From the publisher · Community opinion
Families across Texas, including Kerr County, feel the pressure of everyday costs. Supporting local businesses is one practical way to strengthen the communities where we live and work.
Marvin Willis founded the Shop Local First Loyalty Card Program with that aim: to connect shoppers with participating businesses and help households find savings while keeping more spending close to home.
The publisher’s open letter asks local leaders to consider the program as a community tool. It describes advertising and loyalty-card opportunities for businesses, and outreach to people who serve the area, including first responders, teachers, health-care workers and public employees.
Any savings depend on the participating business, the purchase and the offer in effect. As a simple illustration, a 3%–3.5% discount on $300 of eligible weekly purchases would equal approximately $468–$546 over 52 weeks, before fees or restrictions. It would not, by itself, exceed $1,000.
The larger invitation is to think deliberately about where everyday spending goes. Local shops and services are part of a town’s character as well as its economy. Building relationships between those businesses and the people around them is the purpose behind the publisher’s proposal.
Adapted from the article by Marvin Willis · From the April–June 2026 issue. Edited for accuracy.