Johnson City Mayor Stephanie Fisher, now in her second term, laid out the specific pressures squeezing the city during an episode of The Building Texas Show, published May 27, 2026. The conversation, hosted by Justin McKenzie, covered a groundwater permitting standoff, a short-term rental boom reshaping neighborhoods, and the city's strategy to convert through-traffic on the 290/281 corridor into overnight tourism dollars.
Johnson City, with roughly 540 residential single-family water connections, sits on the Pedernales River yet cannot tap it for drinking water. The city relies solely on the Ellenberger Aquifer, a minor aquifer off the Llano Uplift, as its drinking water source. A capital improvement plan and pending pumpage permit increase before the Blanco Pedernales Groundwater Conservation District are central to the city's water future. The city also holds 200 acre-feet of Pedernales River water under an LCRA permit but cannot harvest it without millions in infrastructure investment.
Mayor Fisher candidly addressed how earlier decisions complicated current negotiations with the groundwater district. "There was some previous administrations that made some decisions. I think they put the cart before the horse, and that's causing us to have some questions asked. And they're just doing their due diligence. I'm glad that our groundwater district is doing what they need to do to make sure that we all have water forever," Fisher told McKenzie.
A striking statistic: 67 of Johnson City's 540 residential connections are now short-term rentals, primarily Airbnbs, consuming water resources in a community already facing supply constraints. The mayor framed a boutique or resort-style hotel, ideally on the river, as the single biggest unlock for both housing and tax base. A hotel would reduce pressure on residential stock by providing dedicated tourist accommodations, while generating revenue to fund infrastructure improvements.
The episode also explored Johnson City's position as the last stop before Fredericksburg on Highway 290 and a common cut-through to Lake LBJ, yet visitors rarely stay overnight. Assets already on the ground include the Science Mill, the LBJ National Historic Park (including the Texas White House in Stonewall and LBJ's boyhood home), the Old Settlement adjacent to the Science Mill, the Exotic Resort Zoo just north of town, and the annual fair and rodeo weekend. The city aims to convert through-traffic into overnight tourism by leveraging these attractions.
McKenzie contrasted Johnson City's situation with 100-year water planning efforts in Midland and Lubbock, highlighting the vulnerability of Hill Country communities dependent on aquifer recharge in 15-year rainfall cycles. The deeper context is a Hill Country affordability crisis playing out on Highway 290, where rising home prices and water scarcity collide.
The Building Texas Show, hosted by Justin McKenzie, travels the state in conversation with the mayors, founders, and operators shaping Texas growth. Each episode digs into infrastructure, economic development, tourism, and community identity. The show is sponsored by Chisos Boots. This episode is available now wherever podcasts are heard, and on YouTube where listeners can like and subscribe to follow the series.
