[00:00:09] >> MAYOR JONES: THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BUDGET SESSION IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL. >> CLERK: MAYOR, WE HAVE A QUORUM. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK. THANKS AGAIN, ERIK AND TEAM, AND I KNOW AS EVERYBODY REVIEWED THE SLIDES, ALL THE WORK THAT WENT INTO HAVING THIS VERY IMPORTANT CONVERSATION. AND FRANKLY, WE'VE ALLUDED TO MUCH OF WHAT WE WOULD DISCUSS THIS MORNING IN THE COURSE OF NOT ONLY THE SIX BY SIX, BUT ALSO THE FIVE-YEAR OUTLOOK. AS THINGS UNFORTUNATELY ARE NOT LOOKING ANY BETTER AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS IN LIGHT OF WHAT WE KNOW NOW, BUT ALSO THE IMPENDING CUTS THAT WE SEE AND THE CHANGES THAT WE SEE BOTH AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL AND THE STATE LEVEL BASED ON THE ELECTIONS LATER THIS YEAR. BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH WE COULD POTENTIALLY ADDRESS OUR OVERALL AND HOPEFULLY MITIGATE SOME OF THE EXERCISES THAT YOU ALL RAN LATE LAST YEAR THAT CAN HELP INFORM WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MITIGATE RISK. SO APPRECIATE AGAIN ALL THE WORK THAT GOT US TO THIS POINT. AND ERIK, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO YOU TO BEGIN. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. HERE WE FIND OURSELVES AGAIN IN OUR ANNUAL PROCESS. AND SO APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND TIME YOU SPENT WITH THE STAFF, MARIA, JUSTINA AND I AS WE GET TO THIS MORNING. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT DAY FOR US. I'LL QUICKLY DO AN OVERVIEW OF THE AGENDA. WE'RE GOING TO START WITH A REVIEW OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROPERTY TAX OVERVIEW. WE'RE GOING TO RECAP -- WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO BACK THROUGH THE ENTIRE FORECAST PRESENTATION, BUT FREDDIE WILL RECAP WHERE WE'RE AT. AND THEN WE'LL TALK -- THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE SOME TIME FOR A GENERAL DISCUSSION OVER THE FINANCIAL OVERVIEW AND THOSE MATTERS. ALANNA WILL TALK AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE LANDED IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY BUDGET PROCESS -- I'M SORRY, THE COMMUNITY SURVEY PROCESS. THE SHORT ANSWER IS THERE'S NO BIG CHANGES. THE CONSISTENT THINGS OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, HOUSING, HOMELESS, PUBLIC SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE ARE AT THE TOP OF OUR SURVEY RESULTS. AND THEN DANIELLE PARKER FROM PFM WHO ALL OF YOU HAD A CHANCE TO MEET OR AT LEAST HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH, WILL KIND OF WALK THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET DECISION-MAKING LENS AND COUNCIL PRIORITIES AND WHAT SHE HEARD IN THE INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL. I THINK IT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT PRIMER FOR YOUR AFTERNOON CONVERSATION, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE APPROACH OUR ANNUAL BUDGET, HOW WE UTILIZE THE PRIORITIES OF THE COUNCIL. WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT CORE VERSUS NON-CORE. WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THE TERMS ARE MANDATED CITY SERVICES, THOSE CITY SERVICES THAT ARE REQUIRED -- WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO UNDER THE -- UNDER FEDERAL LAW, STATE LAW, CITY CHARTER, CONTRACTS. AND THEN WE HAVE PRIORITY CITY SERVICES, WHICH ARE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE RECOGNIZABLE TO ALL OF YOU. AND THEN ALL OTHER CITY SERVICES. AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE DEPARTMENTS WENT THROUGH A LOT OF EFFORT TO CATEGORIZE WHAT WE DO IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS. AND I THINK IT SETS A FOUNDATION FOR A COUNCIL CONVERSATION OF ALL THOSE SERVICES AS WE GO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. SO AN IMPORTANT PART. THE BIG PART FOR US AFTER TODAY IS BRINGING BACK TO YOU ALL ON JUNE 18TH A TRIAL BUDGET. AND THAT TRIAL BUDGET IS GOING TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY THAN IT HAS THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IN THAT WE WILL LAY OUT POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS TO THE BUDGET TO INCLUDE REVENUES AS WELL AS REDUCTIONS IN SPENDING, AND SHOW THAT TO YOU ON THURSDAY, JUNE 18TH FOR YOU ALL TO PROVIDE SOME REACTION TO. THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK THROUGH JULY AND COME BACK WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT IS BALANCED, A PROPOSED TWO-YEAR BALANCED BUDGET IN AUGUST. SO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION TODAY. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE CONVERSATION YOU ALL HAD AT THE END OF THE FORECAST PRESENTATION A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WAS HELPFUL IN THE SENSE THAT IT GAVE US A SENSE OF WHERE YOU ALL WERE AT, AND WE USED A LOT OF [00:05:07] THAT CONVERSATION TO GET PREPARED FOR TODAY. AND WITH THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO TROY TO KICK US OFF. >> GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF KICKING US OFF THIS MORNING WITH THE STAFF PRESENTATIONS ON THE EXCITING TOPICS OF FINANCIAL POLICIES AND PROPERTY TAXES. I HOPE YOU'VE HAD YOUR COFFEE AND CAFFEINE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. EVERY YEAR AS WE START OUR DISCUSSION ON GOAL SETTING PREPARING FOR THE NEXT YEAR, WE LIKE TO START OFF WITH AN AFFIRMATION OF OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. THESE ARE THE FUNDAMENTAL BUILDING BLOCKS OR GUIDELINES THAT WE USE IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TRIAL BUDGET, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET AND ULTIMATELY OUR ADOPTED BUDGET. THESE FINANCIAL POLICIES ESTABLISH POLICY GUIDANCE ON OUR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT. THEY PROVIDE A COHESIVE POLICY AND PRACTICES FOR US TO FOLLOW AS WE PREPARE THOSE BUDGETS. IT ALLOWS US TO MAINTAIN STRONG FINANCIAL POSITION. AND AS YOU SEE TODAY AS WE IT TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF OUR TOPICS, IT PROVIDES US WITH FLEXIBILITY AND THE ABILITY TO ADAPT TO CHANGING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS. IT ALLOWS SAN ANTONIO TO PERFORM WELL FINANCIALLY. AND THESE ARE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT THE RATING AGENCIES RELY ON AND IT GIVES THEM COMFORT THAT OUR COUNCIL ARE IN ALIGNMENT AND SUPPORTIVE OF THESE POLICIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE MANAGE OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES. VERY QUICKLY I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH KIND OF OF WHAT THOSE FINANCIAL POLICIES ARE AND SUMMARIZE THEM. OUR FIRST ONE IS MAINTAIN A MINIMUM GENERAL FUND ENDING BALANCE OF 15% COMPRISED OF 10% RESERVE PLUS A BALANCE THAT WE CARRY FORWARD FOR THE TRIAL BUDGET EVERY YEAR. IT ALLOWS US TO MANAGE A STRUCTURAL BALANCE MEANING THAT WE HAVE SUFFICIENT REVENUES IN PLACE TO MANAGE OUR EXPENSES, WE ARE STRUCTURALLY BALANCED. THE ONE THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT QUITE A BIT TODAY AND THE SECOND PART OF MY PRESENTATION, IS THE ABILITY TO ANNUALLY REVIEW OUR STATE IMPOSED 3.5 PROPERTY TAX GAP, THE AMOUNT WE CAN GROW EACH YEAR. THE IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY. AND PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION ON WHETHER TO ADJUST THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. THE LAST ONE ON THIS SLIDE IS ANNUAL REVIEW PROPERTY TAX RELIEF WITH A FOCUS ON HOMEOWNERS, AND I WILL GO OVER THAT WITH YOU AS WELL. ON THE NEXT PAGE CONTINUING OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES ANNUAL REVIEW AND PERIODICALLY ADJUST FEES AND CHARGES PROVIDE FOR COST RECOVERY. CONSUMER RELIEF AND ALIGNMENT WITH POLICY GOALS. MAINTAIN OUR PUBLIC SAFETY SPENDING BELOW 67% OF THE GENERAL FUND. AND ALSO MAINTAIN A 3 PERCENT GENERAL CONTINGENCY IN THE BUDGET. SERVICE FUND DEFICITS WITHIN THREE TO FIVE YEARS. OUR INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS REALLY CONSIST OF THE WORKER'S COMP FUND, EMPLOYEE RELIEF FUND AND EMPLOYEE BENEFIT FUNDS. AND LASTLY, ANNUALLY ASSESS THE CITY PAYMENT FROM CPS ENERGY TO DETERMINE THE PORTION, IF ANY, THAT IS DEEMED TO BE UNUSUAL, OUT OF THE ORDINARY, ON-TIME IN NATURE AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THAT AMOUNT, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION FACTORS THAT WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR THIS YEAR SUCH AS THE CITY'S OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION, THE IMPACT ON SERVICE DELIVERY, BENEFIT TO THE COMMUNITY AND RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP. THE LAST THING YOU'LL REMEMBER AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND IT'S NOT THE FOCUS OF TODAY'S PRESENTATION, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY A NEW POLICY AS WE HAVE CONTINUED DISCUSSIONS ON OUR CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, OUR CAPACITY UNDER THE DEBT PLAN, IN ADDITION OF ANOTHER POLICY OF HOW WE MANAGE OUR VARIABLE TAX RATE OR FIXED TAX RATE ON THE DEBT SIDE. MOVING ON TO THE CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE, I MENTIONED THAT ONE KEY FINANCIAL POLICY WAS RESPECT TO SB2 AND THE IMPACT OF THE CAP. IN 2019 THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED SOME SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION. HISTORICALLY PRIOR TO 2019 WE HAD AN EIGHT PERCENT ROLL BACK RATE, MEANING THAT WE COULD GROW OUR VALUES AND OUR REVENUES UP TO EIGHT PERCENT. IN 2019 THAT CHANGED THAT REVENUE GROWTH CAP CHANGED TO 3.5%. IT DOES HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON US BECAUSE WE CANNOT RECOVER AS FAST. WE CAN ONLY GROW OUR REVENUES TO 3.5 YEAR OVER YEAR. I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT THAT 3.5% REVENUE GROWTH CAP IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO OUR MAINTENANCE AND PRAYINGS PORTION OF THE TAX RATE. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE. AS WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE PAST, OUR DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE HAS BEEN LEVEL. THAT IS NOT THE CASE FOR OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS PORTION OF THE TAX RATE. IN ADDITION TO IN ADDITION TO THE M&O PORTION OF THE TRACTION IT ALSO APPLIES TO OUR BASE VALUE. IT DOES NOT APPLY TO NEW IMPROVEMENTS. IT EXEMPTS NEW IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE CALCULATION. SO AS WE RUN THROUGH THE CALCULATION EVERY YEAR, IN [00:10:04] HIGH VALUE TAX RATE CORRIDORS WE ARE ALLOWED TO CAPTURE 3.5% OF THAT GROWTH AND THAT'S REFLECTED THROUGH OUR TAX RATE. IN YEARS WHERE WE ARE IN LOWER VALUES AND OUR ADOPTED TAX RATE IS BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE OR THAT 3.5% CAP, IT ALLOWS US TO BANK THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN IN A IN TERMS OF AN UNUSED INCREMENT AND ROLL THAT FORWARD FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS. OUR TAX RATE IS AUTOMATICALLY BEING ALLOWED TO CAPTURE THAT VALUE. IN PERIODS OF LOW VALUE GROWTH WE ARE IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE TO RAISE THAT TAX RATE UP TO THAT CAP OR WE HAVE THE LEVERAGE TO USE UNBANKED -- >> TROY, LET ME PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT HERE AND THANKS TO JEFF AND SALLY BECAUSE THEY PROVIDED SOME CONTEXT AND HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE FROM THE 2019 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO WHEN IT WAS PASSED IT WAS INTENDED TO BRING IT MORE IN LINE WITH THE GROWTH OF INFLATION. BUT HOWEVER, AS WE HAVE SEEN AT LEAST FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS, TAXABLE VALUES TEND TO FLUCTUATE MORE WILDLY THAN INFLATION, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. THE UPS AND DOWNS, THE BIG INCREASES IN VALUES THAT WE HAD HISTORICALLY SEEN OR THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY SEEN. SO I WANTED TO READ TO YOU FROM THE HOUSE RESEARCH ORGANIZATION REPORT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO LEGISLATORS IN ADVANCE OF SB2:00 THE REPORTED SAID, QUOTE, THE BILL COULD LEAD TO LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ADOPTING A TAX RATE EQUAL TO 3.5% ROLL BACK RATE EACH YEAR EVEN WHEN ADDITIONAL REVENUE IN THAT AMOUNT WAS NOT NEEDED, IN ORDER TO SAVE FOR UNFORESEEN CONTINGENCIES OR THE UPS AND DOWNS OF THE MARKETS. SENATE BILL 2 PROVIDES FOR BUDGETARY FLEXIBILITY BY ALLOWING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE NOT EXCEEDED THE ROLLBACK RIGHT IN PRIOR YEARS TO BANK THIS UNUSED AMOUNT TOWARD RAISING THE ROLLBACK RATE IN A SUBSEQUENT YEAR. AND TROY WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT UNUSED AMOUNT HERE IN A SECOND. THE REPORT FINALLY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT IN ORDER TO AVOID CUTTING SPENDING ON CRITICAL PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE, SOME CITIES COULD RESCIND THE HOMESTEAD, SENIOR AND DISABLED EXEMPTION. SO NOT THAT ANYBODY HAS REALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT -- ACTUALLY, I THINK WE GOT A QUESTION ABOUT THAT IN THE FORECAST, BUT THIS IS PART OF THE REPORT THAT LEGISLATORS RECEIVED IN SB2. SO IN THE SIX YEARS SINCE THIS WENT INTO EFFECT, SB2. AND THE 3.5 CAP, WE'VE NOT DONE ANY OF THOSE THINGS. AND WE'VE NOT RAISED THE TAX RATE TO HEDGE AGAINST ANY FUTURE DOWN TURNS, WE'VE TAPPED INTO UNUSED INCREMENT, BUT NOT CONSISTENTLY ONCE. AND WE CERTAINLY HAVEN'T RESCINDED ANY EXEMPTIONS OVER THAT TIME PERIOD. IN FACT, WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO FRANKLY INCREASE THE TAX RELIEF TO HOMEOWNERS. SO THAT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED IN 2019 AND WHAT THE JUSTIFICATION WAS. >> MAYOR JONES: FOR CLARIFICATION, HAS ANY COMMUNITY REVOKED THAT SENIOR HOMESTEAD. I WOULD IMAGINE NOT. >> I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT PLENTY HAVE GONE TO 3.5% IN USED, UNUSED INCREMENTS FOR SURE. >> THANK YOU, ERIK. AS ERIK MENTIONED AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION I WILL BE SHOWING YOU IN EXAMPLES IN THE FUTURE PART OF THE PRESENTATION OF WHAT THAT UNUSED INCREMENTAL AMOUNT LOOKS LIKE AND ALSO MOVING TO THE 3.5%. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR AND EFFECTIVE FOR 2027, WAS HB9 WHICH EXEMPTS $20,000 OF PERMANENT PROPERTY AND THAT IS UP FROM THE FORMER AMOUNT OF $2,500. SO THAT IMPACT IS A REDUCTION OF ABOUT $5.6 MILLION IN REVENUE. IT ALSO IMPACTS OUR DEBT SERVICE SIDE TOTAL BETWEEN GENERAL FUND AND DEBT SERVICE ABOUT 9.2-MILLION-DOLLAR REDUCTION. SO IT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND OUR CAPACITY ON THE DEBT [00:15:01] SIDE. WE HAD A FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS UP THROUGH 2024 WHEN IT WAS INCREASED UP TO 20%. IT WAS ABOUT 254,000 HOMESTEADS THAT RECEIVED THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. WE ALSO HAVE THE CHILDCARE FACILITY EXEMPTION. THE OVER 65 AND DISABLED PERSONS WAS INCREASED FROM 65,000 TO 85,000 IN 2023. AND THEN WE HAVE WHAT IS I THINK SIGNIFICANT FOR OUR RESIDENTS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS A TAX FREEZE. IN TEXAS WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR MAJOR CITIES, THERE'S ONLY TWO OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE A TAX FREEZE TO INCLUDE FORT WORTH AND CORPUS CHRISTI. AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WHEN YOU TURN SURVIVE YOUR TAX BILL FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TAX BILL ESSENTIALLY FREEZES AT THE LEVEL IT'S AT. YOU DON'T PAY ANY MORE TAXES UNLESS YOU HAVE AN IMPROVEMENT TO YOUR PROPERTY. SO IN THE EVENT YOU HAVE VALUE INCREASES OR TAX RATE INCREASES, THOSE SENIORS AND THOSE DISABLED PERSONS ARE INSULATED FROM THOSE INCREASES. AND WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE EXEMPTIONS, AND THESE ARE ALL ESTIMATES AND I GUESS ONE THING THAT I WANT TO THROW OUT IN THIS ENTIRE PRESENTATION AS I'M PROVIDING YOU WITH NUMBERS AND ESTIMATES, THESE ARE OFF OF OUR NOTICES THAT WE RECEIVED IN APRIL FROM BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. THEY ARE VERY PRELIMINARY AND THEY WILL CHANGE. SO AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE CERTIFICATION, THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO CHANGE AND WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT ONCE WE ACTUALLY GET THE CERTIFICATION. BUT BASED ON THE ESTIMATES THAT WE HAVE TODAY, THESE EXEMPTIONS PROVIDE ABOUT $149 MILLION IN PROPERTY RELIEF OR FOREGONE REVENUE TO THE STATE. AND DOWN BELOW IN THE LOWER RIGHT-HAND CORNER YOU CAN SEE THE ESTIMATES ON HOW EACH OF THOSE EXEMPTIONS ACTUALLY RELATE IN TERMS OF VALUE IN TERMS OF THAT FOREGONE REVENUE. LOCAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ABOUT 73 MILLION. OVER AGE 65, 50 MILLION. AND THEN THE TAX FREEZE ABOUT ANOTHER 22 OR $23 MILLION. AS I MENTIONED AT THE VERY BOTTOM, IT'S NOT A CITY EXEMPTION. THIS IS A STATE EXEMPTION, WAS THE IMPACT OF HB9, WHICH HAD A TOTAL FOREGONE REVENUE OF 9.2 MILLION BETWEEN OUR M&O AND OUR DEBT SERVICE. I WANTED TO SHOW YOU, THIS IS ACTUALLY KIND OF I THINK A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW SB 2 WORKS IN TERMS OF THE CAP. SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU HAVE OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION TAX RATE AND YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE. I'M NOT GOING TO TALK AT A TIME ABOUT MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION. BUT ON THE DEBT SERVICE SIDE YOU CAN SEE HOW IT'S BEEN FIXED THROUGHOUT 2022 TO 2026. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS TAX RATE, IN 2022 YOU ROUGHLY HAVE ABOUT A 35-CENT TAX RATE. THAT TAX RATE -- THOSE ARE '22-'23, THOSE ARE HIGH VALUE GROWTH YEARS, SO WHEN SB 2 COMES INTO PLAY AND IT CAPS YOU AT THAT 3.5 REFUSE GROWTH YOU SEE THE TAX RATE IS DECLINING. SO WE'RE ADJUSTING OUR TAX RATE DOWN TO CAP THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE'RE PRODUCING UNDER THAT CAP. SO REALLY FOR 2024 THE VALUE GOES DOWN AGAIN. WE HAVE THE ONE THAT IS ABOUT TO ROLL OFF. WE DID LEVERAGE SOME OF THAT, A SMALL PORTION OF THAT INCREMENT, .0098 OF THE AMOUNT THAT WAS AVAILABLE. AND THEN THE TAX RATE IS FLAT FROM '24 THROUGH '25, THROUGH '26. IN THOSE YEARS WE ADOPTED A TAX RATE BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE OR THE 3.5 GROWTH. SO THE DELTA BETWEEN THIS TAX RATE AND THAT VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE WE CAN BANK IN TERMS OF UNUSED INCREMENT AND WE CAN ROLL THAT FORWARD. Y'ALL HAVE SEEN THIS TABLE, BUT I WANTED TO SHOW IT AGAIN AS A REMINDER BASED ON OUR ESTIMATES OF WHERE WE'RE PROJECTING IN THE FORECAST AS FAR AS TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH. IN 2025 ABOUT A 4.2% GROWTH YEAR-OVER-YEAR OTHER YEAR. OUR RETEMPT ESTIMATE FOR '26 IS ABOUT A .9. AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST OVERALL ABOUT 2.1% DECREASE, FLAT IN '23. AND SLOW GROWN FROM 29 TO 31. AS I MENTIONED TO YOU ALL I THINK ON THE LAST PRESENTATION ON THE DEBT PLAN, WE MODELED THIS AFTER THE 2008 RECESSION, SPECIFICALLY IN 27, 28, 29, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RECESSIONAL PERIOD, THE GROWTH IN THE OUTER YEARS, YEARS FOUR AND FIVE, WAS MORE DRAMATIC, IT INCREASED MORE SUBSTANTIALLY, BUT 3.5 REVENUE CAP WEAN IN PLACE AT THAT TIME. SO THE THAT HAS CHANGED SINCE THAT POINT IN TIME SO WE CANNOT GROW AS FAST. [00:20:02] SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX RATE OPTIONS AND WHAT DOES IT DO IN THE EVENT THAT WE LEVERAGE OUR UNUSED INCREMENT AND WE MOVE UP TO THE STATE ALLOWED REVENUE GROWTH? AND AGAIN, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS AND BEST INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE NOW. AND AS I MENTIONED, SB 2 IS ONLY APPLICABLE TO M&O TAX RATE SO THAT'S ALL I'M FOCUSING ON THIS SLIDE. SO IN FISCAL YEAR 2026 WE HAVE REVENUE OF 473.4 ESTIMATED AT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE. ROLLING FORWARD INTO FISCAL YEAR 2027, LEVERAGING THE SAME TAX RATE AND KEEPING IT CONSTANT, WE LOSE ABOUT $8.2 MILLION IN REVENUE FOR OUR PROJECTED 465.2 MILLION. WE HAVE $29.1 MILLION IN UNUSED INCREMENT AVAILABLE FROM TAX YEARS '24 AND '25. IF WE WERE TO UTILIZE THAT $29.1 MILLION, IT ROUGHLY EQUATES TO ABOUT A 1.9 CENTS INCREASE TO OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE. IF WE MOVE UP TO THE STATE ALLOWED REVENUE GROWTH OF 3.5%, THAT EQUATE TO ABOUT A 1.6-CENT INCREASE IN OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE. ALSO IT'S EQUAL TO $24.7 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE. SO IF YOU COMBINE BOTH OF THOSE BEING THE UNUSED INCREMENT AND THE STATE ALLOWED REVENUE GROWTH RATE, IT PUTS A TOTAL OF $53.8 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL REVENUE AND ABOUT A 3.49-CENT INCREASE IN OUR TAX RATE FOR A TOTAL TAX RATE OF .36 OR $519 MILLION IN TOTAL REVENUE. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO OUR HOMESTEAD TAX BILL IN TERMS OF A MONTHLY STANDPOINT? AS I MENTIONED ON THAT PRIOR SLIDE WE HAVE ABOUT 254,000 HOMESTEADS IN SAN ANTONIO. OF THOSE 254,000 HOMESTEADS IN SAN ANTONIO, OF THOSE THAT ARE AGE 65 AND HAVE THE FROZEN TAX BILL, ABOUT 116, 117,000 OF THOSE ARE INSULATED FROM THE TAX RATE INCREASE OR VALUE INCREASES. OF THOSE 254,000 HOMESTEADS IN SAN ANTONIO, ABOUT 137,000 WOULD BE IMPACTED IN TERMS OF A TAX RATE INCREASE. AS FAR AS THE AVERAGE HOMESTEAD TAXABLE VALUE, BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, ABOUT 233,000 IS AN AVERAGE HOMESTEAD, THAT WOULD RESULT IN AN AVERAGE -- IN A MONTHLY PROPERTY TAX INCREASE OF $6.75 PER MONTH FOR THE TOTAL OF UTILIZING THAT UNUSED INCREMENT AND MOVING TO THE 3.5% COMBINED. AT $6.75 A MONTH BASICALLY GENERATES REVENUE OF $58.7 MILLION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. IF YOU LOOK AT IT FROM A MEDIAN HOMESTEAD. I THINK IN THE PAST YOU HAVE ASKED ME, TROY, WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE MEDIAN. IS THE MEDIAN HOMESTEAD OF 198,000, THE INCREASED TO MONTHLY PROPERTY TAX IS ABOUT $5.84. AS I MENTIONED THIS IS NOT IMPACTING OVER 65. LOOKING AT THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY FROM A MONTHLY TO AN ANNUAL BILL, LOOKING AT IT FROM A TOTAL PROPERTY TAX RATE AND AGAIN WE'RE ONLY ADJUSTING THE M&O TAX RATE HERE. WE HAVE A 54-CENT TAX RATE. THE UNUSED INCREMENT OF 1.9 CENTS. MOVING UP TO THE STATE ALLOWED REVENUE GROWTH OF 3.5% EQUATES TO ABOUT 1.6 CENTS FOR A TOTAL OF 3-POINT FREIGHT NINE CENTS. -- 3.489 CENTS. THE AVERAGE TAX BILL A YEAR FOR THE SAN ANTONIO, NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT OTHER TAXING ENTITIES, ABOUT 1,200 COLLARS A YEAR, THAT EQUATE TO $44 A YEAR OR THAT $3.67 MONTHLY. MOVING TO THE 3.5% THAT WOULD EQUATE TO $37 A YEAR OR 3.08 MONTHLY, FOR A TOTAL OF $81 A YEAR IN THE $6.75 A TALKED ABOUT ON THE PRIOR SLIDE. ON YOU CAN SEE THE IMPACT ON THE MEDIAN HOMESTEAD AS WELL. FINALLY WRAPPING UP HERE I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT SEVERAL IMPORTANT DATES. ON JANUARY 1ST, BCAD ACTUALLY APPRAISES THE PRATT VOLUMES ON JANUARY 1ST -- PROPERTY VALUES ON JANUARY JANUARY 1ST. ON MAY 1ST THE NOTICES ARE SENT OUT TO PROPERTY OWNERS -- APRIL 1ST. AND THEN WE GOT OUR FIRST INDICATION FROM BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT WHERE OUR PROPERTY VALUES WERE HEADED. WE NEED TO MAKE SIGNIFICANT ESTIMATES BASED ON THAT BECAUSE AT THAT POINT IN TIME WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH APPEALS, WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH LITIGATION SO WE'RE MAKING ASSUMPTIONS FROM APRIL ALL THE WAY THROUGH SEPTEMBER OF 2027 AND NEXT YEAR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE. AFTER WE RECEIVE THE CERTIFIED ROLL IN JULY. THE DEADLINE TO PROTEST HAS PASSED ON IF MAY 15TH. STARTING ON JUNE 1ST WE [00:25:04] WILL START GETTING REGULAR UPDATES FROM BCAD AS FAR AS WHAT'S HAPPENING ON APPEALS AND LITIGATION AND WE CAN START REFINING OUR ESTIMATES FROM THE NUMBERS YOU'VE SEEN ON THE PRIOR SLIDES. JULY 1ST IS THE LAST DAY WE WERE WANTING TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO EXEMPTIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN ACTION BASSED BY CITY COUNCIL TO MAKE ANY MODIFICATIONS TO OUR EXEMPTIONS AND HAVE THAT IN HAND FOR BEXAR COUNTY APPRAISAL DISTRICT. THEN ON JULY 25TH, RECEIVE OUR CERTIFIED ROLL AND THEN THAT INFORMS US IN TERMS OF OUR ADOPTED TAX RATE IN AUDIO]. AND THEN THEY BECOME DELINQUENT ON FEBRUARY 1ST FEBRUARY 1ST. MAYOR, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. THANK YOU. >> GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS FREDDIE MARTINEZ AND I AM THE INTERIM BUDGET DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. TODAY I'LL COVER A RECAP OF THE GENERAL FUND FIVE-YEAR FINANCIAL FORECAST. HERE'S A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL FUND REVISED BUDGET WHICH IS $1.69 BILLION. AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE THE GENERAL FUND IS FUNDED BY FOUR MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES, THE FIRST BEING PROPERTY TAX, WHICH IS BUDGETED AT ABOUT 473.4 MILLION. OUR CPS PAYMENT, WHICH IS JUST UNDER 559 MILLION. OUR SALES TAX, WHICH IS 416.7 MILLION. AND THEN OUR OTHER REVENUES OR OTHER RESOURCES THAT COME IN AT 244.4 AUDIO]. REVENUES SUCH AS EMS TRANSPORTS, TELECOMMUNICATION AND USER FEES. THE REVENUES COMBINED FUND THE BASIC SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY. THESE INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY AT ABOUT 63.9% OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, STREETS, INFRASTRUCTURE AND PARKS. AND THE REMAINING FUNDS WILL FUND SUCH SERVICES SUCH AS LIBRARY, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES AND CODE ENFORCEMENT. THIS NEXT SLIDE DETAILS OUR OTHER RESOURCES OR OTHER REVENUES THAT YOU SAW ON THE PREVIOUS SLIDE. OVERALL A MAJORITY OF THE REVENUES HERE, 85% COMING FROM THE BIG THREE REVENUES OF PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX AND CPS ENERGY PAYMENTS. THE REMAINING 15% INCLUDE USER FEES AND OTHER CHARGES TO INCLUDE ITEMS SUCH AS EMS TRANSPORT FEES, PAYMENT FROM SAWS, RIVER BOAT REVENUE AND OTHER REVENUES: IT ALSO INCLUDES USER FEES FOR PARKS, LIBRARIES AND OTHER CHARGES SUCH AS BIRTH AND DEATH CERTIFICATES. THE CITY DOES HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY UNDER THESE AND THE MANAGER MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THESE AND PROVIDING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS AS PART OF THE TRIAL BUDGET. HERE'S AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL FUND BY CATEGORY, BY EXPENSE CATEGORY. SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, OF THE 1.69 BILLION, ABOUT 1.16 BILLION IS FOR PERSONNEL SERVICES, WHICH IS ABOUT 68.5% OF THE GENERAL FUND. NEXT IS COST FOR FUEL, I.T. AND INSURANCE, WHICH IS 211 MILLION OR 12.5, FOLLOWED BY CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AT ABOUT 170 MILLION OR 10%, WHICH FUND THINGS SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONTRACTS, VEHICLE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, DELEGATE