Community Profile

City of Horseshoe Bay

Horseshoe Bay, TX

Cynthia Clinesmith

Mayor

Pledge Summary

Horseshoe Bay is a city of about 8,000 people in Central Texas. Our administration and City Council have committed to promoting policies to protect our air, water and natural surroundings. Our location is well within the flyway of the eastern monarch butterfly, so we are well positioned to help out. We do this by educating our public about the monarch, events, an annual mowing delay on certain areas of the city, and by promoting the planting of native flowering plants and milkweed at our homes and businesses.

Community Spotlight

Seed giveaway

The City of Horseshoe Bay periodically gives away seed packets containing native milkweed and flowers to promoted the Mayors Monarch Pledge. The seeds are popular with visitors to City Hall. This was from our fall giveaway in October.

Horseshoe Bay supports pollinators

Besides taking part in the Mayors Monarch Pledge, Horseshoe Bay encourages our residents to take steps to support all pollinators including bees. Here we are giving away locally produced honey along with seed packets related to the Monarch Pledge.

Horseshoe Bay's Drought Tolerant Gardens

As part of its water conservation program, Horseshoe Bay maintains two demonstration gardens at City Hall to help our residents learn what best to plant in our landscapes here. Monarch butterflies are frequent visitors at these gardens.

Action Items Committed for 2022

Communications and Convening ▸

Issue a proclamation to raise awareness about the decline of the monarch butterfly and the species’ need for habitat. This proclamation must incorporate a focus on monarch conservation.
Engage with Homeowners Associations (HOAs), Community Associations or neighborhood organizations to identify opportunities to plant monarch gardens and revise maintenance and mowing programs.
Engage with gardening leaders and partners (e.g., Master Naturalists, Master Gardeners, Nature Centers, Native Plant Society Chapters , other long-standing and influential community leaders) to support monarch butterfly conservation.
Engage with city parks and recreation, public works, sustainability, and other relevant staff to identify opportunities to revise and maintain mowing programs and milkweed / native nectar plant planting programs.

Program and Demonstration Gardens ▸

Add or maintain native milkweed and nectar-producing plants in gardens in the community.
Initiate or support community science (or citizen science) efforts that help monitor monarch migration and health.
Plant or maintain a monarch and pollinator-friendly demonstration garden at City Hall or another prominent or culturally significant community location.
Host or support a native seed or plant sale, giveaway or swap.

Systems Change ▸

Integrate monarch butterfly conservation into the city’s Park Master Plan, Sustainability Plan, Climate Resiliency Plan or other city plans.

Past Pledge Archive

Mayor Name	Program Year	Pledge Date	Achievement
Mayor Cynthia Clinesmith	2022	3/22/2022		View Pledge
Mayor Cynthia Clinesmith	2021	3/1/2021	Leadership Circle	View Pledge

Pledge Status

Pledge Date

Program Year

Links and Uploads

Action Item Report