Does Seguin have enough to support booming growth?

Seguin, TX, USA / Seguin Today
Cindy Aguirre

Rapid growth raises questions about infrastructure, city responds
(Seguin) — Seguin’s fast-paced growth is bringing not only new opportunities but also new concerns.

Public concerns appear to be circling around two key issues that have been raised by the latest data. These concerns include water availability and street conditions.

Helping to address some of these concerns for the public is Seguin Mayor Donna Dodgen. Dodgen says when it comes to water, the city is already ahead of the curve when it comes to managing this vital resource.

“In the whole world of water – you know the guys before us really set up our water well and we are planning for the next 30 and 50 years. We have plenty of water right now. We have plenty of water at the rate that we are growing right now and I think the fear is – and we hear about it – we are blessed because those places around us and those places in the rest of Texas don’t have what we have and so it’s hard to see that we have that but we do and we are taking care of it and I encourage each of us to use conservation to the best of our ability but we have plenty and we are working on plans to get more and it’s available and it’s out there,” said Dodgen.

Next on the list of concerns is road infrastructure. Dodgen says as more people and vehicles hit the streets, many are asking when they’ll see improvements.

“With our roads, we are working on a plan. We have a five-year plan. We redo it every budget season and look at roads and I wish we could do 100 percent of our roads and make them 100 percent perfect, but I can tell you that the data shows our roads are better than they have been in the past and they are getting better. Are they perfect? No, we still have some horrible roads, but we all know that, and we are aware of that and there is at least a plan in place to begin working on them and our infrastructure is old. We are an old city and so we have spent a whole lot of money on what I call those bond sexy things so that we can turn our lights on, so we can turn our water on. So, we can flush our toilets and ensure all of that works well and so, we have an incredible crew that is doing that, and I just want folks to know that we are aware of all of that and it’s not like we are doing something else instead of. It’s just that there are multiple plates spinning at the same time,” said Dodgen.

This renewed focus on infrastructure comes as the new data highlights just how quickly Seguin is growing. According to the U.S. Census, the city’s population reached 38,789 as of July 1, 2024. The numbers show a 7.4 percent increase from the previous year. That rate places Seguin as the 29th fastest-growing city in the United States and 12th in Texas among cities with more than 20,000 residents.

As reported earlier, since 2020, the city’s population has also surged by 31.7 percent — ranking it 23rd in the nation and 8th in the state of Texas over the past four years.

Within the broader Austin–San Antonio Mega Region, Seguin now ranks third in growth – the city is only steps behind Hutto and Leander. The city of Seguin also claims the title of the fastest-growing city in the San Antonio metro area, outpacing neighboring New Braunfels, which is reporting a 4.7 percent increase.

View article on SeguinToday.com