AGENCIES AND MAINTENANCE OF BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. AND THEN THE FINAL LARGER ONE IS OUR TRANSFERS, WHICH IS ABOUT 5.5% OR 92.4 MILLION. THIS INCLUDES FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, GRANT MACHINES AS WELL AS CITY TOWER OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE AS WELL AS SOME DEBT. THIS SLIDE RECAPS THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE COUNCIL ON MAY 6TH. AS YOU CAN SEE REVENUES ARE PROJECTED TO DECLINE BY ABOUT 5.6% IN FY27 AND OWE GROW IN AVERAGE OF 2.1 IN THE OUTER YEARS. OTHER EXPENSES ARE EXPECTED TO GROW BY 6.3% IN '27 AS WELL AS 3.8% IN THE OUTER YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE HERE THE GENERAL FUND IS NOT STRUCTURALLY BALANCED AS THE FY28 CURRENTLY PROJECTS A DEFICIT OF $38.7 MILLION AND WITH THAT DEFICIT GROWING OVER THE FINAL THREE YEARS OF THE FORECAST TO 264 MILLION. SO THIS NEXT SLIDE PRESENTS A COUPLE OF SCENARIOS ON HOW TO ELIMINATE THE 130.7-MILLION-DOLLAR PROJECTED DEFICIT IN '08. AS YOU CAN SEE MY MAINTAINING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE IT WOULD REQUIRE $130.7 MILLION OF DEPARTMENT REDUCTIONS OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HOWEVER ON THE NEXT SCENARIO OUR RECOMMENDED SCENARIO, BY USING THE INCREASES AVAILABLE FROM THE UNUSED INCREMENT AND THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT STATE ALLOTTED GROWTH, IT WOULD GENERATE ENOUGH REVENUE TO MITIGATE THOSE REQUIRED REDUCTIONS AND WE WOULD REQUIRE A $15.6 MILLION OF REDUCTIONS OVER TWO YEARS. I JUST WANT TO KEEP IN MIND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE REDUCTIONS THAT ARE [00:30:03] PRESENTED HERE, THESE ARE ON TOP OF THE 10.7-MILLION-DOLLAR IN REDUCTIONS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN THE FY27 PLAN THAT WAS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE 2026 ADOPTED BUDGET. AS OUR RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO USE THE UNUSED INCREMENT AND THE STATE ALLOWED GROWTH TO GENERATE MORE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. >> SO AS FREDDIE IS GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THE NOTION OF UTILIZING THE RECOMMENDATION TO UTILIZE THAT UNUSED INCREMENT THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US AS WELL AS THE THREE AND A HALF% ADJUSTMENT WHICH GENERATES ALMOST $54 MILLION, THAT IS SOLELY GOING TO PAY FOR THE INCREASE IN PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES WE HAVE. AND IF WE COULD PULL THAT SLIDE UP AND FREDDIE WILL GO THROUGH IT. WE HAVE NORMAL GROWTH, SOME DRIVEN BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT AND SOME OF THE OTHER ASPECTS OF THE POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS. AND AS WE PREPARE FOR THE CONVERSATION AFTER THE FORECAST -- I STATED THE FORECAST, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT LOST UPON ME THE FACT THAT WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW, BUT THE NEXT QUESTION IS WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH THE MONEY. WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE MONEY IS PAYING FOR THE EXISTING PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES. THAT SLIDE DOES NOT INCLUDE ANOTHER EMS UNIT OR MORE PATROL OFFICERS OR SAFFE OFFICERS, IT PAYS FOR WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW AND IT'S CERTAINLY -- YOU WILL SEE ANOTHER SLIDE HERE IN A SECOND, IT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST COST DRIVERS THAT WE HAVE WITHIN OUR BUDGET, AND SO CONFIDENTLY FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE COULD SAY THAT THE CONSIDERING HOMEOWNER IS GOING TO PAY -- POTENTIALLY WOULD HAVE TO PAY $6.75 MORE PER MONTH TO PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. >> OKAY. SO THIS SLIDE KIND OF ILLUSTRATES THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENDITURES THAT WOULD BE FUNDED BY THIS INCREASE. SO YOU SEE HERE POLICE AND FIRE COLLECTED ACTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS AND BENEFITS, 55 MILLION WOULD BE THE COST FOR '27. ALSO FOR SUPPORT SERVICES, TECHNOLOGY, EQUIPMENT AND FUEL FOR PUBLIC SAFETY ABOUT 17.4 MILLION. AND THEN SOME OF OUR MANDATED COSTS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH INCLUDES OUR GRANT MATCHES FOR OUR COPS GRANTS, THE COST FOR THE D3 SUBSTATION THAT WILL OPEN NEXT YEAR AS WELL AS BODY CAMERAS. SO IN TOTAL BETWEEN THOSE THREE CATEGORIES, THE INCREASE IN PUBLIC SAFETY NEXT YEAR CURRENTLY IS PROJECTED TO BE ABOUT 77.2 MILLION. HOWEVER, THE INCREASE FROM THE REVENUE IS ONLY 53.8. SO THERE'S STILL SOME WORK TO DO TO CLOSE THE GAP AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC SAFETY PART IS CONCERNED. >> MAYOR JONES: FOR CLARITY ON THIS SLIDE, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE EXPENSES RELATED TO THE CBA SPECIFICALLY, BUT THERE'S A SPECIFIC CALLOUT FOR THE HEALTH CARE EXPENSES. I KNOW WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY A POTENTIAL BILLING ISSUE, RIGHT, WITH A PROVIDER. IS THAT WHAT THE HEALTH CARE EXPENSES ARE REFERRING TO? ARE THOSE ONLY HEALTH CARE EXPENSES AS PART OF THE CBA'S? >> THAT IS ALL HEALTH CARE RELATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S NOT JUST THE ONE ISSUE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO IT'S JUST THE -- WE HAVE THE NORMAL COST INCREASE MEDICAL INFLATION THAT WE DEAL WITH SO IT INCLUDES ALL THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES THE BILLING ISSUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS, CORRECT? >> IT DOES, BUT THAT DOESN'T SOLVE THAT ISSUE. >> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S INCLUDED IN HERE. SO THAT'S NOT ONLY CBA RELATED KIND OF NATURAL GROWTH. GOT IT. >> NO, MA'AM. LET ME MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR. IN A NORMAL YEAR WITH COVERING 29,000 LIVES WE'RE GOING TO SEE INCREASES IN MEDICAL INFLATION OR PHARMACY COSTS. IS INCLUDES THAT PLUS THE PARTICULAR SITUATION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. >> SO BY UTILIZING THOSE CHANGES WITH THE PROPERTY TAX RATE CHANGES AS WELL AS TARGETED REDUCTIONS, YOU CAN SEE THE CHANGE IN THE GENERAL FUND FORECAST HERE WHERE REVENUES WILL GO FROM INCREASES .6% TO 2.6% IN 27 AND GROW ABOUT 2.6% IN OUTER YEARS. EXPENDITURES WITH THE REDUCTIONS WOULD DECLINE IN 2027 AND THREE PERCENT IN THE OUTER YEARS. YOU CAN SEE WE WOULD SOLVE THE CHALLENGE IN '28 BY UTILIZING THE RECOMMENDED SCENARIO AND THEN IT WOULD REDUCE THE DEFICITS IN THE OUTER YEARS TO 155 MILLION IN FY2031. SO IN SUMMARY TO BALANCE THE BUDGET WE RECOMMEND ADJUSTING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE TO UTILIZE THE UNUSED INCREMENT AS WELL AS THE STATE ALLOWED REVENUE GROWTH SO THAT WE CAN MAINTAIN OUR OPERATIONS. WE'LL ALSO BE LOOKING AT ADJUSTING FEES AND CHARGES SUCH AS EMS TRANSPORTS, PARKS AND ENVIRONMENTAL FEE. WE WILL ALSO LOOK AT OTHER FEE ADJUSTMENTS WITHOUT IMPACTING VULNERABLE POPULATIONS. [00:35:01] AS I MENTIONED, THERE WILL BE TARGETED REDUCTIONS WE WILL BE TARGETED ON MANDATED CITY SERVICES FOR THAT. ALL OF THESE WILL BE OUTLINED IN THE TRIAL BUDGET THAT WILL BE PRESENTED DURING THE A SESSION ON JUNE 18L CONTINUE FOR A BALANCED TWO-YEAR BUDGET. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION FOR THE MORNING. WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS YOU THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, TROY AND FREDDIE. WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL COMMENTS FOR THOSE THAT HAVE SIGNED IN FOR THE FIRST ROUND OF COMMENTS. OKAY. IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT, PLEASE SIGN IN. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, STAFF FOR THE PRESENTATION. I'LL BE A FAIRLY QUICK. I SUPPORT THE RECOMMENDATION. THEN I DO WANT TO -- WHEN WE MET EARLIER AND WE HAD THE PRE-BRIEFING ABOUT THE UNUSED INCREMENT AND HOW WE INTEND TO USE THAT THIS UPCOMING YEAR AND TO CLOSE THE BUDGET GAP PRETTY SUBSTANTIALLY, THE QUESTION I ASKED WAS HAVE WE DONE THIS PREVIOUSLY. AND WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS. AND I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE A SOUND FINANCIAL POLICY, SO IF WE HAVE THREE YEARS WORTH AND WE END UP LOSING IT, THAT REDUCES OUR ABILITY TO GROW OUR REVENUE BECAUSE WE'RE CAPPED AT THREE AND A ANDA HALF% PERCENT, IF WE CAP THE INUSED INCREMENT THAT HELPS US ACHIEVE HIGHER REVENUE IN FUTURE YEARS. BUT IF WE DON'T USE IT THEN WE LOSE IT. I DON'T KNOW THAT IT MAKES SENSE EVERY YEAR TO SET A POLICY WHERE WE USE ALL AVAILABLE INCREMENT, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A WAY THAT WE CAN ADOPT A POLICY IN WHICH WE USE THE OLDEST ONE OR TWO YEARS OF INCREMENT IN WHATEVER WAY THAT MAKES MOST SENSE, MAKES MOST SENSE FOR US. SOME YEARS WE'LL NEED MORE, SOME YEARS WE WON'T NEED ANY, SOME YEARS WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCESS IT AT ALL. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR STAFF EVALUATE WHAT WOULD BE A SOUND FINANCIAL POLICY FOR THAT AND WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE BECAUSE THAT'S THE MOST INTERESTING PIECE OF THIS TO ME. >> SO CAN I PROVIDE -- LET ME -- >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: ABSOLUTELY. >> I'LL ALMOST LIKEN TO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING TO MAYBE THE CPS POLICY WE CREATED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO THAT SAID ON THE OFFSETS AND SALES THAT WE'LL REVIEW IT ANNUALLY AND USE IT IF WE NEED TO, BUT IF NOT BE A RESPONSIBLE OWNER. I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING POTENTIALLY IS THAT ON THE UNUSED INCREMENT WE ESTABLISH A POLICY THAT SAYS WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT EVERY YEAR AND USE IT IF WE NEED TO, BUT IF WE DON'T WE'RE GOING TO BANK IT IS WHAT YOU'RE KIND OF DESCRIBING, RIGHT? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YES. AND I THINK IN THAT SITUATION, WORST CASE SCENARIO IS YOU GET TO THAT THIRD OR FOURTH YEAR WHERE YOU'RE HAVING TO LOOK AT THE FIRST YEAR OF INCREMENT AND MAYBE WE'RE AT A TIME WHERE WE'VE REACHED THAT THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, WE CAN'T USE IT. SO WE LOSE IT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S WORST CASE -- I DON'T THINK THAT'S A HORRIBLE SCENARIO TO BE IN. >> RIGHT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YES, I AGREE WITH YOU. >> TROY, DO YOU WANT TO WEIGH IN ON THAT THOUGHT? OR ASK ANY CLARIFICATION? >> I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE ASKING ON FOR OVER THAT THREE YEARS. INSTEAD OF LOSING THAT YEAR ROLLING OFF, WE CAN LOOK AT HOW TO UTILIZE IT IN THE FUTURE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: IS THIS -- THIS IS A STATE POLICY, YES? >> YES. >> WE DO NEED TO MAKE FINANCIAL POLICIES AS PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA AND I IMAGINE OTHER BIG CITIES ARE HAVING -- I IMAGINE EVERYONE IS HAVING THIS PROBLEM. SO IS THERE ANY LEGISLATION THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT MIGHT MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER FOR US TO CLOSE OUT SOME OF THESE DEFICITS? BECAUSE I THINK THE DEFICITS OF -- WE'RE NOT THE ONLY CITY, NOT THE ONLY COUNTY. IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE, NOT EVEN JUST IN TEXAS, IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE ARE WHERE EVERYONE HAS THESE MAJOR DEFICITS. SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE CLOSING THAT GAP A BIG PART OF OUR LEGISLATIVE AGENDA. SO I DON'T KNOW -- I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT POLICY LOOKS LIKE, BUT IF WE HAVE SOME EXPERTS ON STAFF, I THINK I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. >> OKAY. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WE'VE SEEN SESSION OVER SESSION OF THEM GOING THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF THAT. SO MAYBE -- MAYBE WE CAN HOPE FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT. THE NEXT PERSON, COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK DURING THIS ROUND? COUNCILMAN MUNGIA. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO ERIK, THIS PRESENTATION WAS SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN THE LAST TIME, BUT I WANTED TO BE CLEAR IN WHAT YOU GUYS WERE RECOMMENDING. YOU'RE RECOMMENDING THE UNUSED INCREMENT AND YOU'RE RECOMMENDING 3.5% INCREASE TO PROPERTY TAX MOSTLY JUST TO COVER FIRE AND POLICE [00:40:07] EXPENSES THAT ARE MANDATED. >> YES, SIR. AND WHAT'S UNSAID THERE IS THAT I DON'T THINK IT'S -- I DON'T THINK IT'S -- I DON'T THINK REDUCING $130 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS AND THE IMPACT IT WILL HAVE ON SERVICES IS -- I DON'T WANT TO USE THE WORD APPEALING, BUT WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE BECAUSE THAT WOULD REQUIRE US TO MAKE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO SERVICES THAT I THINK -- THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT AND I KNOW -- I'M CERTAIN YOU GUYS DO. >> MUNGIA: AND I THINK MAYBE A BY-DISTRICT BREAKDOWN OF THE MEDIAN AND AVERAGE HOME VALUE PRICES FOR ALL OF US WOULD BE HELPFUL SO WE CAN GO TO OUR RESIDENTS AND SAY THE EFFECT TO YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL WOULD MORE OR LESS BE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY. BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THAT IS -- THE INCREASE TO THE PROPERTY TAX IS SPECIFICALLY IN YOUR MIND TO COVER POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS. AND I THINK JUMPING AHEAD TO THE BUDGET SURVEY, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE BIT, I THINK THAT'S IN LINE WITH WHAT THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS WANT. SO LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT TO MY COMMUNITY AND TALKING TO THEM ABOUT THAT. AND THE TAX FREEZE FOR OVER 65 AND DISABLED IS ONLY IF THEY HAVE THOSE EXEMPTIONS ON THE BOOKS WITH BCAD, RIGHT? >> THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND SO IF THEY'RE ON THE BOOKS, THEN THEY GET THAT EXEMPTION AS WELL AS THE HOMESTEAD. >> MUNGIA: GOT YOU. THE ONLY THING I WORRIED ABOUT IS JUST TO STATE IT IS THE RENTAL POLICIES THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF QUALIFY IN THESE CATEGORIES ARE RENTERS THAT THEN ARE GOING TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF THAT INCREASE, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO NOTE. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S ALL FOR NOW. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I KNOW I'VE ASKED FOR THIS BEFORE, BUT I AM ALSO AWARE IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TO GET TO ON SLIDE 14 THE POLICE AND FIRE, THAT BLUE CHUNK OF THE GRAPH, IF WE COULD HAVE THAT BROKEN DOWN AS WELL ON SLIDE 14, YOU SEE THE POLICE AND FIRE. WE HAVE ALL OF THE DETAILS ON THE RIGHT SIDE, BUT I WOULD LOVE THE DETAILS ON THE LEFT SIDE TOO. ON SLIDE 18, I'M DEFINITELY AGAINST RAISING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE ON OUR RESIDENTS. YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT OUR SENIOR CITIZENS WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES. YOU KNOW, I'M NOT EVEN OPPOSED TO TALKING ABOUT INCREASING OUR PROPERTY TAX RATE AT A DIFFERENT TIME. NOW IS NOT THE TIME. I MEAN, EVERYONE'S FEELING THE PINCH WITH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SAWS RATE INCREASE, PEOPLE ARE GETTING SQUEEZED AT THE GROCERY STORE, AT GAS STATIONS. SO IT'S JUST NOT THE RIGHT TIME TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION TO INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR OUR RESIDENTS. I KNOW TIMES ARE TOUGH, BUT I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK INTERNALLY BEFORE WE ASK RESIDENTS TO FOOT THE BILL, SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT THE MANDATED SERVICES ARE AND GOING FROM THERE. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ. >> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I THINK THIS IS A TOUGH CONVERSATION FOR EVERYBODY, BUT AS THE COUNCILMEMBER SAID, EVERY CITY, EVERY TAXING ENTITY IS GOING THROUGH THIS, EVEN ALAMO COLLEGES IS GOING THROUGH THIS RIGHT NOW. SO I THINK THIS IS -- HOW DO WE KEEP UP WITH THE SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE EXPECTING AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DON'T DIMINISH IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I KNOW IS IMPORTANT TO RESIDENTS. I WAS AT AN HOA MEETING YESTERDAY AND I ASKED A RESIDENT THERE HEY WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THIS? AND I SAID HOW ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO PAY FOR THE AMBULANCES? IT WAS CUT AND DRIED, BUT I THOUGHT WELL, I'M GLAD I'M GOING TO TAKE HIM WITH ME EVERYWHERE I GO FOR THE NEXT MONTH TO SAY THAT, BUT I APPRECIATED THAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE THIS CITY IS. SO I KNOW THAT'S NOT THE CASE FOR EVERY RESIDENT SO WE HAVE TO DO A REALLY GOOD JOB DURING THESE TOWN HALLS. AND MAYBE EVEN APPROACH THEM DIFFERENTLY WHERE WE'RE NOT GIVING THESE HIGH LEVEL BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND REALLY GETTING INTO THE WEEDS OF WHAT REALLY -- HOW THIS AFFECTS THEM, HOW THIS AFFECTS THEIR BILL. THIS HAS GOT TO BE PART OF THOSE BUDGET TOWN HALLS BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME THEY ARE KIND OF HIGH LEVEL [00:45:01] AND WE'RE TOWARDS THE END AND I REMEMBER THE FIRST TOWN HALL I HAD WE VOTED ON THE BUDGET A WEEK LATER. SO IT'S NOT A LOT OF TIME TO DIGEST ANY OF THAT. SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMMUNICATING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE ABOUT HOW THIS IS IMPACTING RESIDENTS SPECIFICALLY, RIGHT, ON THEIR BILL. AND I KNOW THE STATE HAS PROVIDED SOME PROPERTY TAX RELIEF. THAT HELPS IN SOME WAY OR MAYBE -- YEAH, LESSENS THAT A LITTLE BIT. SO THE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND. AND OBVIOUSLY OUR SENIORS HAVE THEIR TAX EXEMPTIONS AND SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT THAT IMPACT WILL NOT AFFECT THEM. BUT I SUPPORT THIS RECOMMENDATION RIGHT NOW CONSIDERING WHAT'S AT STAKE, AND JUST LOOK FORWARD TO FURTHER DISCUSSIONS. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: YEAH. I'M GOING TO JUST BE REALLY BRIEF. THIS IS A ABSOLUTELY NON-STARTER FOR ME. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES SHOULD WE BE RAISING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE ON OUR CITIZENS RIGHT NOW. AND EVERY CITY'S NOT DOING IT. LAST YEAR FORT WORTH CUT THEIR TAX RATE. THERE WERE SOME FEES THAT WENT UP THERE, BUT HERE WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION, I THINK IT'S CUTTING THE -- IT'S RAISING THE TAX RATE AND RAISING ADDITIONAL FEES. I SAW THERE AS WELL. IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST THAT WAS PRESENTED, WE'RE PROJECTING EVEN WITH A TAX HIKE STILL HAVING 155-MILLION-DOLLAR DEFICIT BY 2031. SO A TAX RATE INCREASE IS JUST NOT THE SOLUTION. WE HAVE STRUCTURAL PROBLEMS HERE WITH THE WAY WE ARE SPENDING MONEY. 68.5% OF THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, ON PERSONNEL COSTS I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT IS WORTH SCRUTINIZING. ALL THE OTHER MONEY WE SPEND ON VARIOUS PROGRAMS AND THINGS THAT ARE NOT I THINK CORE TO OUR CITY FUNCTION. I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT THIS AFTERNOON, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL. AND I DON'T ACCEPT THAT THIS PROPERTY TAX INCREASE WOULD BE GOING TOWARDS INCREASED PUBLIC SAFETY COSTS. I MEAN, WE HAVE ONE POT OF MONEY. WE'VE GOT ONE POT OF MONEY. MONEY'S FUNGIBLE. YOU CAN TRY TO SAY OH, THIS IS GOING TO GO TO THAT JUST TO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING FOR FOLKS, BUT I DON'T ACCEPT THAT. WE'VE GOT ONE POT OF MONEY HERE, WE NEED TO SPEND IT IN A BETTER FASHION. AND ASKING THE CITIZENS TO PAY MORE IS SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE. SEVEN BUCKS MORE A MONTH, RIGHT, THAT'S $84 A YEAR. PUT THAT ON TOP OF THE $228 A YEAR THAT IF SAWS HAS THEIR WAY EVERYBODY WILL BE PAYING ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS AT THE END OF FOUR YEARS. IT'S TOO MUCH TO PUT ON THE BACKS OF OUR CITIZENS. IT'S NOT RIGHT. WE NEED TO DO THE WORK AS A CITY GOVERNMENT. IT'S TOUGH WORK. I MEAN, IT'S TOUGH WORK. DON'T GET ME WRONG. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO REALLY DIG IN AND IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF HOURS TO FIND WHERE WE CAN CONSOLIDATE PROGRAMS, DEPARTMENTS AND THE REST OF IT, BUT THAT'S THE WORK THAT THE CITIZENS HIRED US TO DO. NOT JUST HIT A BUTTON AND RAISE THEIR TAX RATE. SO I'M ADAMANTLY AGAINST IT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE OF THESE -- THIS CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. ERIK, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING? >> WALSH: YES, MA'AM. IT IS NOT JUST -- IT IS MATHEMATICAL REALITY THAT TROUGH OF OUR CORE SERVICES ARE GROWING IN TERMS OF EXPENSE AND IT IS BOTH INTUITIVE, A COMMON SENSE APPROACH, AND IT IS A FACT THAT THAT MONEY, THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE, IF UTILIZED, IS GOING TO GO TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY. AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US. I KNOW YOU DISAGREE, COUNCILMEMBER. I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT AND EXPLAIN WHERE THE MONEY'S NEEDED. IF IT'S A CORE SERVICE WE HAVE TO DO THAT, THE PUBLIC EXPECTS THAT. AND THEN LASTLY, AND I CAN APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO DO. THIS IS 22 SLIDES OF A BEHEMOTH EFFORT. LOST UPON HERE, I WANT TO REMIND THE COUNCIL, THAT WHAT FREDDIE TALKED ABOUT, THAT EVEN IN THAT SCENARIO WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO CUT, REDUCE SPENDING OF ABOUT $27 MILLION. AND THAT WILL UNDOUBTEDLY INCLUDE CUTS TO PROGRAMS AND THE LEAN ITEM BUDGET STUFF AND THE ZERO BUDGET STUFF THAT DANIELLE WILL TALK [00:50:04] ABOUT IN THE AFTERNOON, BUT THAT IS ALL WORK THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO AND IT'S NOT JUST HITTING A BUTTON AND MAKING OUR BUDGET WOES GO AWAY. OUR SPENDING IS GROWING FASTER THAN THE REVENUE. THAT DOES NOT SOLVE EVERYTHING. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK AND YOU WILL SEE REDUCTIONS ON JUNE 18TH IN EITHER SCENARIO THAT ARE GOING TO AFFECT SERVICES. AND JUSTINA HAD AN ANSWER TO THE QUESTION EARLIER. >> THANK YOU. JUSTINA TATE, INTERIM CITY MANAGER. TO ADDRESS THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DETAIL, THE 1.1 BILLION, ABOUT 632 MILLION IS POLICE. 428 MILLION IS FIRE. AND THEN ABOUT 20.6 MILLION IS PARK POLICE. SO THAT MAKES UP THE $1.1 BILLION. >> AND IF I MAY, THAT'S AWESOME, THANK YOU FOR THAT. BUT I EVEN THINK EVEN MORE GRANULAR IN THAT, HOW MUCH HEADCOUNT FOR POLICE OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, RESOURCES AND THAT KIND OF STUFF, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO SEE THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL HOLISTICALLY. BUT THANK YOU, JUSTINA. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. IN A DEFICIT ECONOMY OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS STRATEGIC AND TRANSPARENT STABLELATION THAT SAFEGUARDS THE CITY'S LONG-TERM FINANCIAL HEALTH WHILE CONTINUING TO DELIVER THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT AND DESERVE. THE REALITY BEFORE US IS SIGNIFICANT. AND COUNCILMAN WHYTE, I APPRECIATE IF YOU WOULD PAY ATTENTION. THE REALITY BEFORE US IS SIGNIFICANT. THE CITY IS FACING A PROJECTED CUMULATIVE DEFICIT OVER THE NEXT I'VE SEEN THE CHALLENGE WILL REQUIRE DIFFICULT, BUT RESPONSIBLE DECISIONS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. TODAY'S BUDGET DISCUSSION IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO OPENLY SHARE PRIORITIES, CONCERNS AND RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING WHERE THE CITY SHOULD CONTINUE INVESTING RESOURCES AS WELL AS WHERE REDUCTIONS IN FUNDING MAY NECESSITY ADJUSTMENTS TO SERVICE OR PROGRAMS. WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE WHOLE. WE HAVE JUST COME OUT OF A VERY ROLLERCOASTER YEAR IN TERMS OF ECONOMICS. WE ARE CURRENTLY AT WAR. AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE REPERCUSSIONS OF A COVID PANDEMIC. SO AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WE MUST REMAIN FOCUSED ON PROTECTING ESSENTIAL MUNICIPAL FUNCTIONS, MAINTAINING PUBLIC TRUST AND ENSURING FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. THE BALANCING OF THE BUDGET WILL REQUIRE COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH THAT INCLUDES BOTH EXPENDITURES, REDUCTIONS AND IDENTIFICATION OF NEW REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES, BUT WHAT I AM NOT HEARING FROM SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS IS WHERE WE ARE GOING TO CUT, WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO SACRIFICE, JUST WHAT YOU'RE WILLING NOT TO DO. WE HAVE TO EXAMINE ALL AVAILABLE OPTIONS, INCLUDING ADJUSTMENTS WITH THE FEES, PERMITS, TRANSPORTATIONS AND FINES, AND PROPERTY TAXES THAT HAVEN'T INCREASED FOR THE LAST 33 YEARS. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BUDGET WHERE I HAVE COUNCIL COLLEAGUES SPEAKING AND SAYING NO, BUT YET THEY DO NOT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY OF WHERE THEY WOULD CUT, AND THEN THEY END UP NOT VOTING FOR THE BUDGET ANYWAY BECAUSE WE HAVE DELEGATE AGENCIES IN IT. SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE TALK ABOUT TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP OF TAXPAYER RESOURCES, I WOULD JUST LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF HONESTY OF WHY WE'RE NOT LOOKING SERIOUSLY AT WHAT THE STAFF HAS RECOMMENDED. IF WE LOOK AT THE CITY PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ON SLIDE 7, WE SEE THAT THERE IS A TAX FREEZE THAT APPLIES TO ALL OVER 65 AND DISABLED PERSONS. WE HAVE A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, BUT I HAVE RESIDENTS THAT ARE USING THEIR HOMES, USING THEIR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, BUT STILL USING THEIR HOMES FOR COMMERCIAL USE. AND I DON'T HAVE THE CODE OFFICERS TO GO OUT AND ENFORCE THE FACT THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS. I HEAR ABOUT HOW, OH, THE CITY CAN'T DO THIS AND THE CITY NEEDS TO CUT. NOBODY'S HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS THAT SAYS HEY, MAYBE YOU DON'T SUBSCRIBE TO NETFLIX AND HULU. BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK AT THIS, THERE IS BUDGETARY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE. THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD AND NOBODY LIKES TO RAISE TAXES, BUT EVERYTHING IS GOING UP. AND YOU CONTINUE TO ASK FOR THE CITY AND ALLEGE THAT THE CITY IS BEING WASTEFUL WHEN THEY HAVE NOT. [00:55:06] I'VE SAT HERE ON FIVE YEARS AND WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS BUDGET TOGETHER AND I'VE VOTED ON BUDGETS. SOMETIMES THE WHOLE, SOMETIMES NOT. THE WHOLE BUDGET, BUT I HAVE VOTED ON THE BUDGET TO MOVE THE MAJORITY OF THE BUDGET FORWARD TO KEEP THIS CITY MOVING FORWARD. SO THERE IS GOING TO BE A LOT OF WORK TO DO. I DO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT RAISING THE TAXES BASED ON THAT. WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR RESERVES. WE NEED THE RESERVES. WE UNDERSTAND THIS. THIS DIDN'T COME RIGHT AFTER THE PANDEMIC BECAUSE WE HAD ARPA DOLLARS, BUT WE KNEW THAT THIS DAY WAS COMING AND WE SEE IT NATIONALLY ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO NEEDS TO BE THOUGHTFUL, BUT I NEED HONEST CONVERSATIONS AND NOT JUST SPEAKING POINTS. WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO CUT FROM? AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, DON'T -- IF YOU'RE SO INTO CUTS, CUT YOUR STAFF. CUT YOUR CITY HALL STAFF. I'M NOT WILLING TO DO THAT. AND I THINK THE MAJORITY OF US AREN'T EITHER. SO WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THIS MONEY FROM? WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PROGRAMS, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT INCREASING PERMITS AND FEES. THIS IS HOW IT'S GOING TO GET DONE. