Moore about Bastrop: New city manager takes helm in Bastrop

Sylvia Carillo

Austin American-Statesman
Debbie Moore- Special to Bastrop Advertiser
October 12, 2022

Sylvia Carillo was sworn in Oct. 3 as the city manager of Bastrop. District Judge Chris Duggan did the honors at City Hall. Carillo comes to Bastrop by way of Corpus Christi, where she held the same position and after an extensive career in municipal governance.

Welcome! I look forward to working with you on behalf of the little piece of heaven we call Bastrop and those of us who live here.

Halloween in Bastrop takes new look

This year Halloween in Bastrop came on the first day of October, rather than the last day. For several years, the city has hosted a Halloween bash in one of our city parks on Halloween evening.

This year the city combined Movies in the Park at Fisherman’s Park on Oct. 1 with a Boo Bash showing of “Beetlejuice” and an unexpected gang of scary zombies performing a ghoulish version of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.”

On Oct. 31, most of Pecan Street will close to vehicular traffic as usual. All other streets will be open. Please, drive carefully, slow your speed, and look out for all the ghosts, goblins, princesses, skeletons, and such who will be swarming downtown homes.

Research candidates for office

If you watch television in the evening — I’m sure 99% of us do — you have no doubt been especially bombarded by ads touting or opposing the candidacy of those seeking statewide offices.

I’m sure many of us have seen an ad and thought, “I’m sure I will vote for him or her, because they have done so many good things.” That is, until you see an ad for their opponent praising their own good works. Then there are those gems that criticize their opponent and blame them for every bad thing under the sun.

However, to be fair, in those 30 to 60 seconds, each candidate is showing us only one side of an issue or argument.  

It is up to each one of us to do our own research, find out the facts, and make an informed decision on who is best for us, best qualified for the office they seek, and for Texas. Then, we must go to the polls and vote.

Texas and our entire nation regularly lag behind average voter turnout compared to other developed countries. On top of that, over 20% of those eligible to vote are not even registered. I don’t understand that. 

Municipal elections are nonpartisan

Do you care if the council member who votes to spend money to ensure we have clean drinking water is a Democrat or Republican?

Do you care if the council member who votes to spend money to ensure that when you flush your toilet things go as expected — down the pipes — is a Democrat or Republican?

Do you care if those people who spend money to pave your roads, make sure new construction projects won’t flood existing homes and businesses are Democrats or Republicans?

I didn’t think so. Although some of Democratic friends disagree with me, I feel strongly that in nonpartisan elections, the county or local Democratic Party should not endorse a candidate. That is not to say that individual Democrats should not publicly support local candidates. However, the official party should stay silent.

When told that “the Rs are endorsing” in nonpartisan elections, my response was that two wrongs don’t make a right.

Bottom line …

If you aren’t registered to vote, register. It may be too late for the Nov. 8 elections, but there will be municipal elections next year. If you are registered, vote. Bastrop County residents with questions about voting should contact the Bastrop County elections office at 512-581-7160 or online at bastropvotes.org. 

The folks over there are very helpful and have all the answers to your questions.

Until next time

That’s all for now. Until next time, be good to yourself. Let me hear from you by email at mooreaboutbastrop@yahoo.com so I can share the things that are going on in and around Bastrop and what matters to you.  

Remember: “We all have pasts. We all made choices that maybe weren’t the best ones. None of us is completely innocent, but we all get a fresh start every day to be a better person than we were yesterday.”  Jeff Bridges