to be a commensurate number, rather than just saying that and hoping that we get it, I would like us to proactively, intentionally recruit businesses and business people that fit that profile in Marble Falls,” Rhodes said.
The council also reappointed EDC directors Mark Mayfield, Ryan Nash, and John Packer to the board.
MAYOR PRO-TEM
As mayor pro-tem, Magerkurth will “act as mayor during the disability or absence of the mayor” as defined by the Marble Falls City Charter.
“I don’t mind running meetings at all,” Magerkurth told DailyTrib.com. “I hate to go into the wayback machine, but I was president of my class at West Point. I was in front of people all the time and running big meetings.”
The telecom industry executive has made arrangements to ensure he can attend City Council meetings, specifically midday workshops.
“Before I even offered (to be mayor pro-tem), I checked to make sure I would have the ability to be there,” Magerkurth said.
Rhodes compared Magerkurth’s analytical background to former Mayor Pro-tem Dee Haddock, who was defeated in his councilor re-election bid by Westerman in May.
“Dee was very organizational and very numbers-driven,” Rhodes told DailyTrib.com. “In my professional life, I’ve always needed people like that in my sphere. Craig is just that.”
Magerkurth was also unanimously appointed to the city’s Hotel Motel Tax Advisory Committee. The committee reviews funding applications from the city’s 7 percent hotel occupancy tax from hotels, motels, inns, and bed-and-breakfast establishments.