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS THERE. MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES ARE RIGHT IN THAT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE COOPERATION WITH OUR OTHER ENTITIES HERE AND OUR OTHER TAXING ENTITIES. TO ASK THE CITY TO TAKE THE MAJORITY AND TO ALLEGE THAT THE CITY HAS BEEN IRRESPONSIBLE WITH ITS FUNDS IS -- IT JUST -- I WANT TO SEE THE EVIDENCE THAT IT HAS BEEN. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING HERE. SO AS WE GO THROUGH THIS GOAL-SETTING SESSION, I HOPE WE GET MORE FRANK ANSWERS. AND IF YOU'RE JUST NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T VOTED FOR THE BUDGET IN THE LAST THREE YEARS, YOU -- >> DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS THIS WAY. >> VIAGRAN: IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE FOR BUDGET BECAUSE OF THE DELEGATE AGENCIES AND ALL THIS, GIVE US SOMETHING WE CAN WORK WITH. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: YEAH, THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY. OF COURSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATION HERE. WE KNEW THAT COMING INTO IT. I THINK IT'S TOUGH. WHEN I TALK TO FOLKS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRIAL LAST YEAR A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE DISTRICT, DISTRICT 6 IS A VERY DIVERSE DISTRICTS WHERE SOME FOLKS CAN TAKE A BIT MORE AND SOME NOT IN TERMS OF INCREASING COST. EVERYONE IS FEELING THE PAIN WHETHER IT'S GROCERIES, GAS PRICES OR UTILITY RATES IN THE PAST THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN INCREASED, ET CETERA. THERE'S ALWAYS A FEELING OF WHAT MORE CAN WE TAKE? BUT THERE IS ALSO THE SAME FEELING AND INSTINCT AND DESIRE, FRANKLY, FROM A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES BOTH FOLKS WHO CAN TAKE ANOTHER INCREASE OR CANNOT WHO SAY AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GOING TO FINALLY DELIVER THE THINGS THAT WE DESERVE HERE? WE'RE CONSTANTLY ASKING FOR THE BARE MINIMUM TO MAKE SURE THE STREETS ARE PAVED, MAKING SURE SIDEWALKS ARE BUILT, MAKING SURE THE STREETS DON'T FLOOD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT WHEN DO WE GET TO THE PART OF THE ONE OF THE LARGEST CITIES IN THE COUNTRY, JUST THE QUALITIES THAT EVERYWHERE ELSE ARE. WHEN DO WE GET TO THE POINT THAT THIS IS WHERE WE NEED TO BE, THIS IS WHERE I'M PROUD TO LIVE, THE WHOLE CITY CONNECTS TO EACH OTHER. IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE WE CAN'T BE HERE IN THE AUSTERITY MINDSET THAT WE HAVE TO RESTRICT OURSELVES SO THE BARE ESSENTIALS AND EVERYTHING WILL HOPEFULLY HAPPEN BY SOME MIRACLE. WE KNOW THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF THE CITY THAT WON'T SEE THE ECONOMIC INVESTMENT, WON'T SEE THE PUBLIC EXPENDITURES CREATED IN THEIR AREA BECAUSE THE MONEY'S NOT THERE ANYMORE. THERE'S NOT A PARK NEARBY THAT ENCOURAGES INVESTMENT, THERE'S NOT AT QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ENCOURAGES INVESTMENT. THERE'S NOT THE QUALITY HOUSING INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BRINGING MORE INVESTMENTS FOR MORE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES. SO IT LEADS US IN THE SAME -- LEAVES US IN THE SAME RUT. WE'RE SEEING THE WHOLE FORECAST HERE THAT EVEN WITH THE TAX INCREASE WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT AS YOU GO ON AND ON? THERE'S A LIMITATION LIKE WITH THE STATE, THEY'RE GOING TO SAVE US FROM THE FEDERAL, STATE LEVEL AT THIS POINT. HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE ESSENTIALS AND OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING FOR. THE STATE STRUCTURE OVER THE PARK, SOME OF THE INCREASED RESOURCES IN ACS. ALL THESE PIECES ARE PART OF IT HERE. I FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION. I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD LOOK AT IT IN BUDGET THIS WAY. IF IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD AS WE GET INTO THE SUMMER WE CAN ADJUST THERE. I DON'T THINK WE CAN START OFF BY SAYING LET'S GO WITH NOTHING, LET'S GO WITH 136 MILLION IN CUTS BECAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE THOSE SERVICES THAT ARE BEING CUT ARE GOING TO BE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, OF COURSE. I DON'T KNOW, ERIK, IF WE HAD THIS ALREADY. I KNOW WE'RE WORKING THIS PROCESS TODAY AND OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS. [01:00:02] DO WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION OF HOW MANY STAFF WILL BE IMPACTED BY THAT CUT? WE DON'T HAVE TO GO INTO WHO AND WHERE. I'M NERVOUS ABOUT SEEING, OKAY, HOW MANY STAFF DO WE LOSE FROM THIS? HOW MANY FOLKS ARE UNEMPLOYED IN OUR ENTIRE CITY, NOT JUST CITY COSA, BUT CITY, AND WHAT THAT IMPACT TO OUR ECONOMY. BEYOND THAT HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS SIMPLY STOP FUNCTIONING AND SOME OF THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT OUR RESIDENTS ARE ASKING FOR. NOT EVEN THE NICE STUFF, NOT EVEN THE THINGS TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES MORE SPRUCED UP, BUT THE ACS RESPONSES, THE POLICE AND FIRE RESPONSE, WHAT PART OF THAT HAS BEEN IMPACTED OR EXPECTED TO BE IMPACTED HERE? I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS AND HOW WE LOOK AT IT DAY-TO-DAY, WHEN THE RENT INCREASE AND HOUSING COSTS INCREASE YOU CAN DO YOUR BEST TO CUT ALL THE SUBSCRIPTIONS, CUT GOING OUT TO EAT, BUT AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO EAT. WE CANNOT BUDGET OURSELVES OUT OF THE THINGS HERE. I'M SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE THIS IN MY LIFE WHERE YOU DON'T GO TO THE DOCTOR AND HOPE EVERYTHING GETS BETTER. YOU HOPE IT GETS BETTER BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DO IT ANYMORE. YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE ENDS MEET FIRST. AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE MORE REVENUE HERE FOR FROM OUR PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD BUDGET AS WELL AS THE CITY BUDGET, TO DELIVER ON THE BASICS, BUT ALSO THINGS THAT AFFECT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. NOT THE QUOTE, UNQUOTE LUXURIES, NO ONE IS ASKING THE CITY TO GO MAKE A YACHT FOR EVERYBODY. IT'S SIMPLY MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES A BIT STRONGER AND STABLE AND WHAT WE DESERVE, AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE NOT HAD THAT INVESTED THERE. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THIS INCREASE HERE AND I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO LOOK THE A IT BEYOND IT. OF COURSE THE EFFICIENCIES ARE INTERNALLY AND ALSO HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT REVENUE SOURCES THAT CAN COME IN. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT BUS [INDISCERNIBLE], BUT MORE LAND USE, GETTING REVENUE IN MORE NATURALLY. LOOKING AT OTHER WORKFORCE AND INVESTMENT HERE TO GET PEOPLE INTO HIGHER PAYING JOBS AND PAY INTO OUR SYSTEM BETTER SO WE CAN ACTUALLY DELIVER THESE SERVICES. CUTTING OUR NOSE >> GALVAN: ISN'T GOING TO GET US TO A BETTER SPOT, NOT ONLY NOW, BUT FRANKLY EVER. I SIMPLY BELIEVE OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES MORE THAN THIS, AND IT'S DIFFICULT WITH THIS ONE. I GET IT. I'M GRATEFUL WE HAVE THE EXEMPTIONS HERE FOR OUR SENIORS, BUT I KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE TOUGH FOR OUR WORKING FAMILIES, SO IT'S TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAN FIGURE OUT THE BEST, WHEN I TALK TO THE NEIGHBORHOODS, COMMUNITIES IN MY DISTRICT, FOLKS WILL SAY, AT SOME POINT SOMETHING'S GOT TO GIVE HERE. WE CAN'T JUST SAYING I DON'T WANT TO PAY FOR THESE THINGS, WE CAN'T AFFORD TO DO IT. AND BE SURPRISED WHEN NO SIDEWALKS COME, CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN OUR CITY WHEN NO INTERVENTION SERVICES CAN BE FUNDED ANYMORE. HOW CAN WE GET TO THESE POINTS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM MORE REVENUE FROM SOMEWHERE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILM COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. CAN WE PULL IT SLIDE EXP16. YEAH, SO LIKE MANY FAMILIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES AND HERE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, FOLKS ARE FACED WITH INCREASED INSURANCE COSTS, INCREASED FUEL COSTS AND THE COST OF THOSE ONE-TIME PURCHASES, WHETHER IT'S GROCERIES, A WASHER, DRYER, NEEDS FOR YOUR VEHICLE, EQUIPMENT AND TOOLS TO MAINTAIN YOUR HOME. AND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS NOT EXEMPT FROM THOSE INCREASED COSTS TO MAINTAIN SERVICES. AND AS RESIDENTS ALL THROUGHOUT THIS COUNTRY FACE ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE OF INFLATION, THE WAR, ET CETERA, I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO SHOULD LEAD IN TERMS OF INSURING THAT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES HAVE SECURE EMPLOYMENT. BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NAVIGATING A DEFICIT AND BUDGET CUTS, IT'S GOING TO BE CITY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE GOING TO POTENTIALLY LOSE THEIR POSITIONS, HAVE CONSOLIDATED ROLES, PARTICULARLY GRANT-FUNDED POSITIONS WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. AND THOSE ARE SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WHO ARE ALSO LIKELY TAXPAYERS, WHO HAVE CHILDREN AND AGING PARENTS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR. SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF A RECOMMENDATION THAT ENSURE THAT'S WE CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN SERVICES AND MAINTAIN THE ROLES OF OUR CURRENT CITY EMPLOYEES. BECAUSE, AGAIN, THIS IS A CONVERSATION WHERE IT CAN BE POLITICALLY CONVENIENT TO SAY NO TO RATES, RIGHT. WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES THAT ALSO HAVE BILLS TO PAY. AND BY NOT TAKING THIS CONVERSATION SERIOUSLY ON WHAT ALTERNATIVES CAN LOOK LIKE, WE'RE TELLING OUR SHARED CONSTITUENCY TO KICK ROCKS AND GO FIND ANOTHER JOB. AND I BELIEVE IT'S OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS WORKING, AND THAT INCLUDES CITY OF [01:05:02] SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES, ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE GUARANTEED EMPLOYMENT, THAT THEY'RE NOT FACING SCARCITY AND TRYING TO FIND A JOB IN THIS REALLY BAD JOB MARKET. SO I'M SUPPORTIVE OF STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, OF COURSE WITH THE CONDITION THAT WE CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE IN KEEPING GRANT-FUNDED EMPLOYEES STAFFED, KEEPING CITY EMPLOYEES HERE AS WELL, BUT ENSURING THAT WE'RE NOT REDUCING, WHETHER IT'S WITH THE METRO HEALTH DEPARTMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING SERVICES, ANY CITY DEPARTMENT, MY PRIORITY IS ENSURING THAT WE'RE KEEPING SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS AND CITY EMPLOYEES EMPLOYED, AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WHAT THOSE REDUCTIONS LOOK LIKE. FURTHER, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE AND REITERATE THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION ENSURES THAT WE MAINTAIN SERVICES WITH FIRE AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE HYPOCRISY, YOU CAN'T SAY YOU WANT THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING, WHICH ARE MORE POLICE OFFICERS, BUT THEN NOT ADVOCATE TO GET THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT MOST EXPENSIVE THING. AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT, WE ARE HAVING CBA CONVERSATIONS, AND OUR POLICE OFFICERS DESERVE A FAIR CONTRACT. AND BY NOT EXPLORING WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE, WE'RE SHORTENING OUR POLICE OFFICERS AND THEIR NEGOTIATION END. THOSE ARE ALL MY COMPLEPTS AND I'M SUPPORTIVE OF STAFF RECOMMENDATION. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR SENDING THIS PRESENTATION IN FOR MY BRIEFING YESTERDAY. I WISH THIS PRESENTATION WAS DONE AT THE END OF THE DAY, BECAUSE IT FEELS ALMOST A LITTLE BIT HARD TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT PROPERTY TAX RATES WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR OUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES. SO -- AND I DIDN'T HAVE THAT FEEDBACK YESTERDAY, BUT I -- AS I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT LAST NIGHT, I THOUGHT, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STARTING THE DAY WITH THIS CONVERSATION AND YET WE HAVE NOT EVEN DISCUSSED ALL OF THE PROGRAMS, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE, THE ADDITIONAL ASKS THAT I KNOW EACH OF US WANT TO MAKE THAT WE USUALLY GET TO MAKE SITTING HERE ON THIS DAY. AND SO I I'M JUST THINKING, LIKE, IT'S IT'S EASIER FOR US TO WORK BACKWARDS, RIGHT? IF THIS IS THE END THAT WE WANT TO GET TO OF PROGRAM AND SERVICES, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR OUR -- REALIZE WE WERE GOING TO TRY DOING BOTH WITH THE LEFTOVER INCREMENT ALSO THE INCREASE TO 3.5%. IN MY MIND, THAT'S TWO DIFFERENT DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING. AND SO I GUESS FOR ME, THE BIGGEST THING I NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND IS WHAT IS THE IMPACT IF WE DON'T. AND UNTIL WE MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR, IT IS HARD FOR ME -- AND I SAID THIS LAST TIME, LIKE, OF COURSE, WE DON'T WANT TO CUT CORE SERVICES AND I WOULD WO SUPPORT AN INCREASE, BUT I DO STILL THINK WE NEED TO VISUALIZE, IF WE DON'T DO THIS, WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WE WERE TALKING YESTERDAY, APPARENTLY THERE'S 800 VACANCIES RIGHT NOW IN CITY STAFF, WHICH ACTUALLY IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. I WAS LIKE, WHAT IF WE JUST CUT ALL THOSE VACANCIES, THAT WOULD HELP FIX OUR DEFICIT. BUT THOSE VACANCIES ARE -- SOME OF THEM ARE SHORT-TERM, WHERE THEY'RE INFLUX, AND THAT MEANS PROGRAMS WOULD BE HURT, BUT I DO THINK WE COULD LOOK AT THOSE VACANCIES AND SEE MAYBE ARE THERE FIVE OR SOME THAT CAN BE REMOVED FROM THOSE THAT DON'T NEED TO BE FILLED. AND JUST -- I DON'T KNOW WHO THE -- TO ERIK'S POINT, ERIK WAS LIKE, YOU WANT ME TO PUT UP ALL THESE POSITIONS OR ALL THESE PEOPLE'S JOBS AND SHOW IT PUBLICLY OF, LIKE, THEY COULD BE UNDER THREAT? I THINK COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN WAS KIND OF ALLUDING TO THAT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO SAY WHO OR WHAT, AND I UNDERSTAND THE SENSITIVITY THERE, BUT I ALSO WANT US TO KNOW. IF WE LOOK AT OFFICE OF HISTORIC PRESERVATION AND SAY THAT'S WHERE WE WANT TO SKINNY DOWN, I KNOW MY HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD BE LIKE -- I KNOW ALL OF OURS, WE ALL HAVE HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS THAT, OH -- EXCEPT FOR COUNCI COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA, THAT MIGHT HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THAT. SO I THINK IT -- AND ALSO IN THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW IS ONLY BUDGETED FOR THE CURRENT PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE SENT OVER TO THE POLICE, RIGHT, FOR THE CBA? IT'S ONLY THE 3% INCREASE -- OR WHAT'S BUDGETED RIGHT NOW IN THE BUDGET FOR CBA? I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ASK THAT? SORRY. SHOULD I NOT ASK THAT. >> WALSH: YEAH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN EXECUTIVE SESSION BRIEFING. >> KAUR: OKAY. SORRY. MY BAD. BUT TO WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S POINT WAS, IF WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING TO A PLACE WHERE OUR OFFICERS FEEL LIKE THEY ARE GETTING AS GOOD OF A DEAL WITH AS MUCH RESPECT AS THE FIREFIGHTERS DID A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE BUDGET ALLOCATED FOR THAT. AND SO I JUST DON'T SEE HOW WE INCREASE ANYTHING. THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS TO COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN'S POINT, IS WE ALWAYS GO FOR THE BARE MINIMUM. I DO THINK THERE IS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT IN SERVICES TO GET US MORE GOODWILL WITH COMMUNITY. SO THERE'S TWO THINGS, RIGHT? LIKE, ONE, WE CAN DO MORE, BUT, TWO, WE CAN ALSO DO BETTER. [01:10:03] I THINK THERE'S WAY, PARTICULARLY FOR SOME OF OUR PROGRAMS, WE CAN SAY, ARE WE MAKING SURE WE'RE EXECUTING ON THE TOP LEVEL THAT WE CAN FOR OUR STREET PROGRAM? I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE WHAT THE NEW C PCI SCORES COME BACK AS FROM PUBLIC WORKS BUT I THINK WE NEED THAT PROGRAM REVAMPED. I CANNOT JUSTIFY TO SO MANY OF MY RESIDENTS WHY IS YOUR STREET GETTING DONE AND THE STREET NEXT DOOR IS NOT. THERE'S NO GOOD REASON FOR IT. WHY HAS THIS STREET BEEN PAVED FIVE TIMES AND THIS STREET HAS NEVER BEEN TOUCH. WHY HAS BASSE NEVER GOTTEN A RECONSTRUCTION EFFORT, RIGHT? I DON'T HAVE A GOOD JUSTIFICATION. DID THAT COME FROM? HOW DID NOS NUMBERS GET THERE? SO JUST -- WHEN YOU WERE TALKING, I WAS THINKING, WELSHES WE CAN ALSO JUST BE STRONGER AND BETTER AT THE WORK THAT WE DO SO THAT THEY DO SEE WORK HAPPEN. I FEEL LIKE PEOPLE THAT TELL ME THEY DON'T WANT TO INCREASE THEIR TAXES BECAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'VE GOTTEN NO BENEFIT FROM IT. ALTHOUGH THEY DO GET SOLID WASTE SERVICES EVERY WEEK, WHICH IS LIKE OUR TOP NOTCH SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE, BUT OTHER FOLKS FEEL LIKE, OH, I'M INCREASING MY TAX RATE AND YOU HAVEN'T FIXED MY SIDEWALK. AND SO THAT'S THE HARD PART WHEN PEOPLE ARE NOT GETTING THE SERVICE THAT THEY -- THEY'RE NOT FEELING LIKE WE ARE PERFORMING AT THE LEVEL THAT WE SHOULD BE, AND THEN ASKING TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE. SO I DEFINITELY KNOW ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GOT MAJOR/MINOR HOME REHAB FUNDING THIS LAST YEAR IN MY DISTRICT WOULD PROBABLY DEFINITELY SUPPORT THIS, BECAUSE THEY'VE SEEN THE ACTUAL BENEFIT FROM US INCREASING FUNDING. I THINK THAT'S ALL FOR RIGHT NOW. I'M JUST CURIOUS TO SEE WHERE THINGS GO WITH THE CONVERSATION ON WHAT WE WANT AND HOW WE GET THERE VERSUS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CUT. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. >> WALSH: COUNCILWOMAN KAUR, YOU'RE 100% RIGHT. WE GOT STRAIGHT TO THE MEAT OF THE MATTER THIS MORNING, AROUND AS YOU WERE TALKING, IT -- WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL UNDERSTAND IS THAT IN A $4 BILLION A YEAR CORPORATION, WE CAN ALWAYS REDUCE SPENDING. AND SO YOU WILL SEE CONSOLIDATIONS, YOU WILL SEE REDUCTIONS, YOU WILL SEE WHERE WE CAN MAKE IMPROVEMENTS OR DO THINGS BETTER IN THE BUDGET. AND WE DIDN'T REALLY TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT ON THE FIRST PART OF THE SLIDE PRESENTATION THIS MORNING, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NATURAL TO US AND REQUIRE -- EVEN TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, EVEN IF WE WEREN'T IN THIS OFFSETTING -- OR UNSTRUCTURED ENVIRONMENT, THE REVENUES AND EXPENSES, WE HAVE TO KIND OF RECREATE THOSE THINGS ALL THE TIME. AND SO THAT'S -- THAT'S PART OF THE -- PART OF THE NORMAL WORK WE NEED TO DO. AND I DON'T WANT YOU ALL TO THINK THAT -- THAT ONE OR TWO OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE GOING TO SOLVE ALL OUR WO WOES, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONTINUOUSLY MANAGING THAT AND IMPROVING WHERE WE CAN AND MAKING IT EASIER FOR US TO PROVIDE SERVICES, OR EASIER FOR THE EMPLOYEES TO DELIVER SERVICES. ALL THAT WE'LL DO, WE JUST DIDN'T TALK A LOT ABOUT IT THIS MORNING. THANKS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. I ACTUALLY SAW IT THE OTHER WAY, COUNCILWOMAN. I APPRECIATE YOUR POINT, THOUGH. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY HELPFUL JUST TO KIND OF LEVEL SET AND MAKE SURE WE ALL UNDERSTAND JUST HOW BAD THINGS ARE, WHICH KIND OF TAMPERS THE APPETITE FOR ADDITIONAL ASKS. BECAUSE AS WAS MENTIONED, NOT ONLY ARE WE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL INCREASE HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE ON THE CAPACITY SIDE, IF WE WANTED THAT FOR THE BOND AS WELL AS THE UTILITIES. AND, ERIK, FOR THOSE LISTENING THAT HAVE THE -- THAT ARE CURIOUS, IF WE ALSO RAISE THE PROPERTY TAX FOR BOND CAPACITY, WOULD THE PROPERTY TAX -- WHEN WOULD THAT ONE GO INTO EFFECT? >> WALSH: ARE YOU TALK ABOUT ON THE DEBT SERVICE CONVERSATION? >> MAYOR JONES: CORRECT. >> WALSH: WELL, SO -- WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO YOU ALL IN AUGUST WITH THE CERTIFIED ROLL TO KIND OF LAY THAT OUT. IF WE HAVE A BOND ELECTION -- AND THE COUNCIL CHOOSES TO FOLLOW THAT PATH WHERE THE RATE -- THE DEBT SERVICE RATE CAN GO UP OR DOWN BASED ON MARKET. >> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S RIGHT, YEP. >> WALSH: THAT WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO INTO EFFECT UNTIL AFTER THE SALE. WE WOULD -- I'M SORRY, THE VOTE, NOT THE SALE. THE VOTE WOULD HAVE TO PASS, WE'D HAVE TO SEE WHERE THE MARKETS WERE AT, WE'D HAVE TO SEE WHERE VALUE'S AT. IT WOULD CERTAIN BE SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION IN THE OUTER YEARS THE COUNCIL WOULD HAVE TO MAKE, BUT YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION TECHNICALLY ON THE TAX RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR '27. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. JUST SIMPLY, WHEN IS -- JUST FOR, AGAIN, FOR THE INTELLECT -- WHEN IS -- POTENTIALLY, MRS. MARTINEZ IS LISTENING, WHEN COULD I POTENTIALLY SEE THAT? IF THE BOND PASSES, RIGHT, AND IF WE SAY, YES, WE'D LIKE TO INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAXES TO ALLOW FOR ADDITIONAL BOND CAPACITY, WHEN IS THE SOONEST SOMEBODY MIGHT SEE THAT, JUST TO MANAGE EXP EXPECTATIONS. >> WALSH: THE SOONEST [01:15:03] WOULD BE JANUARY OF '28. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TROY, FOR LAYING OUT THE FINANCIAL POLICIES. I KNOW WE HAVE SEEN, AS YOU ALL HAVE ALLUDED TO, THE INCREASED FUEL COST AS SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY ENTITIES HAVE MENTIONED HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASED THEIR BUDGET NEEDS, AS HAD THE INCREASE IN THE HEALTHCARE COST, NOT ONLY AS IT RELATES TO THE CBA, BUT ALSO AS IT RELATES TO BILLING WITH A VENDOR. HOW CLOSE ARE WE TO VIOLATING, IF YOU WILL, SOME OF THOSE FINANCIAL POLICIES? FOR EXAMPLE, ARE WE BUTTING UP AGAINST 66%? >> ELLIOTT: SO IF YOU GO TO THAT SLIDE WITH THE SPIN ANY WHEEL, JACOB. >> IT'S ACTUALLY 63.9% CURRENTLY. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. >> YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE WOULD HAVE TO MONITOR GOING FORWARD AS WE DEVELOP THE BUDGET. >> MAYOR JONES: SO IN JUNE YOU'LL LET US KNOW WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO 66. >> YES, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. AND WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FINANCIAL POLICY, ACTUALLY, FREDDY, IF YOU DON'T MIND -- THANK YOU SO MUCH. I ECHO SOME OF MY COLLEAGUE'S CONCERNS ABOUT THE GROWTH IN THE OUTYEAR WHEN WE WERE DOING THIS EXERCISE LAST YEAR, WE WERE AT -- IF WE DIDN'T HELP OURSELVES IN 2030, OUR OUTYEAR GROWTH, FIVE-YEAR DEFICIT GROWTH WAS 220-ISH MILLION. SO THIS YEAR, FIVE YEARS OUT, WE'RE LOOKING AT 264 MILLION. SO IN ONE YEAR, WE'VE SEEN A 17% INCREASE IN OUR DEFICIT GROWTH, IN JUST -- IN ONE YEAR. THAT, TO ME -- I MEAN, YOU HAVE ALLUDED TO STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE, BUT THAT GROWTH, TO ME, SEEMS WILDLY UNSUSTAINABLE. SO I'D WELCOME YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FEASIBILITY, AND IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE COULD ALSO UNDERSTAND AS PART OF THE JUNE 8TH CONVERSATION IS WHAT DOES THE FINANCIAL CONVERSATION LOOK LIKE THAT CAPS -- AUDIO] -- OUTYEAR GROWTH IN OUR DEFICIT, RIGHT? SO, YES, WE'VE GOT A BALANCE IN THE TWO YEARS. HOWEVER, IF WE ALSO WANTED TO HELP OURSELVES AND SAY, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO LET A FIVE-YEAR OUTYEAR GROWTH INCREASE -- INCREASE BY MORE THAN 10%, FOR EXAMPLE, WHATEVER, IN YOUR MIND IS A REASONABLE NUMBER TO PLAN FOR -- BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE ONLY LOOKING AT BALANCING IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS, RIGHT, THEN YOU'RE REALLY ONLY ABLE TO CUT, BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF OTHER OPTIONS. BUT IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT LONGER OUTLOOK, THEN YOU'RE POTENTIALLY EXPLORING OTHER REVENUE OPTIONS. SO I WOULD WELCOME YOUR COMMENTS NOW, BUT ALSO HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO THINK ABOUT THAT AS A COMMUNITY. >> SO I THINK AS PART OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES, WE CAN CERTAINLY GO DOWN THE ROAD OF LOOKING AT LIMITING EXPENDITURE GROWTH, BUT I THINK FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN THE PAST, KIND OF ALIGNING OUR REVENUE GROWTH TO OUR EXPENDITURE GROWTH AND HAVING THAT BALANCE, SO AS OUR REVENUE GROWTH EITHER INCREASES OR DECREASES OR STAYS FLAT, THAT EXPENDITURE GROWTH SHOULD BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH THAT, WHICH CURRENTLY, IT'S NOT. >> MAYOR JONES: AGREED. THE -- I THINK IT'S VERY HELPFUL, THE SLIDE THAT YOU HAD IN TERMS OF WHERE THE -- WHERE WE'RE FOREGOING PROPERTY TAX -- WELL WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS FOR CORPORATIONS, AS WELL AS WHERE WE ARE WITH THE TIRZ. BUT I THINK JUNE 18TH, IF NOT SOONER, THANKS, FREDDY. >> THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: I'D ALSO LIKE TO MAKE SURE -- AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS THIS LAST TIME, THOUGH, IN TERMS OF THESE ADDITIONAL REVENUE STREAMS, ERIK, IF YOU WOULD COUCH IT THAT WAY OR FRANKLY IF WE WOULD JUST DESCRIBE IT AS, YOU KNOW, AT COST OR A FOR-COST MODEL FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE SUBSIDIZE IN THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK SOME OF US WERE SHOCKED TO LEARN THAT WE SUBSIDIZE ONE FIESTA EVENT, $600,000, IN THE FORM OF COPS AND TRASH, RIGHT? SO WHAT IS -- WHAT IS A DIFFERENT MODEL BY WHICH WE MIGHT PAY -- CHARGE APPROPRIATELY FOR THOSE SERVICES, SO THOSE ENTITIES CAN PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR THE NEXT YEAR. IN TERMS OF REVENUE, THE -- SO I THINK EVERYONE'S SECOND FAVORITE DOCUMENT AFTER THE CHARTER IS NOW THE REVENUE MANUAL, CAN YOU HELP US UNDERSTAND FOR THAT JUNE 18TH MEETING, IF WE WERE TO MAX OUT WHERE WE CAN, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF REVENUE STREAMS? HOW DOES THAT HELP US? WHAT DOES THAT HELP US BRING IN? [01:20:03] I KNOW THAT'S A VERY LARGE DOCUMENT, BUT SOME -- GIVING US AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH HEAD ROOM WE HAVE IN SOME PLACES AS RELATES TO THAT REVENUE MODEL I THINK WILL BE VERY HELPFUL. ARE YOU ABLE, IN THE TIME FRAME, TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHERE WE CAN MAX OUT? >> I THINK THERE'S AREAS WHERE WE CAN DO SOME TARGETED KIND OF INCREASES AND KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE RECOVERING OUR COST, BUT AS YOU KNOW, THERE'S OTHER CHARGES THAT WE'RE NOT RECOVERING OUR COST BECAUSE THE POPULATION THAT IT SERVES AND IT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES BY DHARCHARGING A HIGHER FEE TO THOSE WHO CANNOT NECESSARILY AFFORD THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: AND THAT'S A VERY IMPORTANT CAVEAT. TO THE EXTENT W WHERE FOLKS DO HAVE MORE CAPACITY, I WOULD APPRECIATE YOU PROVIDING THAT. >> WALSH: ONE OTHER THING, MAYOR, SEVERAL OF YOU TALKED ABOUT A COUPLE OF THESE -- AT THE FORECAST PRESENTATION, THERE WAS TALK ABOUT AIRBNB TYPE, VACANT, AND VACANT HOMES AND VACANT PROPERTIES, SO WE'LL CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT HOW FAR WE CAN PUSH SOME OF THOSE THINGS AND INCORPORATE IN THE JUNE 18TH. APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU. BECAUSE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE -- AND ERIK, YOU AND I TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST ON THIS CONSENT AGENDA THAT WE APPROVED, THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING -- THERE'S AN AFFORDABLE HOUSING ITEM THAT WE HAVE, WHEN I ACTUALLY CALCULATED THE FEE, IT WAS LIKE .001% OF WHAT WE CHARGE -- IN AUDIO] -- IF THERE'S HEAD ROOM THERE, AND HONESTLY, THAT GOES INTO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE A PORTION OF THAT CAN COME INTO THE GENERAL FUND, SO WELCOME EXPLORING THAT, WHILE MAINTAINING COMPETITIVENESS, TO YOUR POINT. FOR THOSE THAT ARE TRACKING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN -- WE HAVE BEEN OR WE MAY BE GIFTED ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS AS A RESULT OF DOJ GRANTS, CORRECT, ERIK AND ANDY? >> WALSH: THAT WE HAVE OR WE MAY? >> MAYOR JONES: WE MAY. THAT'S WHAT I'M CHECKING. