AGENDA CAPTION:
Title
Consider approval of Resolution 2026-208R, confirming the City Manager’s appointment of Terence Parker to the San Marcos Civil Service Commission; and declaring an effective date.
Body
Meeting date: November 17, 2026
Department: Human Resources
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Purpose of this Agenda Item
Civil Service Commission members are appointed by the City Manager and confirmed by the City Council. The Civil Service Commission has one vacancy due to the expired term of former Civil Commissioner Eric Casillas. The proposed appointment for Terence Parker is to fill this vacancy, and the appointment expires November 19, 2029.
Appointment Term and Information for Terence Parker - Term 11/17/2026 - 11/19/2029
Mr. Parker submitted an application to serve on the Civil Service Commission, and Mr. Parker meets the statutory requirements for serving on the Civil Service Commission including living in San Marcos for three years or more. Mr. Parker has experience in hiring, onboarding, and other human resources related tasks and a background in education. His interest and experience align with service on the Civil Service Commission.
Terence Parker is a San Marcos community leader and retired higher education professional who formerly served as Associate Dean of Students at Texas State University. In his public retirement announcement, Parker described a 30-year career in higher education, including 27 years at Texas State and three years at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He announced his departure from Texas State in August 2025.
During his Texas State career, Parker worked in student retention, student support, and leadership development. His roles included work in Retention Management and Planning and service as the university’s foster care liaison, helping connect students with experience in the foster care system to resources supporting their educational success. University coverage also highlights his work mentoring students and staff.
Parker’s professional recognition includes Texas State’s Employee of the Year award in 2008. In 2025, the Pan African Network of ACPA-College Student Educators International recognized him as an Outstanding Senior Level Professional.
His community involvement includes service on the San Marcos Police Chief’s Advisory Panel, which provides community perspectives on policing strategies and public trust. City records also list him as a San Marcos representative on the Hays County Child Protective Board for a 2025 -2027 term. In January 2026, he delivered the keynote address at the Hays County Courthouse Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, emphasizing service, justice, compassion, and reconciliation.
About the Civil Service Commission
The Civil Service Commission most frequently meets to hear employee appeals of written promotional examinations and to adopt Local Civil Service Rule changes. In regard to disciplinary matters, civil service employees have the right to appeal to the Civil Service Commission or to an arbitrator. Employee disciplinary appeals are consistently appealed to an independent arbitrator.
The Civil Service Commission generally meets two to five times each year to administer the TLGC Chapter 143 and the City of San Marcos Local Civil Service Rules and Regulations. To perform these duties, knowledge of human resources and or/or promotional testing provides background knowledge for their role as a commissioner. The Director of Human Resources serves as the Director of Civil Service. The statute requires staggered three-year terms for commissioners.
Historical Information - Civil Service Commission & Meet and Confer
The Civil Service Commission is established through the provisions of the Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 143 Municipal Civil Service for Firefighters and Police Officers (TLGC143). TLGC143 was adopted by the City of San Marcos October 30, 1974.The purpose outlined in the code is to secure efficient fire and police departments composed of capable personnel who are free from political influence and who have permanent employment tenure as public servants. The statute outlines duties, roles and responsibilities of the City and sworn fire fighters and police officers regarding employment. The Commission is established pursuant to this statute and is appointed by the City Manager with confirmation by the City Council. TLGC143 establishes both the criteria for commission members, the term of board members and the process of appointment.
The City adopted Meet and Confer in 2006 as outlined in the TLGC 142.109 supporting local control over the wages, salaries, rates of pay, hours of work, or other terms and conditions of employment to the extent the public employer and the firefighters and/or police association, recognized as the sole and exclusive bargaining agent under this subchapter, agree through a ratified and approved Meet and Confer Agreement. The Meet and Confer process provides the City and associations an opportunity to work together to tailor modifications to the TLGC to meet the needs of our organization and community. These agreements define pre-emptions to Civil Service (TLGC143). The intent of local rules is to cover any areas not expressly addressed by TLGC143 or which are ambiguous.
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Recommendation:
Ms. Reyes seeks confirmation of the City Council for the appointment of Commissioner Terence Parker for a vacant three-year term expiring November 19, 2029.