New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno will be retiring at the end of May 2027, ending an 18-year stint with the city, according to a news release.

The overview: Camareno shared his retirement plans during his annual performance evaluation in November 2025, according to the news release. He said his commitment to the city will remain unchanged during the coming year.

"Between now and my retirement in May 2027, I remain fully committed to supporting the Mayor and City Council, advancing the city's strategic priorities and helping ensure a smooth transition for the organization," Camareno said in the release.

Next steps: New Braunfels City Council will begin the process of searching for its next city manager. A timeline and process for that selection will be determined in the coming months, according to the release.

The extended transition period now allows City Council to begin conducting a thorough search for the next city manager. City Council will determine the timeline and process for that selection in the coming months.

New Braunfels has a new council member serving on the dais.

Nikki Shaw was sworn in as New Braunfels District 6 City Council member following the canvassing of the June runoff election during a June 22 meeting.

City Secretary Gayle Wilkinson said there were 1,546 votes cast in the District 6 City Council runoff election. Shaw received 959 votes, or 62.03% of votes, according to the runoff canvas ordinance. Incumbent April Ryan received 587 votes, or 37.97% of votes, Wilkinson said.

What they're saying: Shaw said she is in this position because of God and the people who showed up to vote.

"We had a large turnout and I encourage everybody to continue to show up, to continue to have your voice heard and to continue to be an active part of this process every month when we have City Council," Shaw said.

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Last year, the Austin-area job market grew faster than any other major metro in the country—adding 27,200 jobs in 2025, which represents 2% year-over-year growth, according to an April 2026 report from Opportunity Austin.

Diving in deeper: The health care industry is among the fastest-growing, and is expected to grow 2.4% annually, adding about 6,780 workers per year, said Ashley King, director of health care partnerships at Workforce Solutions Capital Area.

As of November, the education and health services sector had added 4,100 jobs, or 2.5% growth, from the prior year, according to Opportunity Austin’s January 2026 economic indicators. Meanwhile, the information sector, which includes most of Austin’s tech workforce, declined 2.4%, or about 1,200 jobs, during the same time frame, according to the report.

What's happening: Nursing programs across the country turned away 93,176 qualified applications in 2025—a record high—primarily due to insufficient clinical placement sites, faculty shortages and limited classroom space.

Despite the hurdles, health sciences was the fastest-growing area of study at Austin Community College in fall 2025.

San Marcos community members will soon have a new option for buying and selling used vehicles in the city.

The details: CarMax will open its first location in the city this fall, providing a new in-person option for car transactions. Customers can buy or sell vehicles through the business either in person, online or both, according to the CarMax website.

The 45,604-square-foot store’s construction cost approximately $19.9 million and began on May 5, 2025, according to a Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation filing.

What they offer: As the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, CarMax offers customers an easy experience purchasing used cars, with a variety of makes and models, and selling their old ones, according to the CarMax website.

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