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF -- THERE WAS A CONTRACT -- WE MAY BE GIFTED ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, RECEIVED WAS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE SOUTH FLORES POLICE SUBSTATION, 28 POLICE OFFICERS THAT WAS GRANTED TO THE CITY THIS FISCAL YEAR. WE HAVE NOT SEEN AN APPLICATION YET OUT OF DOJ FOR HIRING POLICE OFFICERS, BUT WE'RE MONITORING THAT AND SEE IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT, MARIA. WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT IS, AS WAS ALLUDED HERE, MUCH OF ANY INCREASE THAT WE EXPERIENCE -- THAT WE IMPOSE ON PROPERTY TAX GOES TOWARDS CBA-RELATED COSTS. AND SO IF WE ARE ACCEPTING ADDITIONAL OFFICERS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND THE SUSTAINMENT -- THE SUSTAINMENT TAIL OF THAT OVERTIME. AND IF ANY OF THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THIS -- TO THIS BUDGET. OKAY. THE 20 MILLION THAT WAS FOUND AS PART OF THE DEEP DIVE FOR THE MEDICAID WAIVER, JUSTINA, THAT IS -- THAT'S ONE-TIME MONEY, CORRECT? THATTHAT'S NOT MONEY WE CAN CONTINUE TO BANK ON? >> TATE: BASED ON WHAT WE PRESENT AS PART OF THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF WHAT PROGRAMS WE WOULD CONTINUE, IT COULD BE MULTIPLE YEARS THAT WE COULD CONTINUE SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THROUGH THAT MEDICAID WAIVER RESERVES. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. BUT THAT RESERVES IS -- >> TATE: THE RESERVES WILL EVENTUALLY -- >> MAYOR JONES: RUN OUT DAZE -- EXPIRE. >> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD. SO IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S UP TO US IF WE WANT TO USE 20 MILLION IN JUST '27 OR IF WE WANTED TO SPREAD THAT OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS, IS THAT RIGHT. >> TATE: SO RIGHT NOW THE PROGRAMS THAT ARE FUNDED OUT OF MEDICAID WAIVER ARE ABOUT 8 MILLION PER YEAR ANNUALLY. SO WE WILL COME BACK AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF PROGRAMS. SO THAT COULD ALLOW US -- BASED ON THOSE PROGRAMS, WE RECOMMENDED FUNDING, THAT COULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE THOSE PROGRAMS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THAT. >> MARTINEZ: WHAT I'D LIKE AS PART OF THE JUNE 18TH BRIEFING IS HELPING US UNDERSTAND IF WE WANTED TO MAX THAT, MAX THAT OUT IN THIS BUDGET YEAR, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE VERSUS TO YOUR POINT SPREADING IT ACROSS TWO YEARS, UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THE CUTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE. OKAY. >> WALSH: MAYOR, SO WE SPEND IN A NORMAL YEAR EIGHT OR $9 MILLION. WHEN YOU SAY MAX OUT, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? >> MAYOR JONES: IF WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO USE ALL OF THE 20 MILLION IN ONE YEAR, WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE? COULD YOU EVEN SPEND THAT MUCH IF YOU NEEDED TO -- IF YOU WANTED TO. >> WALSH: OKAY. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK [01:25:04] YOU. I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND OUR ASSESSMENT OF MOVING THE SAWS CONTRIBUTION FROM 4% TO 5%. LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AS PART OF THE JUNE 18TH BRIEFING. >> MARTINEZ: THE -- I AM NOT AT THIS POINT PREPARED TO SAY THAT I SUPPORT ALL THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE RATE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE ISN'T SOME LEVEL -- THOUGH, WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE LARGEST GROWTH IN OUR BUDGET, I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SOME -- AS IDENTIFIED BY THE AUDITOR AND TEAM, SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO REALLY WRANGLE IN SOME OF THE SPENDING THAT WE HAVE SEEN, IF FOLKS HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT SOME OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RECENT AUDITS. THERE ARE SOME LOW-HAN-HANGING FRUIT THERE THAT I THINK WOULD GO A LONG WAY IN TERMS OF COST CONTROLS, CERTAINLY AS IT RELATES TO OVERTIME, FUEL EXPENSES, AS WELL AS JUST BASIC INVENTORY CONTROL. SO WHAT I ASK, BUT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, IS SOME KIND OF DOCUMENTATION, EITHER FROM BUDDY OR OTHERS, THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT CAN HELP US SAVE MONEY, RIGHT -- I MEAN, YOU KNOW, FOLKS SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO APPROVE YOUR OWN OVERTIME. LIKE THERE ARE BASIC THINGS THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE THAT WOULD HELP TO SAVE RESOURCES, AT THE SAME TIME WE ARE MAKING SURE WE HAVE FULL CONFIDENCE IN FUNDING THESE OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT -- IMPORTANT SERVICES, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES. >> WALSH: MAYOR, LET ME JUMP IN HERE REAL QUICK. >> MAYOR JONES: PLEASE. >> WALSH: I DON'T WANT THE IMPRESSION THAT OUT OF OUR 4 BILLION, PEOPLE ARE APPROVING THEIR OWN OVERTIME. THERE WAS A FINDING IN AN INSTANCE IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WHEN THE CHIEF WAS MADE AWARE OF THAT, WE CORRECTED IT, AND FRANKLY, THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE ASKED FOR THE AUDIT OF FIRE OVERTIME, AND WE DO THAT PERIODICALLY. AUDITS ARE DONE, AND AS THEY -- AS WE -- AS AUDIT -- I'M SORRY, AS THE AUDITOR PRESENTS THOSE TO THE AUDIT COMMITTEE AND YOU ALSO GET THE MANAGER RESPONSE, ANYTHING THAT REQUIRED THE ADJUSTMENT OF COST CONTROLS OR MANAGEMENT POLICIES OR PROCESSES, IT'S UP TO ME AND THE DIRECTORS AND THE EXECUTIVES SITTING BEHIND YOU TO MAKE SURE WE'RE INSTITUTING THAT. SO WE WILL CERTAINLY INCORPORATE WITHIN THE JUNE 18TH AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND EVERY BUDGET THEREAFTER FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, THE CHANGES THAT ARE NEEDED AND WE'LL TAKE ADVANTAGE, FRANKLY, OF MAKING SURE WE ARE DOING THAT COST CUTTING WHERE WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT. >> MAYOR JONES: YEP. I APPRECIATE THAT, THANK YOU. THE ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION THAT WE HAVE TO FIND THIS YEAR, THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE WHAT'S ALREADY PROPOSED WOULD BE ANOTHER 30 CIVILIANS, IN ADDITION TO FRANKLY THE 62 THAT WERE CUT AS PART OF THE ADOPTED '26 BUDGET, RIGHT, SO IN '26 WE CUT 27 MILLION, AND THEN ACROSS THE TWO-YEAR -- TO BALANCE IT, COST ANOTHER 25 MILLION, WHICH IS A TOTAL OF 62 CIVILIANS. SO IMPLEMENTING JUST THE ADDITIONAL 10 MILLION BRINGS US TO JUST IN TWO YEARS HAVING CUT 92 CIVILIANS. AND SO I ALSO SHARE MY COLLEAGUE'S CONCERN ABOUT MAKING SURE WE'RE NOT PUTTING UNDUE WORK ON THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE REMAINING, BUT ALSO FRANKLY, ARE NOT EVEN -- FRANKLY NOT KIDDING OURSELVES ABOUT THE LOST CAPACITY AS A RESULT OF THAT WORK. WE'RE NOT JUST -- WE FOUND THE MONEY, BUT WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT ABOUT THE LOST SERVICE AS A RESULT OF HAVING TO CUT THOSE POSITIONS TO FIND THE REVENUE. >> MARTINEZ: OKAY. THE OTHER IMPORTANT PART AND PIECE OF THIS, WHICH IS NOT ONLY THE PROPERTY TAX WE FOREGO IN THE TERM OF ABATEMENTS FOR CORPORATIONS AND FOR THE TIRZ, AS WAS MENTIONED, WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD ACCOUNTING OF ANY OUTSTANDING DEBT OWED BY PRIVATE ENTITIES TO THE CITY, SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN JUNE 18TH, IN OUR EFFORTS TO RECOUP THAT. OKAY. OKAY. THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. ON THE -- ACTUALLY -- ONE SECOND. ON THE -- I'VE GOT ONE PERSON ON SECOND ROUND, IF ANYONE ELSE WOULD LIKE TO COME IN ON SECOND ROUND. WOULD YOU LIKE -- IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? OKAY. COUNCILMAN GALVAN, PLEASE? >> GALVAN: JUST BRIEFLY, I WAS GOING TO SAY, I ECHO A LOT OF WHAT COUNCILWOMAN KAUR MENTIONED ABOUT THE LARGER VIEW HERE AND THEN LOOKING BACK AT GOING MORE GRANULAR AND ENDING THERE. IF WE CAN DO OUR WRAP UP AT THE END ABOUT WHERE WE'RE STANDING AT THIS KIND OF TOPIC AT HAND, AND THAT WAY WE'RE NOT -- [01:30:04] I DECIDED THIS AT 9:00 A.M., NOW I GOT MORE INFORMATION LATER, LET ME TRY TO REASSESS A LITTLE BIT. I ALSO FORGOT TO MENTION THE CPS POLICY, THE FINANCIAL POLICY, I KNOW IT HAS A KIND OF -- WHAT'S IT CALLED CAVEAT IN THERE IF THERE ARE MOMENTS LIKE THIS THAT WE FOCUS ON BRINGING THE MONEY BACK IN, BUT I PERSONALLY DON'T SEE THE USE OF IT OVERALL, SO I WANTED TO VOICE THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, CONTINUING THE SAME HAMMER ABOUT LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM INFRASTRUCTURE COST OR ENERGY EFFICIENCY NEEDS WE CAN HAVE HERE AS BEING THE LONG-TERM INCREASES. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE? >> WHYTE: THERE WAS A SLIDE ON ADDITIONAL FEES, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT OR CONTEMPLATING AS PART OF ADDITIONAL FEE INCREASES. >> TATE: IT INCLUDED ABOUT $3 MILLION OF NEW REVENUE, SO THAT WAS ADJUSTMENTS TO THE EMS TRANSPORT FEE, AS WELL AS FIRE PREVENTION. SO THAT -- THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE '27 PLAN. THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD LOOK AT ARE, LIKE, OUR GARAGE SALE PERMITS, SOME OF OUR DIFFERENT PERMITTING THAT WE DO THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, AREAS THAT WOULD NOT IMPACT VULNERABLE POPULATION, BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE FEES. >> WHYTE: SO THERE ARE ADDITIONAL FEES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED TO BE RAISED. >> TATE: AS PART OF THE '26 ADOPTED BUDGET, THE '27 PLAN INCLUDED INCREASES IN EMS TRANSPORT AND FIRE PREVENTION. >> WHYTE: AND SO WHERE WILL SOME OF THESE ADDITIONAL FEES SHOW UP FOR PEOPLE? >> TATE: THE PARTICULAR ONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE PLAN, IS TH WHAT YOU'RE -- >> WHYTE: YEAH. OR ADDITIONAL ONES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED. >> TATE: THE ONES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE PLAN ARE OUR DEVELOPMENT, FIRE PREVENTION REVENUE, EMS TRANSPORT WOULD BE IF A PERSON IS -- HAS TO BE TRANSPORTED TO EMERGENCY -- OH, THE INSURANCE -- AND, YES, SO MOST OF THAT COST FOR AN EMS TRANSPORT IS COVERED BY INSURANCE, IF THEY'RE INSURED. AND IF THEY'RE NOT, WE HAVE THE CHARITY CARE PROGRAM THAT REIMBURSES US FOR THOSE THAT ARE UNDERINSURED OR NOT INSURED. >> WHYTE: OKAY. THANKS. COUNCI COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: YES. I DO WANT TO APOLOGIZE, I MISSPOKE, COUNCILMAN WHYTE ABSTAINED AND THEN HE VOTED FOR '25 AND '26 BUDGET. SO THANK YOU. I DO WANT TO CLARIFY, IN TERMS OF THE TIRZ, THAT'S A REINVESTMENT ZONE, SO IT'S NOT ALL ABATED, IT JUST GOES INTO SPECIFIC AREAS, AREAS THAT ARE IN NEED AND HAVE NOT BEEN INVESTED IN HISTORICALLY. SO JUST WANT TO CLEAR THAT UP TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ISN'T -- WHILE THE MONIES WILL GO BACK TO SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS THAT DEVELOP IN THAT AREA, IT IS BECAUSE THEY'VE DEVELOPED THE INFRASTRUCTURE, SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN ABATEMENT. AND THE OTHER, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PERMITS AND WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS UNDERSTANDING THAT WE DEFINE -- AND I GUESS WE'LL GET TO THAT POINT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES, BECAUSE AFFORDABLE HOUSING HAS AND CONTINUES TO BE ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT MIX IS THERE. SO JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THOSE POINTS. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: YEAH, THANK YOU. ON THE TIRZ, AS WE HAVE ROUTINELY DISCUSSED, WANTING TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A GOOD ACCOUNTING OF MONEY THAT IS NOT COMING INTO THE GENERAL FUND AS A RESULT OF THOSE ENTITIES, SO WE CAN HAVE A STRATEGIC CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT FRANKLY NOT ONLY MEETS THE NEEDS OF THAT LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT POTENTIALLY HELPS TO SHORE UP SERVICES ACROSS THE CITY. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST ON THE TOPIC OF GOING BACK TO, I GUESS, SOME POINTS THAT COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE MADE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT GUARANTEEING THAT ANY OF THE RATE INCREASE WOULD GO TO POLICE OR FIRE, THERE'S ONE CLEAR WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S TRUE, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DOES THIS -- WOULD YOU IMAGINE THAT WE'RE GOING DO AN ACROSS-THE-BOARD INCREASE FOR ALL CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES? WOULD YOU IMAGINE THAT, ERIK? >> WALSH: UNDER $130 MILLION WORTH OF REDUCTIONS OVER TWO YEARS? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: YEAH. I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION, I WANT TO HEAR YOU SAY IT. >> WALSH: WELL, THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD NOT MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO POLICE AND FIRE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: NO, NO, NO, THAT'S NOT THE PART I'M SAYING. SO RIGHT NOW -- I'LL FEED THAT. SO WE CANNOT INCREASE ANY OF THE NONPOLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT; WE ANTICIPATE THAT THOSE ARE GOING TO REMAIN EXACTLY THE SAME AS THEY ARE MINUS ANY -- YOU KNOW, ASIDE FROM ANY CUTS WE HAVE TO MAKE. IF ANYTHING, THEY'RE [01:35:02] GOING TO REDUCE, BUT RIGHT NOW EVERYTHING STAYS AT THE BASE. THERE'S NO CBAS THAT DICTATE WE HAVE TO RAISE THESE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, THE WAGES OF ANY OF THESE EMPLOYEES, NONE OF IT. SO RIGHT NOW, WE IMAGINE THAT THOSE 30-SOME-ODD DEPARTMENTS WILL ALL STAY EXACTLY THE SAME, RIGHT, MINUS SOME CUTS? >> WALSH: RIGHT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: FIRE, WE HAVE TO RAISE THE BUDGET, RIGHT, BECAUSE OF THE CBA? >> WALSH: WELL, I KNOW WHERE YOU'RE WALKING ME THROUGH. I THINK YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT LET ME GO BACK TO THE FIRST QUESTION. PART OF -- SEVERAL OF YOU MENTIONED IT, I MEAN, I KNOW TIMES ARE TIGHT AND WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS ON COMPENSATION LAST YEAR, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THE ABILITY AS ONE OF THE LARGEST EMPLOYERS IN THE CITY TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES, TOO, WHETHER WE'VE GOT A CONTRACT OR NOT. NOW, IF THE BOTTOM FALLS OUT AND WE'VE GOT TO -- AND IT'S TIGHT TIMES, THEN EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELT. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO BE IN THAT POSITION, BUT I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME, AS YOUR CEO. AND SO I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO DRAW A DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I GOT YOU. I GET WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO, YOU GET WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, BUT WE HAVE TO GO WITH WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO -- [LAUGHTER] >> WALSH: FAIR ENOUGH. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WHICH IS RIGHT NOW ALL THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS FLAT, THERE IS NOTHING THAT ALLOWS -- THAT DICTATES THEY HAVE TO GROW. WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO ENSURE THAT THEY DO. I WOULD LOVE TO ADVOCATE FOR -- ACROSS-THE-BOARD WAGE INCREASES, I'M SURE THERE'S MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES THAT WILL AS WELL. THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY TOUGH THING TO DO. IT DOESN'T MEAN WE WON'T TRY TO DO IT. WE WANT TO, WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT'S POSSIBLE AND HOW WE CAN PREVENT AS MANY CUTS AS POSSIBLE TO DEPARTMENT AND WE WANT TO RETAIN ALL OF OUR STAFF IF POSSIBLE. >> WALSH: RIGHT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: WE WANT TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN. WE HAVE TO YES INCREASE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE TO INCREASE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO EVEN WITH A DEFICIT, THOSE TWO DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO GROW. SO WE WOULD -- I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT ANY CUTS THAT HAPPEN TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE GOING TO BE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE UP FOR THE GROWTH IN THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENT. >> WALSH: YES. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND SO IF WE ARE TO IMPLEMENT A RATE INCREASE, THAT OFFSETS SOME OF THOSE LOLOSSES TO THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS BY DIRECTLY FUNDING POLICE AND FIRE. >> WALSH: THAT'S HOW I VIEW IT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. YOU CAN SHAKE YOUR HEAD, BUT YOU ARE NOT -- DON'T -- >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. >> WHYTE: THAT IS ABSOLUTELY. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: IT IS. >> MAYOR JONES: PLEASE DIRECT YOUR COMMENTS TO THE CHAIR. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: CLEAR POINT. IT WAS BROUGHT UP THAT WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR SENIORS, I THINK THAT'S A HUGE PRIORITY TO ALL OF US. THERE IS A RATE FREEZE FOR SENIORS, YES? >> WALSH: YES, SIR. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: SO SENIORS WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED BY ANY SUCH RATE INCREASE. >> WALSH: RIGHT. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: AND THAT'S TRUE FOR MEMBERS OF DISABILITY COMMUNITY AS WELL? RIGHT. OKAY. SO JUST A FEW OF THOSE POINTS I WANTED TO ADDRESS. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: GO AHEAD, ERIK. >> WALSH: JUST TO THE POINT I MADE. WE WENT THROUGH THIS, BUT TO YOUR QUESTION OR YOUR POINT AGAIN, COUNCILMAN, OUT OF THE ALMOST 254,000 HOMESTEADS WE HAVE, 116, ALMOST 117 OF THOSE HAVE CITY TAXES FROZEN. >> MAYOR JONES: MAYBE JUSTINA KNOWS THIS, BUT VERY QUICKLY, THE 30 POSITIONS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE REDUCED AS PART OF THE -- TO MEET THE $10 MILLION CUT, ARE THOSE POSITIONS FILLED CURRENTLY? ARE THEY -- THERE'S NOBODY IN THOSE SEATS. >> WALSH: NO, THEY PROBABLY ARE FILLED, MAYOR, BUT I SAY PROBABLY BECAUSE THIS WAS THE SNAPSHOT FROM LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF REDUCING NOT JUST POSITIONS, BUT SERVICES AND FUNCTIONS. >> MAYOR JONES: RIGHT, UH-HUH. >> WALSH: SO AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE 27 REDUCTIONS THAT WE HAD IN THE BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AND REVALIDATE. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. >> WALSH: AND FRANKLY, THEY MAY LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. MAYBE WE'LL -- WE'LL ADJUST THEM, BUT WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH THAT REVALIDATION PROCESS BETWEEN NOW AND THE JUNE 18TH. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MUNGIA? >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU. JUSTINA, WAS THE FISCAL YEAR '27, THE PROPOSAL I HAVE HERE, DOES THAT INCLUDE ANY INCREASES IN CIVILIAN PAY? >> TATE: THE FIVE-YEAR FORECAST THAT WAS PRESENTED INCLUDED INCREASES IN CIVILIAN PAY. IT WAS 3% ACROSS THE BOARD. >> MUNGIA: OKAY. SO THE PROJECTED DEFICIT THAT WE HAVE INCLUDES THE 3 -- >> TATE: YES, SIR. >> MUNGIA: OKAY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S CLEAR. CAN YOU GO TO SLIDE 15 REAL QUICK. >> MARTINEZ: SO, ERIK, I'M HOPING ON JUNE 18TH, EVEN -- YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S STILL A GOOD EXERCISE TO SHOW WHAT TYPE OF CUTS YOU'D BE RECOMMENDING, BUT I'M [01:40:01] HOPING YOU CAN DO IT IN A COUPLE WAYS. WE TALKED ABOUT THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, NOT NECESSARILY NAMES OR POSITIONS, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES, AND THEN THE DIFFERENT PAY RANGES OF THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT WOULD BE PLANNED TO BE CUT. BECAUSE I THINK IT'S GOING TO SHOW A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE IN -- YOU KNOW, WORKING-CLASS SALARY RANGES THAT MIGHT BE PROPOSED TO BE CUT, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL. I'D ALSO LIKE TO SEE THE PROPOSED CUTS, THE AMOUNT, BUT BASED ON DEPARTMENT ELIMINATION, ALL STARTING FROM THE BOTTOM GOING UP. SO THESE ARE THE LEAST FUNDED DEPARTMENTS, AND IF YOU START FROM THE BOTTOM AND YOU TAKE OUT THE ONES THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, CORE SERVICE THAT'S MANDATED, I'D LIKE TO SEE HOW MANY OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE CUT THROUGH THE PROJECTED DEFICIT THAT WE'D HAVE. SO OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO DEFICIT CUTTING, IT'S GOING TO BE -- OR SPENDING CUTS, IT'S GOING TO BE THROUGHOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS LISTED, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT AS FAR AS THIS IS, LIKE, WHAT, MAYBE 10 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED, ALL PROGRAMS, ALL EMPLOYEES, JUST TO PLUG THE DEFICIT. SO I THINK THAT'S ALSO ANOTHER WAY FOR US TO VIEW THAT IS HOW MANY OF THESE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THAT WE ALL DEPEND ON HAVE THAT. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. >> MAYOR JONES: DOES ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THE SECOND ROUND? COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANKS, MAYOR. THE ONLY ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT FROM OUR DISCUSSION YESTERDAY WAS ERIK MENTIONED TO ME THE LAST TIME THEY HAD TO DO THESE SIGNIFICANT CUTS WAS DURING COVID, AND IN THAT TIME, THEY ACTUALLY DIDN'T CUT ANY PEOPLE. SO I JUST SAID, WHAT DID THEY END UP ACTUALLY DOING? AND THE BIGGEST -- IT WAS ABOUT 185 MILLION AND 50 MILLION OF THAT WAS STREET MAINTENANCE PROJECTS THAT THEY JUST DEFERRED. JUST LIKE SAID, WE'RE NOT GOING TO TOUCH THESE FOR NOW. AND SO IF WE LOOK AT, LIKE, SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE WANT TO PROTECT OUR -- ALL OF THE FOLKS, LIKE COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO SAID, WHICH WE DO. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING MORE UNEMPLOYMENT BECAUSE THEN GUESS WHO'S GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR HOUSING SUPPORT, ET CETERA, LIKE ALL OF THE THINGS DOWN THE LINE, BUT ALSO -- I MEAN, $50 MILLION OF DEFERRED STREET MAINTENANCE IS BAD PLANNING. AND SO I -- IT'S A CORE SERVICE. STRAIGHT UP CORE. NOTHING ABOUT STREET MAINTENANCE IS NOT WHAT IS IN OUR CHARTER. SO I DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF US WOULD WANT TO SEE MORE POTHOLES OR STREET BREAKAGES BECAUSE WE'RE KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. AND HONESTLY, LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE FIVE-YEAR PROJECTION, WE ARE ACTUALLY -- AUDIO] -- TRYING TO DO THIS RIGHT NOW TO HELP US FOR FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, SO JUST THINKING ABOUT, LIKE, YES, THIS MIGHT BE A TOUGH DECISION FOR US TODAY, BUT THE COUNCIL AFTER US WILL BE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT WE HAVE MADE THESE DECISIONS TO HELP SUPPORT THEM. SO MAYBE THEY'LL GIVE A SHOUTOUT SITTING HERE FOUR YEARS FROM NOW IN FISCAL YEAR '31 WHEN THEY'RE AT A BETTER PLACE THAN WE ARE TODAY. AND THEN THE LAST THING, THE SLIDE THAT COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA JUST HAD UP WITH THE DEPARTMENTS OF LIKE THE SMALLEST DEPARTMENTS, AND THIS IS LIKE -- I WAS JUST THINKING AS HE WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE -- IF YOU GO FROM THE BOTTOM UP TO SEE WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT YOU COULD CONSIDER, LIKE, OKAY, ARE WE GOING TO REDUCE THE WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE, COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? AND I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING SHE'S SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT. SO LIKE -- AND AS WE ALL SHOULD BE, BUT LIKE GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF ACTUALLY HAVING MORE SUPPORT THERE TO ENSURE THAT OUR VETERANS ARE GETTING HOUSED SAFER. WE HAVE THE INTEGRATED COMMUNITY SAFETY OFFICE THAT'S BEEN DOING AMAZING WORK WITH DATA AND HAS A WHOLE TEAM OF DATA ANALYSIS FOLKS THAT ARE HELPING US DEVELOP OUR THIRD PART OF OUR VIOLENCE SAFETY PREVENTION PLAN, AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THERE. SO I'D JUST -- LIKE GOING THROUGH THOSE DEPARTMENTS, I'M LIKE WHAT ARE -- 3-1-1 CUSTOMER SERVICE, ARE WE JUST GOING TO TAKE MORE CALLS FOR OUR STAFF BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING RID OF SOME FOLKS AT 3-1-1? I MEAN -- RESPONSIBLE FOR AND HOW IMPACTFUL ALL OF THOSE EVEN REALLY DEPARTMENTS ARE, SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. THANKS, MAYOR. