Dear Fellow Citizens of New Braunfels,
For 28 years I have worked as a commercial real estate broker, the last 10 of them right here in this region, specializing in retail and warehouse properties. In that time I have helped bring businesses to our community, watched our city grow, and developed a deep appreciation for what makes New Braunfels special. That is why I feel compelled to speak up about a quiet but serious challenge that threatens our long-term prosperity.
Across the region, developers remain eager to build in the greater New Braunfels area. Yet most are choosing sites just outside our city limits, where the approval process moves more predictably. Inside the city, the development review and permitting process has become marked by inefficiencies, inconsistencies, and a lack of clear timelines. This is not an attack on our hardworking staff. It is simply an observation from someone who sees the same pattern repeated with project after project. What should be a straightforward path often turns into a frustrating maze.
The consequences are already visible. Tens of thousands of square feet of warehouse and flex space have been constructed just beyond our boundaries, and the momentum is building. In ten years we could easily see millions of square feet of commercial development sitting outside our taxing authority. Those facilities will generate traffic on our roads and add pressure to our schools and infrastructure. We absorb all the costs of growth but capture few of the benefits.
Our city’s own financial picture makes this imbalance unsustainable. Sales tax remains our largest single source of general fund revenue, followed closely by property tax. With limited developable land left inside the city and statutory caps on property tax growth from existing owners, new commercial construction is one of the few reliable ways to expand our tax base without overburdening residents. Without it, we risk straining the very services that make our community strong — roads, schools, public safety, and parks — while watching economic activity shift elsewhere.
This issue extends even to our historic downtown. Many longtime business owners quietly share frustrations about a perceived double standard in how rules and regulations are applied. Some projects and businesses seem to move forward with relative ease, while others face repeated delays or stricter scrutiny. Too often, outcomes appear influenced by personal connections rather than consistent, transparent policy. All of our downtown businesses, whether long-established or newly arrived, should play by the same fair rules. Favoritism and unpredictability erode trust and discourage the very investment that keeps our downtown vibrant.
I do not claim to have all the solutions. Turning this around will require honest conversation, a commitment to greater predictability and consistency in the review process, and a shared focus on what is best for the entire community rather than any one group. Our leaders, staff, developers, and residents must work together to streamline approvals without compromising safety or quality. We need a development environment that welcomes responsible growth inside our city limits so that the taxes, jobs, and daily economic activity stay here to support local shops, restaurants, and families.
New Braunfels has always been a place where hard work and common sense prevail. If we address these challenges now, with transparency, fairness, and a clear-eyed focus on fiscal health, we can secure a balanced, prosperous future for our children and grandchildren. The time to act is now, before the window narrows further.