City Council moves forward with new logo

The Lockhart City Council approved a new logo on Tuesday night that celebrates both the iconic courthouse that punctuates its town square and its formidable barbecue reputation.
The 5-2 vote by councilmembers brings to an end months of work by a noncommissioned committee of volunteer artists and allows the city to move forward with new branding and signage.
The logo will consist of three elements: a reverse silhouette of the Caldwell County Courthouse, the word “Lockhart,” and underneath that, “The BBQ Capital of Texas.”
The council had debated at previous meetings whether to highlight the courthouse, highlight barbecue, give a nod to both, or use a logo with no graphic element that focuses on text only.
In the end, councilmembers were able to compromise after designers brought forward a courthouse illustration that more closely resembled Caldwell County’s iconic symbol than previous drafts.
Previously, councilmembers had largely split on the issue of the courthouse being more of a county symbol than a city symbol.
In the end, all voted for it except for Angie Gonzales-Sanchez, who said she preferred a logo that focused on wording, and Juan Castillo, who wanted more of an emphasis on Lockhart’s relationship to barbecue.
Councilmember Juan Mendoza said he liked the new courthouse image, but wanted to print a copy of the logo in the Lockhart Post-Register and allow people to vote on it.
Councilmember Jeffry Michelson shot that idea down.
“If we put it in the paper and ask for suggestions, we’re really going to be in trouble,” Michelson said. “They may want a rattlesnake if we give them their choice.”
Mayor Lew White was the first to recommend utilizing the new courthouse illustration in the logo.
As part of the decision, councilmembers voted to trademark “The BBQ Capital of Texas.”
“It’s time we staked our claim,” White said.