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ? >> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T CLOUD ANY SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS DOING THIS BECAUSE THERE'S CITY EMPLOYEES WORKING AS WE SPEAK THERE, SO I DON'T WANT ANY OF THOSE EMPLOYEES TO THINK THAT -- I MEAN, WE'RE LITERALLY TALKING ABOUT THEIR DEPARTMENT, SO I JUST WANT US TO BE MINDFUL OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CUTS, WE'RE -- TO DEPARTMENTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE ARE JUST MINDFUL OF THE EMPLOYEES WORKING THERE RIGHT NOW. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE SECOND ROUND? >> MARTINEZ: OKAY. [01:45:03] THE POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS, AT LEAST FROM THE LAST BUDGET, HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND, AGAIN, JUST KIND OF AMOUNT AND CIVILIAN POSITIONS, BUT AS I WAS MAKING NOTE ON MY OWN THING, IT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR US TO UNDERSTAND, AS I WAS MENTIONING EARLIER, WHAT DOES THE CUT ACTUALLY DO TO THAT ENTITY AND THEIR ABILITY TO DO WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO. SO SOME KIND OF CONTEXT THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND, HEY, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOLKS FROM THIS OFFICE, THEY'S ACTUALLY 20% OF THEIR OFFICE OR 1%. SO PERCENT OF THE FORCE WOULD BE HELPFUL HERE, AS WELL AS SOME QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE IMPACT OF THAT DECREASE IN PERSONNEL IN THAT OFFICE. LIKE WHEN YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO IMPACT BECAUSE SOMEBODY ELSE IS GOING TO PICK IT UP, LIKE WHAT, IN FACT, IS THE OTHER PERSON PICKING UP, RIGHT? OKAY. OKAY. WE ARE -- UNLESS YOU HAD ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO -- OKAY. WE ARE SCHEDULED TO TAKE A BREAK BASED ON THOSE TWO ITEMS, HAVING BEEN COMPLETE. ERIK, PLEASE PROVIDE A RECAP AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO BREAK. >> WALSH: SO WE'RE GOING TO -- WELL, I'LL PROVIDE A RECAP AT THE END OF THE DAY. >> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S FINE. >> WALSH: LET'S SEE HOW WE END THE DAY. >> MAYOR JONES: ALL RIGHT. WE WILL BREAK FOR 10 MINUTES. THANK ERIK, OVER TO YOU FOR THE NEXT PORTIONS. >> WALSH: THANK YOU, MAYOR. SO OUR NEXT PORTION IS ALANNA WHO WILL GO THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY SURVEY PRESENTATION. IT'S A RELATIVELY SHORT PRESENTATION, AND WE WILL GO DIRECTLY INTO DANIELLE'S PART OF THE PRESENTATION. ALANNA. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CO COUNCIL. I'M ALANNA REED, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND ENGAGE. F I'LL WALK YOU THROUGH THE SURVEY RESULTS AND SHARE HOW WE ENGAGE RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. THIS SURVEY IS AN IMPORTANT TOOL IN HELPING US BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT SERVICES MATTER MOST TO OUR COMMUNITY AS WE BEGIN SETTING PRIORITIES AND DEVELOPING THE FY 2027 BUDGET. THE FY 2027 BUDGET PRIORITY SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED FROM APRIL 1ST THROUGH MAY 1ST. THIS YEAR WE USED TWO COMPLEMENTARY ENGAGEMENT APPROACHES, THE SA SPEAK UP PUBLIC SURVEY, WHICH WAS OPEN TO ALL RESIDENT, AND A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY CONDUCTED BY ETC INSTITUTE. BOTH SURVEYS WERE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH TO SUPPORT ACCESSIBILITY AND BROADER PARTICIPATION, AND THE GOAL WAS SIMPLE, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHICH CITY SERVICES RESIDENTS BELIEVE SHOULD RECEIVE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET CYCLE. THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION WAS STRONG AGAIN THIS YEAR. IN TOTAL, WE RECEIVED 9,554 RESPONSES THROUGH SA SPEAK UP, 8,355 ONLINE SUBMISSIONS, AND 1,199 PAPER SURVEY RESPONSES, AND THOSE PAPER SURVEYS WERE DISTRIBUTED AT O LIBRARIES, OUR SENIOR CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, IT WAS ALSO DURING FIESTA, SO WE GOT OUT TO SOME EVENTS AS WELL AND WITH PARTNER LOCATIONS. ACROSS BOTH ONLINE AND PAPER PARTICIPATION, SEVERAL THEMES CONSISTENTLY EMERGED AS TOP PRIORITIES. HOMELESS SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, FIRE AND EMS, POLICE SERVICES AND STREETS. THE CONSISTENCY ACROSS ENGAGEMENT CHANNELS REINFORCES THAT RESIDENTS REMAIN FOCUSED ENCORE QON CORE, QUALITY OF LIFE AND PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES. IN ADDITION TO THE OPEN PARTICIPATION SURVEY ON SA SPEAK UP, ETC INSTITUTE WAS HIRED TO CONDUCT A STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY. KEY POINTS INCLUDE 1,104 COMPLETED SURVEYS, A MARGIN OF ERROR OF PLUS OR MINUS 2.9% AT A 95% CONFIDENCE LEVEL, AND REPRESENTATION FROM ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS. THE SURVEY WAS CONDUCTED THROUGH MAIL, PHONE AND ONLINE WITH ADDITIONAL PARTICIPATION ENCOURAGED THROUGH TEXT MESSAGES, E-MAILS AND SOCIAL MEDIA ADVERTISING. THIS METHODOLOGY ALLOWS THE CITY TO COMPARE PRIORITIES CONSISTENTLY AND CONFIDENTLY ACROSS DISTRICTS AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE GEOGRAPHIC PARTICIPATION ACROSS THE CITY IN THAT STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY. ONE OF THE GOALS OF THE STATISTICALLY VALID SURVEY WAS MAKING SURE THAT ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS WERE REPRESENTED AND EACH DISTRICT HAD ABOUT 100 COMPLETED SURVEYS. [01:50:03] ETC INSTITUTE ALSO DESIGNED THE SAMPLE TO CLOSELY REFLECT THE COMMUNITY ACROSS AGE, GENDER, RACE AND ETHNICITY. THAT HELPS GIVE US CONFIDENCE THAT THE RESULTS REPRESENT PRIORITIES FROM RESIDENTS ACROSS SAN ANTONIO AS WE MOVE INTO YOUR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS. WHEN RESIDENTS WERE ASKED TO IDENTIFY THEIR HIGHEST SERVICE PRIORITIES, SEVERAL CATEGORIES CLEARLY ROSE TO THE TOP. THE HIGHEST RANKED PRIORITIES OVERALL WERE HOMELESS SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, POLICE SERVICES, STREETS, FIRE AND EMS. AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORDER RANKING FOR FIRST PLACE, THAT THAT'S THAT RIVERWALK TEAL COLOR, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT WITH AFFORDABLE HOUSING BEING THE FIRST CHOICE, FOLLOWED BY POLICE SERVICES, HOMELESS SERVICES, STREETS AND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES. OVERALL, THESE RESULTS REFLECT CONTINUED RESIDENT INTEREST IN BALANCING PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE, HOUSING STABILITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE INVESTMENT. IN CLOSING, I WANT TO THANK THE RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATED. THE COUNCIL OFFICES THAT HELPED PROMOTE ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS WHO ASSISTED WITH OUTREACH THROUGHOUT THE CITY. THANK YOU, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. WE'LL BE SHARING THE COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY RESULTS WITH YOUR OFFICES AS WELL, AND POSTING THEM TO SA SPEAK UP. AND I'M -- I'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS AFTER THIS, AND ALSO HAVE RYAN MURRAY, HE'S THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RESEARCH WITH ETC INSTITUTE AVAILABLE AS WELL. >> WALSH: JUST AS SHE'S COMING TO THE PODIUM, DANIELLE PARKER AND HER TEAM WITH THE PFM HAVE WORKED FOR US -- OR WORKED WITH US -- WELL, AND FOR US, I GUESS, FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR ON A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS. AND THE FIRST ENGAGEMENT THAT WE HAD WITH PFM, WHICH IS A MUCH LARGER COMPANY THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK IN PUBLIC FINANCING AREAS, AND DANIELLE AND HER TEAM WERE PART OF THE GROUP THAT PRESENTED BACK TO THE COUNCIL LAST YEAR ON -- ON THE BUDGET HYBRID METHODOLOGY THAT WE HAVE BEEN EMPLOYING -- THAT WE EMPLOYED LAST YEAR, THAT WE'RE EMPLOYING THIS YEAR AS WE GO INTO 2027. DANIELLE HAS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS AREA, YOU ALL HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO HER INDIVIDUALLY, BUT HER AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB FOR US TO GETTING US TO THIS POINT, AND IT HAS BEEN GREAT WORKING WITH THEM IN TERMS OF THEIR INTUITIVE SENSE ABOUT THE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT AND GOOD PUBLIC POLICY AROUND BUDGETING. DANIELLE, I HYPED YOU UP THERE A LITTLE BIT. NO PRESSURE. >> PARKER: THANK YOU SO MUCH, MY NAME IS DANIELLE SCOTT PARKER. I'M A DIRECTOR AT PFM AND AS ERIK JUST SAID, WE'VE HAD A LONG STANDING WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY. OVER THE YEARS, MOST RECENTLY WITH THE E BUDGET METHO METHODOLOGY WORK THAT WE WORKED WITH Y'ALL LAST YEAR. AND I THINK THAT THIS WORK AND THE EFFORT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH YOU ALL TODAY ON IS REALLY BUILDING UPON THAT. PFM WEARS A BUNCH OF HATS, AND OUR CONSULTING PRACTICE REALLY FOCUSES ON THE ISSUES OF MANAGEMENT, BUDGET. REALLY AT THE INTERSECTION OF POLICY, OPERATIONS AS WELL AS FINANCE AND BUDGET. WE FEEL REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT THE VALUE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BUDGET FOR OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, FOR RESIDENTS, AND FOR COMMUNITIES OF ALL SHAPES AND SIZES, AND IN OUR WORK ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SUPPORTING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, WE REALLY THINK THAT IT'S ESSENTIAL AS THE MOST IMPORTANT POLICY DOCUMENT THAT IT IS DATA-DRIVEN, STRATEGIC, THOUGHTFUL, AND ALL OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, VERY IMPORTANT, CAN BE BUZZWORDS, BUT I THINK REALLY VALUES IS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IN THE WORK OF THE CITY SO FAR. AND IN THE THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH EACH OF YOU OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST HANDFUL OF WEEKS. SO WHAT WE REALLY HOPE TO GET OUT OF TODAY'S SESSION IS HELPING TO CONTINUE TO HIGHLIGHT THE CITY'S BUDGET PICTURE, THE OPTIONS AROUND BALANCING THE BUDGET AND CONTEXT. WE WILL REPORT OUT ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD FROM YOU ALL AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR THE CONTINUED CONVERSATION AND FOR THE THOUGHTS THAT Y'ALL SHARED WITH ME AND MY TIME UP UNTIL THIS POINT ALREADY IN OUR SORT OF ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS. AND THEN WE'LL LIKELY SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN THE AFTERNOON TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THE EVALUATION OF CITY SERVICES AND PROGRAMS AND FUNGSZS THAT ARE NOT -- FUNCTIONS THAT ARE NOT MANDATED OR PRIORITY FOR FUNDING CUTS, SO I THINK ALL OF THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT AS WE THINK ABOUT WHAT THE BUDGET LOOKS LIKE -- NOT-SO-EASY TASK OF DEVELOPING AND SORT OF THINKING ABOUT -- IN AUDIO] -- SO I THINK THERE'S A CONSENT SUS, AND Y'ALL HAVE HEARD IT AND DISCUSSED IT A LITTLE BUILT THIS MORNING AROUND THE NEED FOR IMMEDIATE [01:55:04] ACTION. SAN ANTONIO IS, LIKE ITS PEERS, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, OF FOLKS REALLY HAVING TO CONTEND WITH RAPIDLY GROWING COSTS AND SOMEWHAT STAGNANT OR SOFTER GROWING REVENUES ON THE OTHER SIDE. YOU ALL WILL HAVE TO EXPLORE A COMBINATION OF SOLUTIONS THAT INCLUDE NOT ONLY NEW REVENUE AND AS WELL AS BUDGET SOLUTIONS, AND I THINK IT'S INTERESTING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING IN CONTEXT THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT VERSUS THE NEED TO DO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO MAKE ADDITIONAL INVESTMENTS AND TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE PRIORITIES THAT Y'ALL HAVE ARTICULATED TO ME AND MY TEAM, AND THAT YOU'VE CONTINUED TO ARTICULATE TO THE PUBLIC ARE BEING ABLE TO BE FUNDED. SO WHAT WE HEARD AND WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT THERE'S A HANDFUL OF OPTIONS ALREADY AROUND THE TABLE AROUND REVENUE WHEN IT COMES TO PROPERTY TAXES, EMS TRANSPORT FEE, BUT THERE WILL NEED TO LIKELY BE A COMBINATION OF THINGS BROUGHT TO THE TABLE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS THE VARIOUS SOLUTIONS. AND THIS NEED TO SORT OF DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS ARE VERY MUCH PART OF WHAT I THINK THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM SUPPORTED THE CITY ON LAST YEAR, REALLY SORT OF STOOD UPON. YOU ALL REALLY WANTED TO ENSURE THAT YOUR BUDGET PROCESS WAS AS THOUGHTFUL, STRATEGIC, TRANSPARENT AND DATA-DRIVEN AS POSSIBLE, AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY WHERE OUR RECOMMENDED HYBRID BUDGET APPROACH, AS WELL AS WHERE THE CITY IS NAVIGATING. IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE AND HAS CONTINUED TO NAVIGATE, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SEEING. LEMPLEGING SORT OF THE -- LEVERAGING SORT OF THE BEST OF THE SORT OF DIFFERENT BUDGET APPROACHES OUT THERE FROM ZERO-BASED, TARGET, LEVERAGE OUTCOME, LEVERAGING THE REVIEW PROCESS THAT REALLY HELP TO SORT OF TAKE A DIAGNOSTIC APPROACH AT SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, BUT THEN ALSO REALLY THINKING ABOUT A METHODOLOGY THAT EVALUATES THE BUDGET BASED ON -- AT THE TIME IT WAS CORE/NONCORE, BUT YOU'LL SEE IN A SECOND REALLY BASED ON MANDATED PRIORITY AND THEN ALL OTHER CITY SERVICES. AND ALL OF THESE THINGS COME TOGETHER TO HOPEFULLY MAKE AT LEAST THE TRANSPARENCY AROUND WHAT THE IMPACTS OF THESE CUTS ARE, WHERE THE NEEDS ARE FROM A REGULATORY AND POLICY STANDPOINT VERSUS A COMMUNITY IMPACT AS WELL. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THIS SORT OF LENS, THIS NEW LENS AROUND BUDGET DECISION-MAKING, FOCUS ON -- SERVICE THAT MUST BE DELIVERED, SO THAT'S THINKING ABOUT THE GRADUATIONS OF THE LEGAL AUTHORITY. SO THE TEXAS OR THE U.S. CONSTITUTION, STATE LAW, FEDERAL LAW, THE CITY CHARTER, AND THEN ALSO INCLUSIVE OF VOTER-APPROVED BOND OR REFERENDUMS, AND THEN THE NONMANDATED PIECES IS SORT OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT FALLS INTO THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPERATIONS AROUND WHAT CITY SERVICES LOOK LIKE. AND SO THOSE PIECES, WHILE OFTENTIMES OUTLINED IN YOUR CITY CODE OR IN CONTRACTS OR ORDINANCES, CERTAINLY REPRESENT IMPORTANT AND VITAL SERVICES ARE UP TO THE DISCRETION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE CITY TO ENSURE TO FUND AND TO MANDATE -- OR TO IMPLEMENT OVER TIME. AND SO WE HAVE ASKED AND SORT OF TAKEN INTO OUR CONSIDERATION A LOT OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL AROUND WHAT FALLS INTO THESE PRIORITY SERVICES VERSUS CITY SERVICES AS A PART OF THE LENS THAT THE BUDGET WILL BE SORT OF AVAILABLE TO BE CONSIDERED ON. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FOCUS IN ON WHY THE MANDATE PIECE IS ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT. IT'S THE PIECES OF Y'ALL'S CITY SERVICES AND BUDGET THAT MUST BE FUNDED FIRST, OTHERWISE YOU'RE SORT OF REPRESENTING OR SETTING THE CITY UP FOR SOME MATERIAL RISKS THAT ARE NOT I THINK AGREEABLE OR WORTH THE HASSLE TO NAVIGATE. THOSE ARE THE PIECES. AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE, PARTICULARLY WHEN REVENUES ARE CONSTRAINED, THE OTHER PIECES ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED AFTER THE SORT OF MANDATED OBLIGATIONS ARE MET. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR THAT THE MANDATED DISTINCTION DOESN'T JUST REFLECT THE LEGAL OBLIGATION AND COMMUNITY VALUE OR POLICY PRIORITY. IT WILL BE A CHALLENGE TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AND REPRESENTS FOR THE CITY, BUT WE KNOW THAT THESE BUDGET DECISIONS AROUND PRIORITY AND CITY SERVICES ARE LIKELY GOING TO INVOLVE TRADE-OFFS SO WE'LL HAVE TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE FULL PICTURE. I DID THAT FRAMING HERE AROUND THE MANDATED PIECE IN PARTICULAR IS REALLY IMPORTANT. YOU'LL NOTICE AS YOU GO THROUGH THE INFORMATION IN YOUR BINDERS AND THE TEMPLATES THAT THE CITY STAFF HAVE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO PORE INTO IS THE BUDGET FOR EACH OF THE BUDGETS WAS BROKEN INTO INTO WHAT'S MANDATED, WHAT'S PRIORITY AND WHAT'S A CITY SERVICE. SO AS WE WERE PREPARING TO HELP THE CITY THINK ABOUT WHAT FALLS IN THOSE CATEGORIES WE SORT OF KNEW WHAT THE MANDATES WERE, BUT WHAT'S THE PRIORITY? SO OUR TEAM SPENT TIME ONE-ON-ONE WITH Y'ALL REALLY [02:00:05] HOPING TO GET TO RESPONSES AND INSIGHTS FROM Y'ALL ON THESE FOUR QUESTIONS AROUND WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR YOUR DISTRICT AND FOR THE CITY AS A WHOLE? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE MOST CRITICAL TO ADDRESS IF RESOURCES WERE LIMITED. AND INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THAT YOU NEEDED TO PRIORITIZE, MAINTAIN OR REDUCE FUNDING? WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE? AS WELL AS ARE THERE PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY FUNDED THAT MAY NOT CLEARLY BE CONSIDERED, CLEARLY CONTRIBUTING TO DESIRED OUTCOMES? SO AGAIN, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THINGS ARE TRANSPARENT, DATA DRIVEN, OUTCOMES DRIVEN. SO WE HAVE TAKEN A LOT OF THAT GUIDANCE AND THAT'S WHAT'S REALLY INFORMING SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE AT YOUR DISPOSAL. SO I WANT TO LAY OUT SOME KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR TODAY THAT I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT AS YOU ARE THINKING ABOUT AND PARTICIPATING AND EVALUATING NEXT STEPS. THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE OUTCOMES ARE, REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS IN ON THE COMMUNITY IMPACT RATHER THAN JUST THE SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OR LINE ITEMS, THINGS LIKE WHAT THE IDEAL OR OUTCOME YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE, THE BENEFITS TO DO THESE INVESTMENTS, CONSIDERING A MULTI-YEAR STRATEGY WHICH I KNOW HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT ALREADY TODAY. THAT'S TALKING ABOUT NOT ONLY THIS YEAR IN THIS BUDGET DEFICIT THAT Y'ALL ARE NAVIGATING, BUT ALSO WITH THE LONG-TERM PRIORITIES AND FROM A STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE MAY HELP TO COLOR SOME OF THAT DECISION-MAKING EFFECTIVENESS VERSUS EFFICIENCY, HOW WELL PROGRAMS ARE DELIVERED AND HOW RESOURCES ARE BEING USED. HOW CAN YOU BETTER LEVERAGE PARTNERSHIPS. AND THINKING OF THE BUSINESS OF THE CITY VERSE A DELEGATE PARTNER AND WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR THE CITY TO CONTINUE BEING SORT OF THE BEST OR THE MOST EFFICIENT OR THE BEST USE OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER VERSUS ANOTHER PARTNER ENTITY WITHIN THE REGION. AND THEN AGAIN THE CITY MANDATES VERSUS POLICY PRIORITIES AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S SOMEWHAT OF A DIFFERENTIATION DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO. SO I WANT TO SPEND THE BULK OF MY TIME REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE HEARD FROM YOU ALL. SO TOP THREE PRIORITIES, I DON'T THINK ANYONE WILL BE SURPRISED, PUBLIC SAFETY, INFRASTRUCTURE AND HUMAN SERVICES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY IT'S THINKING ABOUT INCREASES TO PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENCE AND DETERRENTS, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO ISSUES AROUND SPEEDING, GUN VIOLENCE AND PROPERTY THEFT. MAINTAINING STRONG FIRE AND EMS RESPONSE CAPABILITIES. RESPONSE CAPABILITIES ALSO CAME UP IN COORDINATION WITH 311, WITH COORDINATION AROUND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, AND MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S EXPANSION OF SUPPORT AND PRIORITIZATION OF THE PIECES THAT ENSURE ARE ENSURE RESIDENT. IMPROVING STREETS AND STREET MOBILITY WITH A FOCUS ON THE PRIORITIZATION OF THE D AND F STREETS AND ENHANCEMENTS. ON THE HUMAN SERVICES SIDE, HOMELESS RESPONSE AND EXPANSION OF SOCIAL SERVICES, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT A LOT OF GOOD PROGRAMMING. AND EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON AND FOLKS WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ALL DON'T USE MOMENTUM AROUND THAT WORK. AND A SPECIFIC CALLOUT FOR MAKING SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE CONTINUING TO SUPPORT AND CARE FOR YOUR SENIORS. AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S ACCESS TO PUBLIC SPACES FROM PARKS, LIBRARIES, COMMUNITY AND SENIOR CENTERS AS WELL. SO IN THE PRESENTATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE, WE SORT OF REALLY GET IN THE WEEDS ON LIKE WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE. WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE LAST SLIDE AROUND ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, FIRE, EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INFRASTRUCTURE, SIDEWALKS AND STREETS. AND THERE'S SOME REAL, I THINK, CONSENSUS IN AREAS THAT AS Y'ALL ARE THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE WANT TO PRIORITIZE FUNDING, BUT ALSO AS YOU ALL THINK ABOUT THE NEEDS FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE HOW YOU CAN THINK ABOUT THESE THINGS FROM A MULTI-YEAR PERSPECTIVE AND KNOWING THAT IF YOU MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THIS YEAR, IS THERE A LONG GAME TO BE PLAYED FOR SOME OF YOUR OTHER PRIORITIES THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IN THE NEXT YEAR AND FUTURE YEAR BUDGETS? WE HEARD A FAIR AMOUNT LIKE I SAID ABOUT HOMELESS SUPPORT SERVICES AND RECOGNITION AROUND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH. EXPANDING SOME OF THE REALLY STRONG PROGRAMMING THAT Y'ALL ARE SEEING THAT RESIDENTS HAVE ARTICULATED ARE HELPFUL AND BENEFICIAL. AND THEN MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S CONTINUED SUPPORT AROUND THESE COMMUNITY SPACES, PARKS AND LIBRARIES AND SENIOR CENTERS WITH A STRONG SUPPORT FOR ACCESS AND THE FACILITIES THEMSELVES, AND PERHAPS SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK DIFFERENTLY ABOUT PROGRAMMING AND EVALUATING WHAT THE LEVEL OF SERVICES [02:05:01] LOOKS LIKE BASED ON NEED, BASED ON UTILIZATION AND USAGE. ON THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRONT, MANY FOLKS TALKED ABOUT NEEDING AN INTEREST AND EVALUATION OF TIRZS AND INVESTMENTS THERE, ENSURING THAT THE INVESTMENTS ARE TANGIBLE AND THE BENEFITS AND IMPACT ARE FOCUSED IN JOB CREATION AND BUSINESS ATTRACTION. EFFICIENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AS WELL, MAKING SURE THAT NOT ONLY ARE YOU ALL IN THE CITY RUNNING FROM A PERSPECTIVE OF PROVIDING HIGH VALUE SERVICES BUT THAT THE THOUGHTFUL WORK THAT Y'ALL ARE PUTTING TIME AND EFFORT AND DOLLARS INTO PLANNING ARE BEING LEVERAGED IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. AND THEN WE DID HEAR AGAIN ABOUT THE THOUGHTS AND THINKING AROUND WHAT'S THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY ROLE AND MAKING SURE THAT BY AND FAR THAT THERE'S SUPPORT FOR EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE BOARD. SO AGAIN, WHAT WE HEARD WAS VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH THE RESPONSES FROM THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, WHICH I THINK IS HELPFUL TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME GENERAL CONSENSUS AROUND WHAT YOU ALL THINK THE PRIORITIES ARE. AND HOW I THINK AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT FROM A BUDGET CUT PERSPECTIVE WHERE THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON THIS LIST AND SORT OF NOT HIGHLIGHTED IN SOME OF THE EARLIER SLIDES IN OUR CONVERSATION MAY BE WORTH CONTINUING TO EXPLORE. SO WHAT THIS SLIDE DOES IS PROVIDE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE CITY BUDGET FROM A MANDATED PERSPECTIVE, SO THE BIG SORT OF TWO-THIRDS CHUNK, THAT IS YOUR MANDATED CITY SERVICES WHERE YOU'VE GOT ALMOST MORE THAN 72% OF THE BUDGET IS A MANDATE BASED ON THE CHARTER, CONSTITUTION, VOTER REFERENDUMS. OF THOSE MANDATED SERVICES, ALMOST% YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY -- ALMOST 40% YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY. THINGS THAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM RESIDENTS, THAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM YOUR CONSTITUENTS THAT YOU THINK ARE A MAIN PRIORITY FOR THE BUDGET AND PRIORITY FOR THE CITY. OF THE REMAINING CHUNK THAT WERE NOT IDENTIFIED AS MANDATED SERVICES, THAT'S ABOUT 27%. YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 12% OF THAT THAT YOU AGAIN HAVE IDENTIFIED AS A PRIORITY THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY MANDATED BY THE CHARTER OR ONE OF THE OTHER OBLIGATING ENTITIES. SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXAMPLE TO GET A FLAVOR ON WHAT THIS CAN LOOK LIKE AROUND WHEN A MANDATED SERVICE; WHAT A PRIORITY SERVICE IS AND WHAT A CITY SERVICE IS. AND WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING FOLKS AND THINK THAT THE CONVERSATION THIS AFTERNOON WILL REALLY FOCUS ON IS LOOKING AT THE CITY SERVICES IN EACH OF THOSE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES AND IDENTIFYING THERE WHERE THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO THINK ABOUT THINGS DIFFERENTLY, WHETHER YOU THINK THAT FROM A PRIORITIZATION STANDPOINT THAT THE PRIORITIES THERE ARE ACCURATELY REFLECTING WHERE YOUR DOLLARS THINK THEY SHOULD BE GOING BASED ON WHAT YOU ALL HAVE ARTICULATED AND REALLY MOVING FORWARD WITH A DISCUSSION THAT HOPEFULLY HELPS TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT AS THE CITY STAFF GO INTO DEVELOPING THAT TRIAL BUDGET. SO THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WILL BE FOR THIS AFTERNOON IS ARE THE CITY SERVICES -- ARE THERE CITY SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE PRIORITY? ARE THERE CROSS-CUTTING TOPICS OR SERVICES THAT SHOULD BE EVALUATED FOR REDESIGN OR FOR FUNDING REDUCTIONS? AND ARE THERE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO INCREASE REVENUE OR TO REDUCE SPENDING THAT THE CITY SHOULD CONSIDER? THAT'S REALLY WHERE I THINK THE MOST VALUE AND THE INSIGHT THAT YOU ALL CAN PROVIDE WILL BE MOST HELPFUL AS IN THIS SORT OF PERIOD BETWEEN NOW AND THE TRIAL BUDGET IN A HANDFUL OF WEEKS. >> DANIELLE, CAN WE GO BACK ONE SLIDE? >> ABSOLUTELY. >> I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE COUNCIL, I THINK I SHARED WITH SOME OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY, THIS WAS A VERY -- YOU ALL HAD TALKED ABOUT ELEMENTS OF THIS LAST YEAR. THIS WAS A PRETTY INTENSE PROCESS FOR THE PEOPLE BEHIND YOU TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME -- THERE ARE SOME INTUITIVE AND NON-INTUITIVE REACTIONS WHEN YOU SEE THINGS LIKE TECHNICALLY A COMMUNITY CENTER IS NOT MANDATED OR EMS, BUT THEY ARE THINGS THAT ARE OBVIOUSLY INGRAINED IN WHAT WE DO IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THE DEPARTMENTS WORK REALLY HARD ALONG WITH THE CITY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND THE BUDGET OFFICE TO HELP BREAK IT DOWN IN THIS WAY. WE'VE NEVER DONE IT THIS WAY, AND I THINK IT JUST -- IT'S ANOTHER LENS OR ANOTHER DIMENSION FOR YOU TO LOOK AT, BUT THIS TOOK A LOT OF WORK BECAUSE IT'S NOT A NATURAL BREAK BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE TECHNICALLY NOT MANDATED BUT ARE OBVIOUSLY THINGS THAT ARE NEEDED AND REQUIRED IN, [02:10:04] FRANKLY, ANY MUNICIPALITY IN THIS COUNTRY. HATS OFF TO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS SITTING BEHIND YOU TODAY BECAUSE THEY DID A LOT OF WORK TO GET TO THIS POINT. THANKS. >> MAYOR JONES: POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON THE CONSTRUCT. SO FOR EXAMPLE, MANDATED. WHEN YOU LOOK AT PARK MAINTENANCE, THERE'S NOT A LEVEL OF SERVICE. THAT'S MANDATED, THOUGH. >> THAT'S CORRECT. >> MAYOR JONES: SO SOME OF THESE THINGS WE HAVE TO YOUR POINT TO DO DIFFERENTLY OR DO DIFFERENT THINGS. >> DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY OR DO DIFFERENT THINGS. >> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S HELPFUL AS WE THINK ABOUT ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES. >> THANK YOU ALL. >> MAYOR JONES: WE ARE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. I THINK I ACTUALLY -- I KNOW WE'RE NOT SCHEDULED TO HAVE QUESTIONS ON WHAT SHE JUST PRESENTED BUT I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT, DANIELLE, IN CASE ANY OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION YOU JUST PROVIDED. >> ABSOLUTELY. >> MAYOR JONES: JUST GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT SHE PROVIDED. COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK IN WHAT YOU DID. SO YOU WENT OVER THE EXERCISE AND THANK YOU, ERIK, FOR BRINGING IT UP ON PAGE 18, THE DAY-TO-DAY. NOW, BETWEEN THE MANDATED AND THE PRIORITY, DID WE ASK THE DEPARTMENTS -- I THINK THIS IS KIND OF WHAT ERIK WAS TALKING TO, MANDATED PARK MAINTENANCE, COMMUNITY CENTERS, PRIORITY. CITY SERVICE CULTURE PROGRAMMING. IF I LOOKED AT THAT, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME RESIDENTS THAT ARE GOING TO SAY THEY VALUE CULTURAL PROGRAMMING IN THE PARK RATHER THAN HAVING THE COMMUNITY CENTER. DID WE ASK THOSE QUESTIONS OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF WHAT DID THEY RAPING IN PRIORITY AND CITY SERVICE WHAT IS MORE POPULAR IN THE COMMUNITY? >> NO, MA'AM, WE DIDN'T. THAT IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE UTILIZING AS WE LOOK AT THIS STUFF. