CASTROVILLE, Texas – This election season, we’ve had the pleasure of hitting the road and talking to many of you about the issues you care about. Through “Your Voice, South Texas,” we created a safe space for you to share the things that are motivating you to vote. Our eighth episode took us to Castroville.
The area, a 30-minute drive from downtown San Antonio, has expanded in recent years. Castroville leaders have openly spoken about the challenges that come with growth: management and preservation of the area’s heritage.
“Over the last five years, it’s been...explosive growth here. You can see that when you come in from San Antonio, all the growth,” said Bruce Alexander, 66, a retired public works employee.
The growth has excited business owners, who also admit they’ve been hard by inflation.
“Things are more expensive...my groceries have gotten more expensive. If I could afford to pay myself more, I would. But...I really have to...keep a tight budget nowadays,” said Evan Elmendorf, 25, who owns the Magnolia Filling Station in downtown Castroville.
Others told us they’re concerned about immigration and crime.
“We’re so close to [Uvalde], where something terrible just happened. So, obviously, that’s motivation for me to vote...things need to change,” said Deborah Hoffman, 43.
KSAT also spoke with someone who urged voters to reject negativity and hyper-partisanship ahead of the election.
“I think the biggest thing is...to understand each other. Not everything has to be so black and white. Not everything has to be so judgmental,” said Anthony Inchaustegui, 44.
KSAT has also shot episodes of “Your Voice, South Texas” in Uvalde, Seguin, Pleasanton, Kerrville, La Vernia, New Braunfels and Boerne.
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