County constable honored in renaming of rec center

City Council made the unanimous call Thursday to rename the Dove Springs Recreation Center at 5801 Ainez Drive the George Morales Dove Springs Recreation Center. Morales, the first elected Travis County constable from the Dove Springs community and president of the Dove Springs Recreation Advisory Board, was celebrated as a warm and engaged community figure on Thursday, though a number of community members also showed up to criticize Morales’ reputation and oppose the renaming. Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza, who made the motion of approval, said the community seemed to be caught up in a war of “he said, she said.” Garza said she could only go by what she knows of Morales and his family, whom she called a “fixture and part of this community,” noting that wherever Morales goes he is greeted with warmth and cheers from those who know him. Reputation aside, Romteen Farasat, a member of the Parks and Recreation Board, said he respects Morales as a public servant and person; however, naming the center after him would give him an unfair advantage in the political arena. Otherwise, Farasat said he would support the change. Council approved the item 9-0-2 with Council members Alison Alter and Leslie Pool off the dais. Afterward, Alter said she would have voted in favor had she been present.