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. I THINK IT'S GOING TO VARY FROM WHICH SIDE OF TOWN IN DISTRICT TO DISTRICT, BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORTS AND I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE KEY AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND I THINK AS WE TALK ABOUT WHAT WE PRIORITIZE AND HOW WE TAKE THIS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT NEXT SLIDING TO RAISE THE PROPERTY TAXES. THANK YOU FOR THAT. JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: IN CASE IT INFORMS ANYONE ELSE'S QUESTIONS, YOU SAID THE ANALYSIS WAS COMPLETED ON 91.2% OF THE GENERAL FUND. WHAT WAS NOT INCLUDED? >> THANK YOU, MAYOR. SOME OF THE THINGS THAT -- SORRY. WE DID IT ON ALL THE PUBLIC-FACING DEPARTMENTS, THOSE TYPES OF ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. >> MAYOR JONES: PROTECTING YOURSELF. [LAUGHTER]. >> MAYOR, EVERYONE HAS TO GET PAID EVERY TWO WEEKS. YOU CAN'T CUT THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT. [LAUGHTER]. >> MAYOR JONES: UNDERSTOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO. >> GAVITO: I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU, DANIELLE. THIS IS PHENOMENAL WORK. I THINK IT IT PROVIDED US STRUCTURE TO IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE VERY UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS. SO I THINK THAT STRUCTURE IS NEEDED. NONE OF US WANT TO SEE -- TO COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN'S POINT, SOME OF THESE THINGS CAN BE MORE MEANINGFUL TO OTHERS, BUT WE NEEDED THAT STRUCTURE TO THIS THESE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS. I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU KUDO. THANK YOU FOR HELPING US WITH THIS. >> THANK YOU. AND KUDOS REALLY GO TO THE CITY STAFF WHO PUT IN SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT TO THINK ABOUT THIS. >> VIAGRAN: YES. I WILL ADD THAT -- THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF BECAUSE EVEN JUST THE MINDSET SHIFT THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO THINK OF THESE AGAIN UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, BUT ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY CONVERSATIONS ESPECIALLY GIVEN OUR OUTLOOK. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: YEAH, THANKS, MAYOR. WHEN WE PUT FORTH THAT ZERO BASED BUDGETING CCR A YEAR AND A HALF OR SO AGO, THIS IS REALLY EXACTLY WHERE OR CLOSE TO EXACTLY WHERE I WAS HOPING WE WOULD GET. SO I ALSO WANT TO THANK ERIK, THE TEAM, STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW THAT A LOT OF WORK WENT INTO THIS. WHEN YOU'RE DIGGING WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT AND REALLY [02:15:03] TRYING TO IDENTIFY WHAT IS WHAT IS NECESSARY AND WHAT IS NOT AND WHAT IS CORE TO THE CITY AND WHAT IS NOT, THAT'S AN EXHAUSTIVE EXERCISE OR EXHAUSTING EXERCISE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU TO THE PFM GROUP FOR YOUR WORK IN HELPING WITH THAT. TO ME I WANT TO CONCLUDE IN SAYING THIS IS REALLY -- I SEE IT AS A THREE-STEP PROCESS. LIKE NUMBER ONE IS DOING THIS WORK AND IDENTIFYING WHAT WE ACTUALLY REALLY HAVE TO DO AND NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON AND WHAT IS EXTRA. NUMBER TWO IS US GOING TO BE HAVING THE WILL TO SAY OKAY, WE NEED TO PUT OUR DOLLARS TOWARDS WHAT WE THINK OUT CITY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE DOING, WHAT WE ARE MANDATED TO DO. AND THREE IS HOW DO WE GET AS EFFICIENT AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, CUTTING OUT THE WASTE, CUTTING OUT THE REDUNDANCIES AND FOCUSING THE DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE FIND DIRECTLY ON OUR CITY PRIORITIES AND AGAIN, WHAT THE CITY IS MANDATED TO DO. SO THIS IS THE FIRST STEP BUT ALL YOU CAN DO IS GIVE US THE STRUCTURE. THEN IT'S GOING TO TAKE THIS BODY TAKING THIS TOUGH DECISIONS AND FOCUSING THE MONEY ON WHERE IT SHOULD GO. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OF DANIELLE? OH, COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZÁLEZ. >> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. THIS LOOKS A LOT NICER THAN OUR CONVERSATION. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. ON SLIDE 18 THOSE MANDATED SERVICES TOTAL WILL 72%. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH THAT HAS GROWN OR CAN -- MAYBE NOT NOW, BUT. >> I DON'T HAVE THAT RIGHT NOW BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT. WE CAN LOOK BACK AT '26 AND -- I'M SORRY, '25, AND DO THE SAME EXERCISE. >> GONZÁLEZ: AND ANY POLICY AROUND THAT, THE MANDATED SERVICES DON'T EXCEED A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE. WE'RE AT 72% SO I'M CURIOUS IF -- >> THAT'S A GREAT POINT, COUNCILWOMAN. I THINK WE WERE SO FOCUSED ON TRYING TO GET TO HERE, BUT -- BLESS YOU. WHAT IS THE HISTORICAL LOOK-BACK BASED ON THIS CATEGORIZATION, YES, WE CAN DO THAT, ABSOLUTELY. >> GONZÁLEZ: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION. ON THAT SLIDE, SLIDE 18, DO WE HAVE THIS BREAKDOWN FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND HOW HARD WOULD IT BE TO GET THIS BREAKDOWN FOR ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND ALL OF THE SERVICES? >> INCLUDED IN YOUR BINDER IS 21 DEPARTMENTS AND THOSE ARE THE PUBLIC-FACING DEPARTMENTS. ON THOSE EACH DEPARTMENT HAS THEIR OWN SHEET AND IT BREAKS OUT THEIR BUDGETS BY MANDATED, PRIORITY SERVICES AND OTHER SERVICES. THAT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR BINDER. >> KAUR: OKAY. THANK YOU. I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY INTERESTING LIKE THE EXAMPLE YOU PROVIDED BY SA CORE. THAT'S BEEN ONE OF OUR MOST SUCCESSFUL PROGRAMS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND IT'S ACTUALLY CROSS-DEPARTMENTAL. I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING ONE. AND ADAPTATIONS, FOSTER AND RESCUE LISTED AS A CITY SERVICE. I'M PRETTY SURE ALL OF OUR NON-PROFITS THAT DO THE WORK, ACS CANNOT DO WHAT THEY DO WITHOUT THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING ADOPTIONS, FOSTER AND RESCUE. IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU BREAK IT UP THIS WAY BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT MANDATED AND PRIORITY, BUT THOSE OTHER CITY SERVICES ARE INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AS WELL. THE ONLY OTHER QUESTION I HAVE OR QUESTIONS IS LIKE DID YOU GUYS TRACK LIKE HOW MANY -- WHAT WE'VE HEARD, HOW MANY PEOPLE SAID THESE ARE THE TOP THINGS? >> SURE. >> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENTS? >> KAUR: LIKE WHAT WE'VE HEARD, TOP THREE PRIORITY AREAS ARE LIKE IN THESE INFRASTRUCTURE THINGS. LIKE HOW MANY -- >> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE CITY COUNCIL INPUT? >> KAUR: YEAH. >> I THINK I WITH ANSWER THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK FOR DANIELLE, BUT IT WAS HER GENERAL IMPRESSIONS OF Y'ALL'S CONVERSATIONS, SHE DIDN'T TALLY OR SCORE FOR LEGAL REASONS, SO IT'S REALLY JUST HER IMPRESSIONS OF HER CONVERSATIONS AND TO SET A FRAMEWORK FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION. >> KAUR: GOT IT. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE TOP THREE PRIORITY AREAS AND HALF OF THOSE THINGS ARE EXPANSIONS OR GROWTHS OF PROGRAMS. SO JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. [02:20:01] THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO ASK QUESTIONS OF DANIELLE AND THE PRESENTATION? OKAY. DANIELLE, I'M CURIOUS BECAUSE AGAIN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT'S MANDATED BUT ACTUALLY HOW WE GO ABOUT MEETING THAT OR DEFINE WHAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, OBVIOUSLY ONE EXPRESSION OF THAT IS OUR FY26 24/7 SECOND QUARTER REPORT WHICH OUTLINES THE THINGS THAT WE UNDERSTAND TO BE WHAT RIGHT LOOKS LIKE. AND SO SOME OF THESE IN FACT HAVE TO DO WITH THE MANDATED. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RESPONSE TIMES FOR POLICE AND RESPONSE TIMES FOR FIRE. DID YOU -- HAVE YOU SEEN THIS DOCUMENT BY CHANCE? >> I HAVE NOT REVIEWED IT IN CONTEXT OF THIS IN DETAIL. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. I SAY ALL THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUTCOMES AS YOU POINT OUT, THAT -- THESE ACTUALLY SHOW US HOW WELL WE'RE DOING TOWARD WHAT WE SAID WE WANTED TO DO AND IF WE HAVE ROOM BECAUSE MAYBE WE'RE OVERACHIEVING IN SOME OF THESE AREAS IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY MEETING A MANDATE BUT DOING BETTER THAN WE EXPECTED. HOW MIGHT WE UNDERSTAND WHAT HEADSPACE WE HAVE IN THAT AREA. UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THESE, LIKE LOWER IS BETTER, UNDERSTOOD, BUT WHAT LEVEL ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH UNDERSTANDING THAT ALLOWS YOU TO INVEST IN EITHER OTHER MANDATED OR OTHER PRIORITY AREAS. I WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO LOOK AT THIS IF THEY HAVEN'T TO SEE HOW WELL WE'RE MEETING SOME OF THESE ALREADY OR IN FACT SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THEY'RE NOT RELATED TO SOME OF THE MANDATED FUNCTIONS WHERE WE HAVE HEADSPACE. A HELPFUL DOCUMENT. OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? I THINK THAT'S IT, ERIK, UNLESS YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ON THIS? >> NO. I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT BREAK, COUNCILWOMAN, IF THE COUNCIL WANTS TO LOOK AT THE 21, THE BREAKOUTS OF THE 21, CERTAINLY DURING THE BREAK, THEN WE CAN HAVE TIME AFTERWARDS TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION. >> MAYOR JONES: GREAT. OKAY. >> THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, AND THANKS TO THE TEAM AS WELL. WITH THAT WE WILL BREAK FOR LUNCH AND COME BACK AT 12:30. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. THE TIME IS NOW 12:50 AND WE'LL RECONVENE AND BEGIN DISCUSSION ON PRIORITIES, GOALS AND BUDGET REDUCTIONS. MAKE A FEW OPENING REMARKS. THERE WILL BE TWO ROUNDS OF COUNCILMEMBER SPEAKERS, EACH HAVING 10 MINUTES AND THEN OF COURSE FIVE MINUTES IN OUR SECOND ROUND. YOU KNOW, FORTUNATELY, AT LUNCH, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW QUICKLY THIS WAS GOING. AND THAT'S IN LARGE PART BASED ON, AS ERIK AND I DISCUSSED, IT'S A LOT EASIER WHEN YOU REALIZE THERE'S NOT EXTRA RESOURCES AND I THINK THAT THE STAFF DID A REALLY GOOD JOB -- A GOOD JOB OF LAYING OUT OUR IMMEDIATE CHALLENGES ARE, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE LONG-TERM CHALLENGES THAT ARE ONLY EXACERBATED IF WE DON'T SAY SOME SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO HOW WE GO ABOUT NOT ONLY LOOKING AT REVENUE STREAMS, BUT ALSO POTENTIAL REDUCTIONS IN SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT, AS WAS POINTED OUT, ARE MANDATED ASPECTS, THOUGH, IN LARGE PART, MANY OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL FOCUS ON THIS TIME ARE NOT TERRIBLY DIFFERENT GIVEN THE FOCUS AND THE ATTEMPT TO IDENTIFY THOSE ITEMS LAST TIME -- IN THE LAST BUDGET, RATHER. SO FUNDING OUR NO-FAIL MISSIONS, MINIMIZING ANY LONG-TERM IMPACTS TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE, AND, OF COURSE, MINIMIZING ANY LONG-TERM IMPACTS AS A RESULT OF SOME OF THE REDUCTIONS. I THINK WE DO, AS YOU HEARD ME ARTICULATE EARLIER, ACTUALLY, IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL OPTIONS TO BRING IN NEW REVENUE STREAMS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT PRIORITIZING, NOT ONLY A BALANCED BUDGET ACROSS THE TWO YEARS BUT REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN HELP OURSELVES. I THINK THE POINT THAT COUNCILMEMBER KAUR MADE EARLIER IN TERMS OF HOW MIGHT WE -- EVEN IF WE'RE NOT IN THE SEATS, BUT HOW MIGHT WE HELP ABOUT THINKING OURSELVES AND OUR COMMUNITY DOWN THE LINE WITH MAKING SOME OF THESE SMARTED, STRATEGIC DECISIONS NOW WHEN IT COMES TO ADDITIONAL REVENUES INTO OUR COMMUNITY. ONE OF THE THINGS I WILL ALSO ASK THAT WE LOOK AT, ERIK, WHEN WE'RE THINKING IN PARTICULAR ABOUT SOME OF THESE MANDATED FUNCTIONS, IS IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE THOSE SAME SERVICES AND MAYBE POTENTIALLY IN A MORE [02:25:04] COST-EFFECTIVE WAY. I -- YOU KNOW, TO LEVEL SET FOR EVERYBODY, WHEN HE AND I SPOKE, THE $10 MILLION THAT IS -- THAT NEEDS TO BE CUT FOR '27, THE 10 MILLION AS IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED, THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE EXACT 10 MILLION THAT'S CUT, BUT IT DOES GIVE EVERYBODY AT LEAST A SENSE OF WHERE -- WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT LOOK DIFFERENT IN THE FINAL OUTCOME. I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS WILL BE -- THE POINT THAT I MADE EARLIER, WHICH IS WE KNOW WE ALL WANT TO MAKE SURE, ESPECIALLY OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY FOLKS, HAVE WHAT THEY NEED. I THINK THE OTHER COMPLEMENT OF THAT IS REALLY SHOWING THE PUBLIC THE WAYS IN WHICH WE'VE TRIED TO MINIMIZE ANY UNNECESSARY COSTS, RIGHT, AS A RESULT OF MAYBE DOING THINGS IN A -- I'LL JUST SAY, INEFFICIENT WAY, RIGHT? SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE'RE -- WE HAVE, WHATEVER WE PROPOSE, WE HAVE -- YOU KNOW, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT IN EFFICIENCIES, WE'VE LOOKED AT IT IN OTHER WAYS TO DO THIS. THIS IS LITERALLY THE BARE MINIMUM THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE -- I'LL USE THE TERM -- MANDATED SERVICES OR PRIORITY SERVICES, BUT WE REALLY FEEL LIKE WE HAVE KIND OF CUT TO THE BONE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. AS MENTIONED, I'M GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, ERIK, IN TERMS OF -- AND THAT'S WHY REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF SOME OF THOSE CUTS ON THE OVERALL ABILITY OF THAT ENTITY, JUST TO ACCOMPLISH THAT FUNCTION. IF YOU CUT IT SO MUCH AS TO WHERE IT'S NO LONGER DOING WHAT YOU NEED TO DO, PRESE PRESENTING THAT AS, HEY, THIS IS ACTUALLY BELOW NOW WHAT SOMEBODY WOULD FIND ACCEPTABLE FROM THAT ENTITY, RIGHT, AND SAY -- SO THEN WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION, DO WE JUST GO AHEAD AND ACTUALLY CUT THAT COMPLETELY, POTENTIALLY REPURPOSING SOME OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, OF COURSE, BUT IF WE'RE NOT PROVIDING A LEVEL -- TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT ONE WOULD EXPECT, MIGHT WE SERVE OURSELVES BETTER BY NOT DOING THAT AND REALLOCATING THOSE RESOURCES AND PERSONNEL. I AM LOOKING AT A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF BOTH THE BUDGET AND THE BOND, SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I ECHO THE -- MY COMMENTS -- EXCUSE ME, MY COLLEAGUE'S FOCUS ON PARTICULAR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, ONE THAT I'M LOOKING FOR TO SEE HOW MUCH WE CAN POTENTIALLY GET DONE, BOTH THROUGH THE BUDGET AND THE BOND, IDEALLY SAYING WE'RE TASK COMPLETE ON ALL OF THE KLEIN FELDER REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN GET IN THERE IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, OF COURSE, AND JUST IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING A LOT OF HELP FROM THE STATE ON SOME OF THOSE FLOOD-RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS SO NECESSARY IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS MENTIONED, YOU'VE ALSO HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM LEVEL OF SERVICE IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT IS SENIOR CENTERS. AND SO IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY, ERIK, TO COME UP WITH WHAT IS THAT BASIC LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT EVERYBODY SHOULD EXPECT, HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO HAVE THAT SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE ACROSS OUR CITY, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THE BOND AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF THIS BUDGET, RIGHT? BECAUSE I THINK, AS WAS MENTIONED, THERE ARE MANY MULTIYEAR THINGS THAT WE JUST NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE DO WITH CBAS FOR OUR PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS. I THINK A KEY PART OF THE COMMUNICATION STRATEGY WITH THE PUBLIC AS WELL WILL BE COMMUNICATING THE INNOVATIONS, TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN, THAT SHOW THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE USE OF THOSE THINGS IN THE INTEREST OF ONE, COST SAVINGS, BUT ALSO EFFICIENCY, ERIK, SO LAYING THOSE OUT, I.E. WE'RE SPENDING A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON ENTITY X. WE THINK, AS A RESULT OF THAT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SAVE TIME, BETTER SERVE RESIDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, AT CAPACITY X, Y AND Z. I THINK THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WHERE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT'S ACTUALLY AN INVESTMENT AND A COST SAVINGS OVERALL IS IMPORTANT. ONE OF THE THINGS IN PARTICULAR THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO INVEST IN, BECAUSE I THINK IT PAYS DIVIDENDS NOT ONLY FOR US AS A CITY, BUT ALSO FOR THE ENTITIES THAT WE OWN, IS OUR DIGITAL TWIN. THIS IS A CONVERSATION I'VE HAD WITH CRAIG FROM I.T. AND THE INNOVATION FOLKS, BUT A DIGITAL TWIN ALLOWS YOU TO UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, THE CITY ABOVE AND BELOW GROUND, AND WHAT IT DOES IS ALSO TEM YOU BETTER PLAN, RIGHT? [02:30:02] AND I KNOW, FRANKLY, ONE OF THE AREAS -- ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT IS -- HAS BEEN CUT OVER TIME AND IS PROPOSED POTENTIALLY FOR CUTS AS WELL IS OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT. SO THE WAYS, THOUGH, IN WHICH WE CAN LEVERAGE TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTIONS TO BETTER HELP US DO THAT, NOT ONLY FROM A, HEY, I NEED SUZIE TO GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B FASTER, IN LIGHT OF, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF THE MAJOR INVESTMENTS AND CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN DOWNTOWN, BUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN ALSO HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND THE TRAJECTORY OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IN A CERTAIN AREA AS A RESULT OF ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN OUR DIGITAL TWIN TO THE EXTENT THAT ONLY HELPS OUR CONVERSATIONS, BUT ALSO HELPS US BETTER PLAN THE UTILITIES. OKAY. YOU'VE HEARD MY COMMENTS AS WELL, BUT I WILL FOOT STOMP MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A TIGHT CONNECTION BETWEEN CLOSING ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE AUDIT REPORTS TO ENSURE THAT WE CAN TIE -- AS A RESULT OF THOSE BEING IMPLEMENTED, WE HAVE SAVED X AMOUNT OF MONEY. I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, GOOD-NEWS STORY FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE TRACKING AND PAYING ATTENTION TO HOW WE UTILIZE THOSE REPORTS TO INFORM OUR INVESTMENTS AND PROVIDE BASIC LEVEL OF ACCOUNTABILITY. OKAY. I'LL SAVE THE REST OF MY COMMENTS. THE FIRST INDIVIDUAL THAT HAS SIGNED UP IS COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ? THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AGAIN, THANK YOU, STAFF, FOR THE PRESENTATIONS THAT Y'ALL HAVE GIVEN TODAY AND ALL THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD UP TO THIS POINT. AND ALSO FOR THE INFORMATION YOU PROVIDED IN THIS BINDER. I WENT THROUGH THE INVENTORY OF CITY PROGRAMS AND WHAT WAS CONSIDERED MANDATED, PRIORITY, VERSUS AN ALTERNATIVE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE, AND I WANTED TO SEE WHAT WOULD ALL THAT LOOK LIKE IF WE WERE TO LOOK JUST AT THE SERVICES THAT ARE NOT MANDATED OR PRIORITY, AND IT LOOKS LIKE ABOUT 231.1 MILLION, WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT, IF YOU LOOK AT IT LIKE THAT, AND THEN YOU START GOING THROUGH THE LIST AND YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT INCLUDE? AND IF YOU LOOK AT FIRE, YOU KNOW, $13.8 MILLION, WHICH INCLUDES SA-CORE AND INCLUDES HEALTH AND WELLNESS FOR OUR FIREFIGHTERS, IS THAT AN AREA THAT WE WANT TO CUT? THOSE ARE THE TWO HIGHEST PORTIONS OF THAT BUDGET. WITH METRO HEALTH, 32 MILLION. DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMMING, IS THAT AN AREA THAT WE WANT TO SEE CUT, AND WHAT HAPPENS IF WE DO THAT? YOU LOOK AT HUMAN SERVICES, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CHILD AND YOUTH SERVICES, IT'S HEAD START, 22.1 MILLION, DO WE WANT TO CUT THOSE PROGRAMS OR ANYTHING ELSE WITH THEM. I'M NOT SAYING THOSE ARE THE ONLY TWO WITHIN THAT, THOSE ARE THE LARGEST PORTIONS OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THAT, SO I'M JUST LISTING A FEW THINGS. WITH THE LIBRARY, $16.5 MILLION, ADULT AND CHILD SERVICES, TEEN SERVICES, DO WE WANT TO GIVE LESS PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITIES FOR OUR TEENAGERS AND YOUNG PEOPLE TO GO DO? AND THEN YOU LOOK AT POLICE, $94.1 MILLION. AND THIS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CRITICAL RESPONSE TEAM, MENTAL HEALTH UNIT, FUSION INTELLIGENCE. I CAN'T EVEN FIND WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT CLEAR PROGRAMS THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE CUT IF WE HAD TO GO THROUGH IT THIS WAY. AND SO EVEN THOUGH I UNDERSTAND THE GOAL OF DOING THIS WAS TO HAVE A MORE PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT OUR PRIORITIES ARE AS A BODY AND WHAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, BE THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT IN TERMS OF POTENTIAL CUTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE, I STILL DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE. WE'RE ABSOLUTELY NOT THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT'S GOING TO BE AN EASY CUT BASED OFF OF THIS LIST THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO US, BASED OFF DISTINGUISHING MANDATED VERSUS BRIE ORTY VERSUS EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE EVEN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T CONSIDERED PRIORITY OR MANDATED ARE VERY MUCH PRIORITIES OF US OR PRIORITIES OF THIS BODY AND PRIORITIES OF MANY OF US WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW, AND SO I STILL SEE A BIT OF CONFLICT IN OUR FUTURE, AND I THINK WHAT I WANT -- WHAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO ME IS IF WE COULD GO THROUGH EACH OF THESE -- EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES TO LOOK, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR ACS, IT'S ADOPTIONS, FOSTER, RESCUE, THOSE ARE THREE -- THAT'S A HORRIBLE ONE TO LOOK AT. LET'S DO CENTER CITY DEVELOPMENT. DOWNTOWN ACTIVATIONS, WHAT ARE THE PERSONNEL-RELATED COSTS, WHAT ARE THE COMMODITIES, WHAT ARE THE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, I WOULD LIKE A BREAKDOWN OF EACH OF THOSE. AND I THINK WE NEED TO -- WHAT I WANT US TO FIGURE OUT ULTIMATELY IS THERE AREA -- IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO SCALE DOWNY OF THESE PROGRAMS? ARE THERE ANY VACANCIES WITHIN THESE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE BUDGETING FOR BUT HAVEN'T BEEN FILLED FOR A YEAR? ARE THERE ANY -- WHAT IS THE -- ARE THERE PEOPLE WHO PROBABLY NEED A PROMOTION BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK OF A [02:35:02] VACANCY? LIKE WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN. I KNOW THAT'S GOING TO BE PRETTY COMPLEX. YOU HAVE UNTIL JUNE. IF YOU COULD IN ANY WAY HELP BREAK THIS DOWN EVEN FURTHER, BECAUSE I STILL DON'T KNOW THAT IF THE GOAL IS FOR US TO HAVE A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT ARE SOME POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS, I STILL DON'T KNOW THAT WE'RE THERE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND, AGAIN, THANK YOU, TEAM. AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE CITY STAFF WHO REALLY MAKE THE CITY RUN. IT'S GOING TO BE A -- THE HIGHEST PRIORITY FOR ME IS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU HAS A JOB, MUCH TO COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO'S POINT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS, WE'RE NOT -- WE DON'T WANT TO PLACE YOU ON THAT LINE. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WHO ELSE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK, PLEASE SIGN IN SO DEBBIE CAN TRACK IT. COUNCILMAN MUNGIA? MEUNGZ THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK AND THE LEVEL THAT WE'RE GETTING FOR A TOUGH CONVERSATION. I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE OF TRAGIC EVENTS ONE THAT TOOK PLACE IN DISTRICT FOUR RECENTLY, ANOTHER ONE WAS RIGHT OWED SIDE D4 IN D6, IN DISTRICT FOUR WE HAD WHAT PEOPLE THOUGHT WAS A CAR ACCIDENT ON VALLEY HI AND 410. IT WAS A -- IT TURNED OUT TO BE A SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE OFFICER HAD PULLED A CAR OVER AND, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY KILLED HIS WIFE AND THEN COMMITTED SUICIDE. JUST PULLED OVER ON A HIGHWAY AND DID THAT. 100, 200 FEET ARE HOUSES RIGHT THERE. AND EVERYBODY, OF COURSE, READ THE SITUATION ON RICHLAND HILLS OVER THERE BY COUNCILMAN GALVAN. THESE ARE INCIDENTS THAT HAPPENED CLOSE TO WHERE WE LIVE AND IT WAS A TRAGIC SITUATION OF A MOTHER WITH SOME SEVERE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES WHO BASICALLY KILLED HER KIDS IN A CAR FIRE INTENTIONALLY. SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT CUTTING SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, AND ESPECIALLY THE NONPROFITS AND SERVICES, YOU KNOW, I WONDER WHAT THINGS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, WHAT PROGRAMS THESE PEOPLE COULD HAVE HAD ACCESS TO TO PREVENT THESE TRAGEDIES THAT WERE SENSELESS. TALK ABOUT THE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE IN THE CITY, THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS THAT SOMEBODY GOES THROUGH THAT IS OKAY WITH DOING THAT TYPE OF ACTIVITY. AND AT WHAT POINT DO THESE CUTS TO THESE VERY IMPORTANT SERVICES MAKE THE JOB OF A POLICE OFFICER EVEN HARDER? BECAUSE I WORK WITH SAFE FOR A LONG TIME AS A STAFFER, AND THEY'LL BE VERY QUICK TO TELL YOU, THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY CAN DO, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF ISSUES THAT THEY'RE BEING FORCED TO ADDRESS AND SEE THAT'S NOT IN THE PURVIEW OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND THEY DO THEIR BEST TO MAKE REFERRALS, BUT THE MORE WE TAKE AWAY THESE SERVICES AND HAVE THESE ISSUES HAPPEN ON THE BACK END, THE MORE POLICE ARE HAVING TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES. AND SO I THINK OVER ALL THE YEARS I'VE WORKED WITH THEM, THEY REALIZE, YOU KNOW, THE NEED FOR ALL THESE OTHER THINGS TO HAPPEN, BECAUSE THEY'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, WE CANNOT DO THAT. IT'S JUST SIMPLY NOT OUR PURVIEW, AND THEY'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, WE NEED RESOURCES FOR THESE FOLKS. ALL THE POLICE OFFICERS THAT DEAL WITH HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS WILL TELL YOU, WE NEED PLACES FOR THESE PEOPLE TO GO, RIGHT? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE CLEAR, THAT WHILE WE'RE PROTECTING AND PRESERVING PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS A PRIORITY OF THIS COUNCIL, IT'S OBVIOUSLY A PRIORITY OF THE SURVEY RESPONSES, IT CAN ALSO STRAIN AND MAKE THEIR JOBS HARDER BY DOING AND REMOVING THESE OTHER PIECES OF THE BUDGET. SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. AND THAT, YEAH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE PREVENTABLE, AND THEY'RE PREVENTABLE BY GOOD PROGRAMS AND GOOD EDUCATION. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS KNEW THAT POINT ALSO. SO THOSE ARE ALL MY COMMENTS FOR NOW. BUT I DID THINK IT WAS INTERESTING, THE SURVEY RESPONSE, AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE THAT BY DISTRICT, CONTINUED FOCUS ON HOMELESS PREVENTION AND HOMELESS SERVICES, THAT WAS STILL NUMBER ONE. AFFORDABLE HOUSING, PUBLIC SAFETY, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT PEOPLE VALUE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE SHOULD ALSO TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THE PAPER SURVEYS, BECAUSE I THINK MOST OF THE PAPER SURVEYS ARE PROBABLY FILLED OUT BY SENIOR CITIZENS, SO WE SHOULD JUST KIND OF MAKE SURE WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT ALSO AS WE GO ALONG. AND, ERIK, MAYBE ALSO -- I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE PRESENTATION, THE 3.5%, BUT COULD YOU ALSO SHOW US WHAT THE OPTIONS ARE FOR, YOU KNOW, 1%, 1.5%, KIND OF THOSE INCREMENTS TO SEE HOW MUCH MONEY COULD BE YIELDED. OBVIOUSLY, WE'D STILL NEED TO MAKE CUTS NO MATTER WHAT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO SEE LIKE, EVEN IF WE DON'T -- A MONTH FOR SOMEBODY, BUT THAT MEANS WE CAN CUT LESSON THE OTHER SIDE. AND -- LESS ON THE OTHER SIDE. AND THE OTHER THING I'D BE INTERESTED IN, WE HAVE A LOT OF EXISTING PLAN, STRATEGIC PLANS, GOALS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS WEIGHED IN, THE COUNCIL HAS VOTED ON AND [02:40:04] SUPPORTED AND HOW MUCH OF THOSE THINGS WOULD BE CUT OR IDENTIFIED THOSE STRATEGIC PLANS THAT THIS COUNCIL HAS MADE A PRIORITY. ACS HAS -- PLAN, BUT WITH ANY CUTS OF THAT DEPARTMENT, HOW ARE WE PUSHING BACK THE GOALS OF THAT -- REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO FUND ALL THESE THINGS AND PUT A LOT OF MONEY IN WHEN THERE'S A HUGE TRAGEDY IN A SITUATION, SOMEONE DIED AS A RESULT OF A DOG ATTACK AND SUDDENLY THIS COUNCIL RUSHED T AND PUT ALL THIS MONEY IN THAT HAD BEEN NEEDED FOR MANY YEARS, BUT WE MADE THE INVESTMENT, BUT NOW THAT WE'RE A FEW YEARS OUT, AND TALKING ABOUT MAKING SOME CUTS, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT WHAT WE'VE SAID IN MOTION. I WELCOME WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR US. NOT JUST ACS, WE HAVE THE STRATEGIC PLANS FOR SA TOMORROW, THOSE GOALS, THE SHIP PLAN, SOME OF THESE CUTS IN STAFF REDUCTION, HOW IS THAT GOING TO IMPACT THINGS THAT WE HAVE ALL PREVIOUSLY SAID ARE PRIORITIES FOR THE CITY, SO... THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE? >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. I DON'T HAVE A LOT NEW TO SAY, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW THINGS. AGAIN, THE TAX INCREASE THAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS STILL GOING TO LEAVE US $155 MILLION IN THE HOLE IN FISCAL YEAR '31. IT IS MERELY A DELAYING OR PUTTING A BAND-AID ON THE PROBLEM THAT IS NOT GOING AWAY. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ AND I HAD A CONVERSATION THE OTHER DAY, AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE ABOUT THE NEED TO BRING MORE REVENUE INTO THE CITY. THE ANSWER IS NOT TAXING PEOPLE SO THAT THEY PAY MORE FOR WHAT THEY ALREADY HAVE. THE ANSWER, OF COURSE, IS GROWING THE REVENUE BASE IN SAN ANTONIO. HAVING MORE PEOPLE INVEST IN LAND HERE, PUTTING MORE MONEY IN PEOPLE'S POCKETS SO THAT THEY SPEND MORE IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED MORE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THIS CITY. WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE THAT. COUNCILMAN MUNGIA AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT PERHAPS GETTING A B SESSION TOGETHER AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE TO TALK ABOUT IT, WHAT OUR STRATEGY IS THERE, BECAUSE IN THE THREE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, I CAN PROBABLY COUNT ON ONE HAND THE AMOUNT OF TIMES WE HAVE REALLY SAT DOWN TO STRATEGIZE ABOUT WHAT OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PLANS ARE. WE -- THE ONLY WAY OUT OF THIS IS TO GROW THE REVENUE BASE HERE IN OUR CITY. AND THAT STARTS WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE OF AN EMPHASIS ON THAT MOVING FORWARD. I KNOW WE ALL JUST MET WITH THAT CONSULTING GROUP WHO IS GOING TO HELP US IN THAT REGARD. THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT -- TO ME ABOUT THE TURNAROUNDS WE'VE SEEN IN FORT WORTH, SOME OF THE THINGS BEING DONE UP IN PLANO. I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN TAKE FROM THAT, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE WHAT THEY SAID TO ME IS YOU HAVE TO INVEST -- ABOUT TODAY, THAT, AGAIN, ARE ALL GOOD PROGRAMS. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ JUST MENTIONED A FEW OF THEM, I KNOW THAT THEY DO GREAT WORK, THEY PROVIDE SOME IMMEDIATE SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE. LONG-TERM IS HOW WE HAVE TO THINK. WE HAVE TO MAKE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW IMMEDIATE DIVIDENDS TOMORROW, BUT DOWN THE LINE. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS. FROM THE PRESENTATION WE SAW EARLIER, IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ALMOST $250 MILLION THAT WE'RE SPENDING IN PROGRAMS THAT ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, MANDATED FOR US AS A CITY GOVERNMENT. AND, TO ME, BEFORE WE EVEN BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT ASKING THE PUBLIC TO PAY MORE IN PROPERTY TAXES, WE NEED TO LOOK THERE AT FRANKLY WHAT HAS TO GO. AND THESE ARE -- THESE ARE HARD DECISIONS. AND WE CAN ALL, YOU KNOW, TWIST OUR MINDS INTO THINKING, WELL, THIS PROGRAM DOES THIS AND IT CAN ACTUALLY THEORETICALLY HELP THIS CORE FUNCTION DOWN THE ROAD, I GET IT. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS TODAY. ADDITIONALLY, I WANT TO READ SOME OF THESE THAT WERE IN SOME OF THE BACKUP DOCUMENTS HERE, JUST SO -- SOME QUICK EXAMPLES OF WHERE WE'RE SPENDING SOME MONEY HERE. $1.3MILLION FACILITATING [02:45:07] DOWNTOWN EVENTS AND PARK RENOVATIONS. $1.5MILLION TENANT RELATIONS AND EVENT COORDINATION AT LA VILLITA. $500,000 ESSENTIALLY THE SAME FUNCTION AT LA VILLITA, TENANT RELATIONS AND EVENT COORDINATION AT A CITY-OWNED COMMERCIAL PROPERTY. $300,000 CONDUCTING FAIR ACCESS IMPACT REVIEWS. $500,000, WHICH, BY THE WAY, IS AN INTERNAL ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTION. $500,000 DEVELOPING ANALYTICAL TOOLS FOR FAIR PRACTICES AND VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, WHICH IS LIKE A CONSULTING FUNCTION THAT WE HAVE -- THAT WE HAVE INSIDE OUR CITY GOVERNMENT. $300,000 SISTER CITY PROGRAMS FACILITATING INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC ENGAGEMENTS THAT ARE PRIMARILY CEREMONIAL. $400,000 FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL AND DIPLOMATIC FUNCTIONS, $100,000 PROMOTING SAN ANTONIO TO FOREIGN STUDENTS. THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON. AND YOU CAN SAY, WELL, THIS PROGRAM DOES DO THAT AND IT COULD BENEFIT US HERE. DO WE NEED ALL OF THAT WHEN WE AREN'T FIXING STREETS FAST ENOUGH? WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH POLICE OFFICERS, WE'VE GOT THESE OTHER CORE CITY FUNCTIONS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO AND PROVIDE SERVICES AT A HIGHER LEVEL? I MEAN, DO WE NEED ALL OF THAT? AND THIS IS JUST -- I MEAN, MY STAFF, REBECCA ON MY TEAM DID AN AMAZING JOB AND SHE'S GOT THIS COLOR CODED ON THINGS THAT ARE ABSOLUTE CUTS AND OTHERS THAT WE NEED TO SCRUTINIZE, AND I COULD SPEND THE REST OF MY 10 MINUTES, YOU KNOW, GOING THROUGH IT ALL, BUT MY POINT IS JUST, THAT IS OUR WORK. AS A CITY GOVERNMENT, WHEN WE ARE IN THIS TYPE OF POSITION, WE NEED TO BE GOING THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS AND SAYING, DO WE NEED IT OR NOT? YOU ADD A BUNCH OF THIS UP -- AND, AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING TO CUT ALL OF THIS, BUT A LOT OF THESE HAVE "SCRUTINIZE" NEXT TO IT, THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE DOING, LOOKING AT EACH ONE OF THESE. I BET THERE'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS JUST IN THESE THREE PAGES THAT WE COULD FIND IF WE TOOK THE TIME TO GO THROUGH AND DO IT. AND I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE BEGINNING THIS PROCESS, AND I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD AND I'M SURE THAT I'VE ALREADY LOST THAT BATTLE, BUT -- BUT COME ON. LIKE NOW'S THE TIME, AND THIS IS IMPORTANT. AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING MORE MONEY OUT OF PEOPLE'S POCKETS FOR TAXES, YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS WORK BEFORE YOU TAKE THEIR MONEY. I'VE GOT MY FAVORITE LINE IN HERE, THAT WE HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM, NOT A REVENUE PROBLEM. AND WE DO. I MEAN, WE DO. WE DO HAVE A SPENDING PROBLEM. THERE IS NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. BUT WE SHOULD ALSO FOCUS ON GROWING -- GROWING REVENUE. AND NOT BY TAXING PEOPLE, BY CREATING DEVELOPMENT, BY INCENTIVIZING COMPANIES TO COME HERE AND HIRE OUR PEOPLE AND PAY THEM MORE SO THAT THEY GO OUT AND SPEND IN OUR COMMUNITY. THAT'S -- THAT'S THE WAY OUT OF THIS. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION -- AND I WAS THANKFUL THAT MY COLLEAGUES IN DISTRICT 7 AND 6 ON THE BUDGET BOOK MEMO, ERIK, THAT WE SENT YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU FOR OTHERS THAT HAVEN'T SEEN IT, BUT I THINK WHILE OUR BUDGET BOOK IS GREAT AND IT'S NICE AND EVERYTHING, I DO THINK THERE'S A BETTER WAY, A MORE CLEAR WAY THAT WE COULD PRESENT THE BUDGET BOOK. DALLAS AND HOUSTON HAVE SOME REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES WHERE THINGS ARE MORE EASILY IDENTIFIABLE. EVERYTHING'S SORT OF MORE IN ONE PLACE. I HAVE THOSE EXAMPLES, I'D LOVE TO SHARE THEM WITH YOU, IF I HAVEN'T, BECAUSE I THINK THAT MOVING FORWARD -- I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S TIME TO DO IT FOR THIS YEAR, BUT MOVING FORWARD, I THINK MAKING THE BUDGET BOOK MORE EASY TO UNDERSTAND AND READ, NOT JUST FOR COUNCILMEMBERS, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC, WOULD BE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE I HAVE HAD QUESTIONS IN THE PUBLIC ABOUT THEM, HEY, MARC, I CAN'T FIND THIS, WHERE DO I GO? I HAVE TO GO THROUGH DIFFERENT PLACES TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION? SO I WAS PLEASED THAT MY COLLEAGUES JOINED ME IN THAT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, IF WE COULD DO SOMETHING THERE MOVING FORWARD. BUT OVERALL, THAT'S -- THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'VE GOT. I JUST THINK WE HAVE A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM WITH THE WAY WE'RE SPENDING OUR MONEY. I'M PLEASED THAT WE'RE MAKING THESE EFFORTS. THANK YOU, AGAIN, TO STAFF FOR -- FOR DIGGING [02:50:03] IN AND LET'S MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO NOW AND GET ON A PATH TO MORE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY MOVING FORWARD. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN ALDARETE GAVITO. >> WALSH: MAJOR, JUST REAL QUICK. >> MAYOR JONES: GO AHEAD. >> WALSH: JUST A REMINDER FOR THE COUNCIL, WE DO HAVE A B SESSION IN JUNE, IT'S EITHER THE THIRD OR THE TENTH, WHERE THAT CONSULTANT THAT YOU -- THAT THE COUNCILMAN REFERRED TO THAT I THINK MOST OF YOU SPOKE TO IS COMING BACK AND PRESENTING TO THE COUNCIL ON THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL TO KIND OF WEIGH IN ON SOME OF THE THINGS THE COUNCILMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT. >> GAVITO: THANK YOU FOR THIS WORK. I WILL REITERATE THAT, YES, THIS IS TOUGH CONVERSATIONS, THESE ARE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, THESE ARE UNCOMFORTABLE CONVERSATIONS, BUT IT IS ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY THAT WE DO THIS BEFORE WE HIT RESIDENTS IN THE POCKETBOOK. IT IS A TOUGH TIME FOR EVERYBODY RIGHT NOW, AND I THINK JUST OUT OF RESPECT FOR OUR RESIDENTS, WE HAVE TO MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS BEFORE EVEN ENTERTAINING AN IDEA OF RAISING PROPERTY TAXES ON THEM. I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ ON SOME OF -- MORE OF THAT GRANULAR LEVEL OF DETAIL, HEAD COUNT, PERSONNEL IMPACTS. YOU KNOW, READING THROUGH SOME OF THESE DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THAT SOME OF THE CITY SERVICES BUDGET IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN THE MANDATED BUDGET. SO I THINK THAT THAT'S INTERESTING, THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO LOOK AT. I DO WANT TO SAY, ONE THING I REALLY FEEL THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON HERE IS PARTNERSHIPS. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THE COUNTY HAS ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, THEY ALSO HAVE A LIBRARY, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT -- LIBRARY, SORRY. SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'VE NOT NECESSARILY HAD THE BEST RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM. WE'VE GOT TO GET OVER THAT. WE'VE GOT TO GET OVER THE EGOS AND WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE DUPLICATION OF SERVICES WITH THE COUNTY SO THAT WAY WE CAN -- YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN THIS BIND, TOO. AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO EXPLORE. COUNCILMAN MUNGIA, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT NONPROFITS ARE EXTREMELY HELPFUL, AND THAT THEY DO SO MUCH FOR OUR CITY. THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, WE WERE CALLING FOR THAT STRATEGIC SESSION, BECAUSE THAT'S A CHUNK OF MONEY, $25 MILLION, AND HOW WE COULD BE MORE STRATEGIC WITH IT IS WHAT WE HAVE TO BE ASKING. YOU KNOW, I KNOW I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, I'M GOING TO SAY IT AGAIN, OUR CITY BUDGET IS NOT MEANT TO BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE, AND SOMETIMES I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'VE HAD SURPLUS OF FUNDING. THEN WE SAW ARPA FUNDS, AND, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT INEFFICIENCY GROWS. AND SO NOW IS THE TIME TO TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND TO MAKE THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND WE OWE IT TO OUR RESIDENTS TO DO THAT. THAT'S LITERALLY WHY WE'RE ELECTED. I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN WHYTE ON THE WAY OUT OF THIS IS THROUGH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. I THINK THAT WE'VE BECOME BULLISH ON IT, EXTREMELY BULLISH ON IT. I KNOW GREATER SA TX IS DOING A GREAT JOB, AND SO IS -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ASPECTS OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM DOING IT, BUT WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN DOUBLE DOWN IN THOSE EFFORTS BECAUSE INSTEAD OF MORE MONEY COMING OUT OF OUR RESIDENTS' POCKETBOOK, THERE'S OTHER WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE OUR REVENUE AS A CITY. I WILL ALSO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE A LOT OF THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE UNCOMFORTABLE, I THINK ONE THING THAT COUNCILMAN GALVAN AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IS THE NEED TO PROTECT A LOT OF OUR FRONT-FACING JOBS. YOU KNOW, THAT RESIDENTS -- YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE SERVE AG RESIDENT DIRECTLY, THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT. AND SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WOULD BE KIND OF INTERESTING TO SEE THAT BREAKDOWN, TOO, TO SEE HOW MUCH OF OUR PERSONNEL IS FRONT-FACING AND SERVING RESIDENTS DIRECTLY. AND, ERIK, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THIS, BUT I AM CURIOUS, GOING BACK TO THE PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE COUNTY, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ONLY THE CITY CAN DO. AND I THINK WE SHOULD IDENTIFY THOSE. I MEAN, WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF THEM IN THE MANDATED BUCKET, BUT I'M CURIOUS IF THERE'S A WAY BY JUNE, OR BY THE NEXT ITERATION OF THIS, WE'D BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT AND HOW WE CAN PARTNER WITH THE COUNTY. >> MAYOR JONES: LET ME CHIME IN ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, ERIK, I THINK I SHARED IN THE LAST MEETING THAT I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH JUDGE SAKAI ABOUT HIS INTEREST IN WORKING IN A COUPLE OF AREAS. BEFORE WE PUBLICLY SHARE [02:55:03] WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HEAR FROM JUDGE SAKAI AS HE'S COMMUNICATED THAT WITH HIS TEAM, WHAT THEY ARE ON BOARD WITH, THAT WE ALL COME TO AN AGREEMENT, AND THAT IDEALLY BE A PROCESS THAT WE REVISIT EACH YEAR. >> GAVITO: ALSO TO ADD TO THAT, I KNOW COUNCILMAN WHYTE AND I -- NOT NECESSARILY TO ADD TO IT, BUT COUNCILMAN WHYTE AND I HAVE TALKED TO OUR RESPECTIVE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED SOME LOW-HANGING FRUIT ON WAYS THAT WE COULD PARTNER, SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD -- COULD FUNNEL SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS TO YOU, ERIK, SO THAT WAY WE CAN LOOK AT THAT HOLISTICALLY. THAT'S ABOUT IT. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: I'LL BE CERTAIN TO SHARE MY CONVERSATIONS WITH JUDGE SAKAI AND WHAT WE SETTLE ON. COUNCILMAN GALVAN? >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. AND THANK YOU TO STAFF FOR THE INCREDIBLE WORK DONE ON THIS AND CONTINUED WORK THAT'S GOING TO GO ON THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER. I THINK A COUPLE DIFFERENT THINGS I WANT TO START OFF WITH, YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH THE POINT ON LOOKING AT WAYS TO -- I SAID IT EARLIER, RIGHT, WE TALK ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS POINT, IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE TO DO THAT TO GET TO THE MONEY WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE HAVE FOR THE MOST PART WITH THE LILT LIMITATION THAT THE STATE HAS PUT US IN, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK LONG-TERM, I'M HEARING THAT KIND OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND I'M HEARING THAT, BUT WHAT WE'RE CONTINUING TO HEAR FROM GREATER SA TX AND OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS, IT'S EDUCATION, IT'S WORKFORCE, AND INFRASTRUCTURE, TOO. I THINK IN THE EDUCATION WORKFORCE SPACE, OF COURSE PARTNERSHIPS ARE GOING TO BE NEEDED THERE, BUT THAT PARTNERSHIP ALSO NEEDS TO COME FROM US, TOO. WE'VE DONE A LOT OF GOOD WORK IN THE EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES COMMUNITY EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE FIRST YEAR OF IT TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE AFTER SCHOOL CHALLENGES, THE JUVENILE SERVICES WITH THE MUNICIPAL COURT, ALL THESE THINGS THAT MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS -- OUR STUDENTS, FRANKLY, WHO ARE LEARNING, WHO ARE TRYING TO BECOME ANOTHER VERSION OF THEMSELVES, THE BER VEN SHUN SERVICES THAT WE HAVE DO LEAD TO THE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND BECOME THAT ATTRACTIVE FORCE HERE. I WORRY ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIES THAT LEAD US TOWARDS SIMPLY DOING SOME SORT OF ABATEMENT, GIVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF A LACK OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE OR PROPERTY TAX IN GENERAL, ANY FOR GOING OF THAT I THINK IS GOING TO BE DIFFICULT TO SELL, DESPITE THE TYPE OF JOB RETURN AND ANYTHING OF THE SORT. I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THE MORE CONDITIONAL ASPECTS OF IT, I THINK PART OF THAT GOES INTO, AGAIN, INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE, EDUCATION, AND THEN GOING INTO, OF COURSE, FURTHER LOOKING AT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY PREVENTION SERVICES. OF COURSE PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSE IS ALREADY NEEDS THERE, BUT ALSO THE PREVENTION KIND OF GOES TWOFOLD. I'M INTERESTED WITHIN THIS GOAL SETTING HOW DO WE BRAID THOSE TOGETHER A BIT, I WORRY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ONLY THIS KIND OF SERVICES WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, BUT THE ONES IN THE DEPARTMENTS THAT MAY NOT BE LOOKED AT AS MANDATED ARE DOING THIS WORK RIGHT NOW THAT STILL SUPPLEMENT, TO COUNCILMAN MUNGIA'S POINT, BUT ALSO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, TOO, TRY TO FIGURE OUT A BIT MORE GRANULARITY, WHAT THOSE PROGRAMS ARE. I DEFINITELY SAID TO HELP SOME OF THEM, BUT THERE'S MORE OUT THERE, HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND RESILIENCY DEPARTMENT, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS THERE THAT WE DO THAT NO ONE ELSE DOES IN OUR CITY. BUT ALSO HELPS US TO GET TO THOSE BIGGER POINTS LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE. I WANTED TO LAY FLAT MY PERSPECTIVE ON THAT, IT'S NECESSARY BUT WE'VE GOT TO DO IT IN A -- WHAT I BELIEVE IS THE RIGHT WAY THERE. BEYOND THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO DANIELLE AND THE FOLKS AT PFM, I TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE BIG OVERARCHING STRUCTURES THAT I HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS A LOT IN DISTRICT SIX, AND ONE IS PUBLIC SAFETY PREVENTION, RIGHT, TALKING ABOUT HOMELESS SERVICES, VACANT LOTS, TALKING ABOUT ANIMAL CARE SERVICES NEEDS. AND SOME OF THE OTHER WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT COME ALONG WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT INCLUDES MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES, THAT INCLUDES SOME OF THE COMMUNITY POLICING WITH SAFE OFFICERS, STANDUP SA, PARTICULARLY [INDISCERNIBLE] COMES FROM A LOT OF THESE DEPARTMENTS, SO FINDING WAYS TO PRESERVE THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME. OF COURSE, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO EXPAND, BUT GIVEN CIRCUMSTANCES... HOUSING AFFORD BILITIES, RIGHT, SAME THING THERE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS PLACE TO LIVE IN, PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT TO THE EDGES OF OUR CITY THAT THEN HAVE TO COMMUTE INTO OUR CITY TO GET TO THE JOBS HERE, LOOKING AT HOME REPAIR, THE HOUSING TRUST FUND, KEEPING PEOPLE HOUSED THE ENTIRE TIME AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, INFRASTRUCTURE I WILL CONTINUE TO GO ON AD NAUSEAM ABOUT IMPLEMENTING COMPLETE STREETS AND THE TYPE OF COST SAVINGS, AND, OF [03:00:03] COURSE, GENERAL SAFETY, MAKING SURE THE REPAVING, AND INFRASTRUCTURE WE'RE DOING ARE NOT JUST CONTINUING TO CONTINUED LEVELS OF DEATH AND INJURY WE SEE ON THE ROADS AND INCORPORATED A LITTLE BIT, TOO, OF COURSE, THE RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF OUR HEAT PLAYBOOK, FINDING WAYS TO INCORPORATE THOSE NEATNEEDS ARE GOING TO BE CRUCIAL, NOT LOSING SIGHT OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS LOOK AT SOLELY, BUT FOCUSING ON INCORPORATING THEM THROUGH THESE -- THIS BUDGETARY PROCESS PERMANENTLY, HOPEFULLY. AND THEN QUALITY OF LIFE, RIGHT, AGAIN, KIND OF REITERATING THE SAME POINT THERE PLACES THAT HAVE NOT HAD INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND SPACE THAT CAN LEAD TO AND DOES LEAD TO REDUCTIONS IN CRIME, IN VIOLENCE OF THE COMMUNITY. WE KNOW SOME OF THE HIGHEST RATES OF CRIME IN OUR COMMUNITY HAPPEN WHEN SCHOOL LETS OUT, WE'RE COMING TO THE TIME TO IT, IT'S HOTTER, TEENAGERS ARE MORE AVAILABLE TO DO DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, FINDING PRODUCTIVE WAYS TO GET FOLKS THERE, BUT ALSO HAVING ACCESS TO THOSE PROGRAMS IS CRUCIAL. WE KNOW THE GROWTH OF OUR CITY HAS GONE PRIMARILY TO THE NORTH AND NORTHWEST SIDE OF OUR CITY, WE'RE SEEING MORE EXPANDING IN THE EAST AND EVEN SOUTH AS WELL, BUT WE TALK ABOUT THOSE AREAS, THOSE SERVICES ARE NOT THERE. AND I GET IT, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO EXPAND THAT ACCESS, BUT I THINK -- BY TRIMMING DOWN, WE'RE LEAVING OUT THESE BIG PORTIONS OF OUR POPULATION WHO ARE JUST AS NEEDING OF THOSE SERVICES NEARBY THAT WE TALK ABOUT, COMMUNITY CENTERS, SENIOR CENTERS, PARK SPACE FRANKLY, EVEN AQUATICS, I MOOEN, THEY DON'T SEEM LIKE -- THEY SEEM LIKE AS NICE TO HAVE, BUT THEY'RE NOT. WE TALK ABOUT THE HEAT THAT WE HAVE AND THE PLACE THAT KIDS NEED TO GO, PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN THEIR BILLS AND HAVE AC IN THEIR HOME, THESE ARE PLACES THEY CAN GO TO STAY SAFE AND FRANKLY ALIVE. BUT ALSO PATHWAYS TOWARD THEIR EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE, ET CETERA. ALL THAT BEING SAID, I THINK IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF -- A SLEW OF PROGRAMS HERE THAT WE STILL HAVE TO MAINTAIN TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE BEING ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE AND FRANKLY, TAKING CARE OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE FOLKS IN OUR CITY. I'M HOPEFUL WE CAN DO THAT WITH THIS BUDGETARY PROCESS, I THINK AS LONG AS WE FIND WAYS WE'RE GOING TO MAKE CUTS HERE AND THERE, AS LONG AS WE FIND WAYS TO KEEP I DON'T WANT TO SAY SPIRIT, BUT THE FOCUS THAT SOME OF OUR SMALLER DEPARTMENTS HAVE, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE REALLY CRUCIAL. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SITE OF THE STREET SAFETY AND VISION SEROFOCUS THAT TRANSPORTATION HAS. I DON'T WANT TO LOSE SIGHT OF THOSE THINGS WE RECOMMEND TO OUR LARGER DEPARTMENTS AND THAT OUR COMMUNITY OFTEN TAKES PART IN WITH SA TOMORROW PLANNING CONVERSATIONS THAT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT IN SOME FORM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HOW WE CAN BRAID ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER WITHIN OUR LARGE DEPARTMENTS AND IF WE NEED TO LOOK AT -- NEED TO LOOK AT CONSOLIDATION OF DEPARTMENTS, I KNOW THAT'S A FUNKY ONE, I'M NOT TOO SURE WHICH ONES TO LOOK AT EXACTLY, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF COST SAVINGS AND EFFICIENCY THERE, BUT ALSO EFFICIENCY IN DELIVERY OF SERVICES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE. I'LL STOP THERE, BUT... THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN? >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU FOR JUST ALL THE HARD WORK AND WHAT Y'ALL DID LAST YEAR IN TERMS OF -- TO GET THE PROGRAM CUTS HERE. I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE'S STILL THIS BIG DIVIDE BETWEEN THE HAVES AND THE HAVES NOT. I DON'T THINK ANYTHING THAT HAS BEEN PUT FORWARD RIGHT NOW TO CUT WOULD HELP ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WE NEED TO HAVE THOSE CONNECTIONS WITH SISTER CITIES, IT'S CALLED SOFT DIPLOMACY. IT'S HOW WE GET THEM TO COME HERE. BECAUSE WE ARE -- SHOCKER -- IN THE MIDDLE OF TEXAS AND WE DO NOT -- WE DO NOT SIT ON THE BORDER, WE DO NOT HAVE A PORT, WE DO NOT HAVE THE AIRPORTS OF DFW, SO TO COMPARE US TO THAT, OR TRY TO, IS MISLEADING AND MISGUIDING, BECAUSE WE ARE SAN ANTONIO. SO I THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND I HAVE POINTS OF CONCERN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PROGRAM CUT, THAT NEEDS TO BE THOUGHT OUT BECAUSE WE DO NEED -- WE DO -- THEY DO NEED HELP. I TH THINK THAT WAS ON PAGE 190 OF BUDGET CUTS. COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER, PAGE 193, FOUR POSITIONS ELIMINATED. I DO NEED TO SEE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK, AS THE MAYOR MENTIONED IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE AND HOW MUCH MORE WORK IS GOING TO BE ON OUR CITY EMPLOYEES. I DO NOT WANT THEM TO SAY THAT THEY ARE UNDEREMPLOYED BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING TWO PEOPLE'S JOBS AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING COMPENSATED [03:05:02] FOR IT. ADVERTISING BUDGET FOR RECRUITMENT, SO IF WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THAT, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ATTAIN OUR CURRENT QUALITY EMPLOYEES? RESTRUCTURE CENTRAL LIBRARY INFORMATION SYSTEMS, THE WHOLE LIBRARY THING, AS WE TALK AND SOME MEMBERS BRING UP THAT THEY DON'T WANT TO TAX RATE INCREASE AND THEY WANT TO FOCUS ON STREETS, LET'S CLOSE THE LIBRARIES IN THEIR DISTRICT THEN AND WE CAN PARTNER UP -- THEY CAN PARTNER UP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS THERE. BECAUSE I KNOW MY SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN MY DISTRICT ARE CLOSING, SO I NEED ALL MY LIBRARIES. SO IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AND THEY DON'T WANT THEIR LIBRARIES OR EVERYBODY CAN GO TO A NORTH SIDE -- ONE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LIBRARIES, THEN LET'S PUT IT INTO THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND THE DOWNTOWN SECTOR FOR THAT. PARK AND RECREATION, RIGHT SIZE MOWING CONTRACT, I'M CONCERNED WITH THE RAIN WHAT SORT OF FLEXIBILITY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO THEN START GOING OVER, JUSTINA, SO JUST MAKING SURE WE HAVE A CUSHION FOR THAT. PUBLIC WORKS, I DON'T KNOW IF EACH DISTRICT CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THEIR BIG PROJECTS ON PUBLIC WORKS AND THEN JUST PICK ONE THAT THEY'RE LIKE, FOR BUDGET'S SAKE, WE CAN MOVE THIS DOWN A YEAR OR WE CAN LOOK AT DOING IT TWO YEARS WITH -- WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR DISTRICT. AND PUBLIC WORKS AND PUBLIC SAFETY ARE TWO BIGGEST -- THAT'S WHERE THE BIGGEST BUDGETS ARE. THAT'S WHERE THE MOST EMPLOYEES ARE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT WE NEED TO PRIORITIZE, WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IF IT'S FLOOD. WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE CUTTING FROM THE OTHER 20 SMALLER DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE 100,000 VERSUS ONE THAT HAS 116 MILLION IS GOING TO BE HARDER. SO WE NEED TO -- WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT. I'D HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT IN MY DISTRICT, BUT I'D BE WILLING TO DEFER ONE PROJECT, IF IT MEANS THAT WE CAN -- WE CAN CONTINUE AND WORK ON GETTING IN BUDGET. THE SUBSTATION ON FLORES IS COMING UP, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE OTHER SUBSTATIONS? WHAT DO WE DO WITH OUTDATED EQUIPMENT? LOOKING AT THAT, AS WE LOOK AT OUR PUBLIC SAFETY. FIRE STATIONS, I NEED ALL MY EMSS TO WORK WITHIN MY DISTRICT, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE PROBLEMATIC FOR ME, IF THEY THINK THE HOSPITALS CAN TAKE -- ABSORB SOME OF THOSE EMS RUNS. THEY CAN'T. SO THERE'S -- THERE'S A LOT THAT WE NEED TO DO. I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO IS -- PEOPLE MIGHT CALL IT NICKEL AND DIMING, BUT WHAT IS THE PERMITTING FEES? WHERE CAN WE RAISE SOME OF THE FEES FOR NOT -- JUST -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY FRIVOLOUS HOME IMPROVEMENTS, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING HOME IMPROVEMENTS JUST BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO? THEY GET A HOME IMPROVEMENT EVERY OTHER YEAR FOR AESTHETIC REASONS AND NOT BECAUSE THEY NEED IT. MAYBE WE DO THAT, BECAUSE THAT TAKES OUT FROM OUR -- OUR INSPECTORS HAVING TO GO OUT TO THAT. SO I THINK WE DO NEED TO KIND OF LOOK AT WHERE WE CAN ADD TO SOME OF THOSE FEES. GARAGE SALES, MAYBE WE DO -- MY IDEA IS TO DO ONE BIG ONE. AND I KNOW YOU'RE LIKE, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH. BUT CUTTING SISTER CITIES, CUTTING PROGRAMS THAT GET US ON THE MAP GLOBALLY IS NOT THE ANSWER EITHER. SO WE'VE GOT -- IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT, I'D NEED TO SEE HOW MUCH IN THE PERMIT FEES THAT WE HAVE, WE CAN DO THAT. WE JUST LEARNED, IF WE ACTUALLY SEND SOMEBODY OUT THERE TO COLLECT FEES ON OUR PARKING TICKETS, WE GET SOME OF THAT REVENUE BACK. MAYBE WE CAN DO THAT WITH SOME OF THE PERMITS. I -- BECAUSE OF ALL THIS CELEBRATION, I'M READY TO PERMIT FIREWORK AREAS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, IF I CAN GET MONEY FOR THAT, BECAUSE THEY'RE SHOOTING THEM OFF ANYWAY, SO LET'S CHARGE THEM. AND THEN CHARGE THEM IF THEY DON'T GET A PERMIT. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CREATIVE. AND I REALLY WANT TO SEE THAT, BUT IF YOU ARE -- IF YOU'RE SITTING HERE AND YOU'RE TELLING ME YOU DON'T WANT TO RAISE TAXES AND YOU WANT TO CUT, I'M WILLING TO LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN MY DISTRICT AND SEEING WHAT I CAN DEFER. I WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM [03:10:03] OTHER MEMBERS WHO ARE -- AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE SAYING NO TAX RATE INCREASE. SO I THINK -- YOU KNOW, IT -- I JUST WISH WE WEREN'T THERE. I WISH WE WEREN'T STILL AT THAT LINE WITH THE HAVE AND HAVE NOTS. BUT, AGAIN, THE SOUTH SIDE, MOST OF IT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING FOR -- SINCE WE'VE GOT ANNEXED IN, SINCE WE WENT TO SINGLE MEMBER DISTRICTS. AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE SOUTHERN SECTOR AND SOME OF THE WEST, DEFINITELY THE EAST, THAT ARE GOING TO FEEL IT IF WE DON'T -- IF WE DON'T REALLY GET SERIOUS ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO -- WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE THOUGHTFUL IN THIS PROCESS. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ? >> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU. I'LL KEEP IT SHORT. WE'VE ALL BEEN KIND OF SAYING THE SAME THING, AND I JUST -- I THINK BEYOND THE STATISTICS AND EVERYTHING WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS BUDGET BELONGS TO OUR RESIDENTS, RIGHT? IT BELONGS TO RESIDENTS IN DISTRICT EIGHT, 2, EVERY ONE OF US. AND SO MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INCREASES, WE'RE JUST EXPLAINING IT AT EVERY POINT IN TIME. I PERSONALLY AM NOT SATISFIED WITH THE PRESENTATION, THE MORNING PRESENTATION, THAT SLIDE 7 WHICH JUST IS A SQUARE THAT JUST SAYS 53 MILLION INCREASE FROM PROPERTY TAXES WILL BE USED TO FUND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING EXPENSES, HEALTHCARE EXPENSES AND OTHER SUPPORT SERVICES. LIKE TELL ME MORE. AND TELL THE RESIDENTS MORE. I THINK THAT JUST IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE GETTING INTO THIS LEVEL OF -- I THINK EVERY ONE OF THESE MEETINGS, UNTIL WE PASS A BUDGET, SHOULD JUST HAVE ONE MORE ONE SLIDE EXPLAINING WHAT THIS INCREASE IS. BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN THAT TO MY RESIDENTS. I REALLY DON'T. I'M GOING TO JUST REPEAT THAT POINT. AND THEN SIT THERE AND LOOK AT THEM. AND SO THAT'S CONCERNING ME. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EXPLAINING THIS AS WELL AS WE CAN, BETTER THAN THIS. SO -- AND THAT GOES TO THE TOWN HALLS THAT WE'LL BE HAVING, MAKING SURE WE'RE EXPLAINING EVERY ONE OF THESE POINTS TO FOLKS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW DOES THIS CHANGE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, HOW DOES IT CHANGE THEIR LEVEL OF SAFETY, HOW DOES THIS MAKE THEIR LIFE BETTER. SO THE CUTS, I -- AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT CITY STAFF DOES DURING THIS TIME, I KNOW I'VE SEEN CITY STAFF WORK GODLESS HOURS ON ALL OF THIS, AND I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT TEAM. WE'RE VERY FORT FORTUNATE, UNLIKE OTHER CITIES, WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO THE TEAM THAT WE HAVE HERE. ALL OF YOU SITTING HERE, I COMMEND ALL THE WORK YOU DO EVERY SINGLE DAY ON BEHALF OF RESIDENTS, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND CLEAR WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THESE INCREASES AND THEY'RE TOUGH CONVERSATIONS. AGAIN, ALL THE CITIES ARE GOING THROUGH THIS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S JUST BEEN KIND OF -- I'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE. AND SO I KNOW THIS IS A FIRST OF MANY CONVERSATIONS, AND JUST WANT TO LOOK FORWARD TO ALL -- EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S COMING AFTER THIS. SO THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. >> WALSH: MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: GO AHEAD. >> WALSH: I APPRECIATE THAT, COUNCILWOMAN. OBVIOUSLY I'M HEARING THAT FROM A NUMBER OF YOU THAT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT AND FOCUSED IN THE COMMUNICATION ON WHATEVER WE END UP DOING THIS SUMMER. AND SO MESSAGE RECEIVED. AND I GUESS IF YOU FEEL LIKE -- OR IF ANY OF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN THAT, THEN I'LL JUST SIMPLY SAY THAT WE ARE RECOMMENDING -- I'M RECOMMENDING THAT WE UTILIZE THAT REVENUE TO PAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE. LIKE QUITE SIMPLY, TO PAY FOR WHAT WE HAVE IN TWO MAJOR CORE AREAS -- WELL, ONE MAJOR CORE AREA, PUBLIC SAFETY. AND THE DETAILS ARE THERE AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT DETAILS, BUT THEN TO YOUR POINT, AND OTHER COUNCILMEMBERS, IT GETS LOST IN THE DETAILS, BUT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE -- THE CBAS OR ANYTHING ELSE. IT IS ABOUT TAKING CARE OF THE FUNCTIONS AND THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE THAT PROVIDE A MAJOR SERVICE. AND THAT EXPENSE IS THE LARGEST DRIVER, AND THAT SHOULD BE APPROPRIATELY WHERE ANY ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN TAXES SHOULD GO. I MEAN, END OF STORY. [03:15:01] THE DE -- WE CAN TAKE THAT SLIDE AND BREAK IT OUT INTO A LONG SPREADSHEET. THAT'S GOING -- THAT'S REALLY NOT GOING TO COMMUNICATE IT. IT IS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PAYING FOR A CORE SERVICE AND THE GROWTH OF WHAT WE HAVE. AND -- BUT WE WILL -- I MEAN, I'M HEARING THAT FROM A LOT OF YOU, MAKING SURE WE ARE EXPLAINING THIS IN A WAY THAT IS UNDERSTANDABLE AND IT IS -- THAT THE PUBLIC WILL UNDERSTAND. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON THAT. >> MAYOR JONES: ALL RIGHT. THANKS, ERIK. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO? >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU. REALLY GREAT DISCUSSION, I THINK, IN TERMS OF THE CONVERSATION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I WOULD LIKE FOR US -- I UNDERSTAND THERE IS THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK, BUT I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO GET INTO THE WEEDS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR US. I'M MORE INCLINED TO SEE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS COUNCILMAN GALVAN EXPLAINED IT AND/OR DOES IT LOOK LIKE MORE PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENTS THAT'S GOING TO RESULT ON PROPERTY TAXES FOREGONE THAN ON IMPACTING THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE NEXT YEAR. I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS FOR US TO HAVE IN TERMS OF WHAT SIZE OF ABATEMENTS AND WHAT IS THE DURATION OF THE ABATEMENTS THAT ARE IMPACTING THE GENERAL FUND. I'M ALSO -- AUDIO] -- ENSURING THAT OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES CONTINUE TO RUN PARALLEL TO ADOPTED FRAMEWORKS, WHETHER THAT'S THE SA FORWARD PLAN, THE STRATEGIC HOUSING IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AND THERE ARE SEVERAL -- SO MANY PLANS, BUT, AGAIN, HIGHLIGHTING THAT I THINK OUR BUDGET PRIORITY SHOULD ALIGN WITH THOSE ADOPTED FRAMEWORKS. TO REITERATE, AGAIN, NONE OF THE WORK THAT ANY OF OUR COUNCIL OFFICES ACCOMPLISH OR CAN ACCOMPLISH IS -- CAN'T BE DONE WITHOUT THE WORK OF CITY EMPLOYEES. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S HESITATION TO HAVE WHICH DEPARTMENTS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY CUTS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THERE IS VALUE IN LISTING WHAT THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE, BECAUSE IT HUMANIZES THE ROLE AND THE FACES BEHIND THE WORK THAT'S GETTING DONE, NOT JUST FOR OUR OFFICES, BUT FOR OUR SHARED CONSTITUENCY AS A WHOLE. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, AGAIN, JUST WANTED TO REITERATE DISTRICT FIVE PRIORITIES WHICH, OF COURSE, CONTINUES TO BE SUPPORTING COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, MAINTAINING OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE DOLLARS PARTICULARLY WITH CIP, AND IMP TO ENSURE WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THOSE IMPACTS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR OUR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES BUT CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE. OF COURSE, GRATEFUL FOR THE ROLE OF NHSD, DHS AND METRO HEALTH. THESE ARE PROGRAMS, AS MY COLLEAGUES IN THE SOUTH SIDE HAVE MENTIONED, THAT GO BEYOND PUBLIC HEALTH, PUBLIC SAFETY AND SO MUCH MORE, SO WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO PRESERVE THOSE ROLES. AND THEN, OF COURSE, IN TERMS OF THE COMMENT ON PUBLIC SAFETY, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WITH THE ANIMAL CARE SERVICE, THAT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THE PET CARE CONNECT PROGRAM. I THINK THERE IS VALUE IN US EXPLORING AND/OR RESTRUCTURING FUNDING TO MAKE THAT A FULL PROGRAM RATHER THAN A PILOT PROGRAM. IT IS IMPACTFUL IN TERMS OF CONNECTING RESIDENTS TO SERVICES AND ADDRESSING THAT PUBLIC SAFETY COMPONENT. I DID HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS. FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK THERE'S -- HAS BEEN MISSED OPPORTUNITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, UNDERINNOVATION, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, IT'S GOING TO ADDRESS FUNDING FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS FROM 250,000 TO 75 FOR TWO TO FOUR RESEARCH PROJECTS. I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY, WHEN I LOOK AT PAST BOND PROJECTS WITH UNIVERSITIES IN WHICH WE'VE HELPED PUBLICLY SUBSIDIZE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR UNIVERSITIES, I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ASK FOR SOME TYPE OF AGREEMENT OR ASSURANCE THAT THEY WOULD HELP COVER THE COST OF RESEARCH INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY NEEDS ASSISTANCE WITH, SO I THINK MOVING FORWARD, I KNOW THE BOND'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO WORK WITH OUR UNIVERSITIES TO HELP SUPPORT SOME OF THAT WORK, IF IT CAN'T BE DONE IN HOUSE WITH THE INNOVATION DEPARTMENT, WE SHOULD LEAN OS THOSE LARGE INSTITUTIONS THAT HAVE LEANED ON THE CITY FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT. IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THE UNLOCKED BRAM, THIS WAS ALSO ZEROED OUT LAST YEAR, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT WITH THE BEXAR COUNTY REENTRY TEAM TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT AND THE ROLE THAT THOSE EMPLOYEES HAD WITH THE REENTRY SERVICES, SO I UNDERSTAND HERE IT STATES THAT THERE ARE OTHER SERVICES, SO IT'S ESSENTIALLY A DUPLICATION. BUT TALKING TO THE FOLKS DOING THE WORK, THEY FOUND A LOT OF VALUE WITH THE FOLKS WHO WERE WORKING WITH UNLOCKED. AND I DID HAVE ONE CLARIFYING POINT IN TERMS OF -- ONE OF THE REDUCTIONS IS AROUND PARK MAINTENANCE. I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS AND WHAT THAT WILL LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE I KNOW THE PARKS TEAM HAS BEEN DOING A GREAT JOB, AND IF THERE IS AN ISSUE, FOLKS GO OUT AND TAKE CARE OF THE MAINTENANCE ISSUE WITHIN THE PARKS, I WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO POTENTIALLY SEE IMPACT TO SERVICES. IT'S ON PAGE 199, RESTRUCTURE MAINTENANCE OF PARKS. COUNCILWOMAN, AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THOSE ARE REDUCTIONS THAT WE [03:20:02] ALREADY TOOK IN FISCAL YEAR '26. >> CASTILLO: OKAY. >> VILLAGOMEZ: IN THAT PARTICULAR ONE, WE HAD BUDGETED A HIGHER AMOUNT FOR THAT CONTRACT WHEN WE WERE OUT FOR BID, WE GOT A LOWER COST ON THE CONTRACT, THAT'S WHY WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THAT. SO THERE WAS NO IMPACT TO SERVICES. >> CASTILLO: THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, MARIA. THEN, AGAIN, JUST GOING BACK TO LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT BUDGET CONVERSATIONS IN TERMS OF WHERE THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO GENERATE REVENUE, I KNOW ERIK LAID OUT WHAT THOSE COULD LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF VACANT PROPERTY, VACANT LOTS AND, OF COURSE, INCREASING THE FEES. I THINK THERE'S LOTS OF VALUE AND I'LL CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE LOOKING AT TYPE 2 SHORT-TERM RENTAL FEES, I UNDERSTAND THIS WON'T BE THE IMPACT IN THE MILLIONS BUT THERE IS VALUE IN THAT, IT HAS A RIPPLE EFFECT IN TERMS OF HOMELESSNESS, ACCESS TO HOUSING, SO ON AND SO FORTH. THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY AND FOR ALL MY COLLEAGUES -- PUBLIC WORKS, BUT ACTUALLY WITH HOMELESS SERVICES. IF WE GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE SURVEY RESULTS, LAST YEAR, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, I DIDN'T VERIFY, BUT I REMEMBER HOMELESS SERVICES IS ALWAYS BEEN NUMBER ONE, BUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING ON THAT SLIDE -- I FORGET. I HAVE TO GIVE YOU GUYS SLIDE NUMBERS. IT'S SLIDE -- IT'S LIKE THE LAST SLIDE OF THE BUDGET. I DON'T HAVE A NUMBER ON IT. -- OR OF THE SURVEY, RIGHT BEFORE THE BUDGET ENDS. SLIDE 6. YEAH. SO INTERESTINGLY, I THINK LIKE STREETS DROPPED A LITTLE BIT THIS YEAR AND POLICE SERVICES INCREASED. I DON'T REMEMBER POLICE SERVICES BEING AS HIGH AS IT WAS. BUT IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT PEOPLE SELECT AS, LIKE, FIRST CHOICE VERSUS SECOND CHOICE. SO AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS ACTUALLY LISTED AS THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE'S FIRST CHOICE, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BLUE BAR, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S EVER BEEN THAT HIGH BEFORE. AND SO I THINK THAT GOES TO SHOW YOU WHAT COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO WAS KIND OF REITERATING EARLIER TODAY, THAT EVERYONE IS REALLY FEELING THE COSTS OF EVERYTHING INCREASING, AND INTERESTING TO SEE THAT THIS IS THE STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT SURVEY RESULTS THAT'S SHOWING AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS SO HIGH. AND SO THAT GOES BACK TO THE POINTS AROUND LIKE WHAT NHSD'S SERVICES ARE AND HOW IMPORTANT WHAT THEY ARE DOING IS. AND FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON WITH MAJOR/MINOR HOME REHAB BUT ALSO THE RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, HOW THAT WE CAN'T ABSOLUTELY NOT TOUCH. AND WITH THE VETERAN VOUCHER INCENTIVE PROGRAM, THAT THAT SHOULD BE ADDED ON TOP TO THAT PROGRAM, GIVEN THE PRIORITIES. BECAUSE IF WE'RE TRULY LISTENING TO WHAT OUR COMMUNITY IS SAYING, THAT'S GOT TO BE NUMBER ONE. THE OTHER THING THAT I WAS INTERESTED IN THE BACKUP SLIDES, I'M NOT SURE IF THE BACKUP SLIDES, YOU GUYS HAVE, BUT ON THE HOMELESS SERVICE DEPARTMENT WHERE IT SAYS MANDATED SERVICES, EVERYTHING ON THE HOMELESS SERVICES ONE IS PRIORITY SERVICES. IT'S NOT ANY OF THOSE ARE CITY SERVICES. THEY ARE ALL LISTED AS PRIORITIES. ONE OF THE ONLY ONES THAT HAS NOTHING AS CITY SERVICES, JUST PRIORITY. AND THAT'S PAGE 19 ON THE BACKUP SLIDES. AND THE THING THAT I'M UNSURE ABOUT HERE IS WHERE IS OUR LOW-BARRIER SHELTER ON THIS LIST? BECAUSE I KNOW IT WAS GRANT FUNDED PREVIOUSLY, BUT DOES THAT MEAN IT HAS NOT MADE IT ONTO THIS LIST YET? AND I'M -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS HAVE IT. IT'S SLIDE 19 ON THE INDIVIDUAL BUDGET -- INDIVIDUAL... >> TATE: YES, COUNCILWOMAN, SO THE 4.8 MILLION FOR THE LOW-BARRIER SHELTER THAT WAS FUNDED IN 2026, IT IS -- IT'S PART OF A -- IT'S WITHIN THE ARPA FUNDING THAT WE -- WE USE -- WE SWAPPED OUT GENERAL FUND FOR THAT, SO IT SITS IN A RESTRICTED FUND. >> KAUR: SO IT'S NOT IN HERE. >> TATE: IT'S NOT PART OF THAT GENERAL FUND BUDGET. >> KAUR: OKAY. IS IT -- >> WALSH: JUST TO CLARIFY, THERE ARE NO MORE ARPA FUNDS. WHAT JUSTINA'S TALKING ABOUT IS WE HAD SEGREGATED ALL THE ARPA FUNDS THE LAST -- BUT IT'S ALL -- THERE ISN'T ANY OF THAT LEFT. THAT LOW-BARRIER SHELTER WAS INITIALLY FUNDED WITH ARPA FUNDS. IT WAS ADDED IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WITH THE GENERAL FUND, BUT IT RUNS OUT THIS YEAR AND SO IT DOESN'T EXIST GOING FORWARD IN OUR BUDGET. >> KAUR: SO IT'S NOT IN OUR PLANNED BUDGET RIGHT NOW? >> WALSH: NO. NO, MA'AM. [03:25:01] >> TATE: FOR 2027. >> WALSH: THAT LEASE ENDS IN -- WHERE'S CARMONA, LIKE OCTOBER, NOVEMBER. END OF SEPTEMBER. >> KAUR: I THOUGHT WE HAD A PLAN FOR IT. >> WALSH: THAT GOES TO THE LARGER CONVERSATION THAT MARK PRESENTED THE OTHER DAY WITH COUNCIL. WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH A TRANSITION, AND THAT'S WHY PART OF THE TRANSITION THAT MARK PRESENTED IS WE NEED TO START TARGETING POTENTIALLY THROUGH THE BOND PROGRAM IS A PERMANENT FACILITY OR PARTNERSHIP FOR LOW-BARRIER, PERMANENT. >> KAUR: SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR FALL OF THIS YEAR FOR BOND PROGRAM. >> WALSH: NO, MA'AM. WE DO NOT. OUR PLAN IS TO CLOSE THAT FACILITY AND BEGIN WORKING ON THE LARGER PARTNERSHIP AND BUSINESS CASE THAT MARK LAYED OUT TO YOU ALL. >> KAUR: OKAY. I TOTALLY MISSED THAT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT -- I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO FIND $3 MILLION -- I GUESS WHAT WOULD BE THE BUDGET TO ADD -- TO KEEP THAT IN PLACE UNTIL WE APPROVE A BOND PROGRAM TO GO FORWARD ON A LONGER TERM PLAN. >> WALSH: MIKE -- MY ESTIMATE WOULD PROBABLY BE ABOUT 5 MILLION BUCKS. >> KAUR: IT WAS 4.8 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. >> WALSH: PRICES GO UP. I'M ESTIMATING. >> KAUR: I'M CONFIRMING -- >> WALSH: YEAH, IT WAS 4.8, YES, MA'AM. >> KAUR: FOR THAT ONE FISCAL YEAR. >> WALSH: YEAH. >> KAUR: I FEEL LIKE THAT ESGOING TO BE A HUGE HIT TO OUR COMMUNITY. THAT SHELTER HAS BEEN FULL BASICALLY SINCE WE STARTED IT, AND IT HAS BEEN SO IMPORTANT. AND IF THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS TELLING US THAT WE NEED TO DO, SHUTTING DOWN OUR LOWEST BARRIER SHELTER, I THINK, IS A MISTAKE. I WOULD LOVE TO ADVOCATE FOR US FIGURING OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT GETS ADDED AT LEAST UNTIL WE HAVE A BRIDGE BECAUSE THAT'S A REVOLVING OF 190 PEOPLE THAT WE'RE NOW JUST PUTTING OUT ON THE STREETS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE -- IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO TRANSITION TO. I UNDERSTAND SOME MIGHT BE ABLE TO, BUT I JUST DON'T -- I DON'T KNOW HOW WE JUST GET RID OF THAT COMPLETELY. >> WALSH: WHEN YOU -- AFTER YOU'RE DONE, I'LL ASK MARK TO KIND OF REFRESH FOR THE COUNCIL AND EVERYBODY KIND OF WHAT THE GENERAL PLAN WAS, BUT MESSAGE RECEIVED. YOU'RE IDENTIFYING THAT'S A A PRIORITY. >> KAUR: YEAH, I THINK IT SHOULD BE A PRIORITY. AND THANKS, MARK, IF AFTER I SPEAK YOU WANT TO COME UP AND GIVE ANY COMMENTS, AND IF ANY OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WANT TO REITERATE THAT. I JUST -- I GUESS I MISSED THAT FROM MARK'S PRESENTATION LAST WEEK. OKAY. NOW, OVER TO NOW OVER TO PUBLIC WORKS. I THINK THIS HAS DEFINITELY BEEN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IN DISTRICT 1 AS SOME OF MY COUNCIL COLLEAGUES HAVE REMINDED US THAT OUR DISTRICTS ARE NOT ALL EQUAL. SO WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE SAME ISSUES. DISTRICT 1 WAS BUILT A LOT OLDER THAN A LOT OF PARTS OF OUR NORTHSIDE DISTRICTS ARE AND EVEN REALLY DEEP SOUTH. SO WHEN WE HAVE SPRAWL, THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN IS OUR MOST URBAN CORE STREETS ARE THE ONES THAT GET FORGOTTEN. SO STREETS ARE DEFINITELY ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO LOOK AT. SO WHAT I KIND OF MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT HOW WE DO THINGS, I THINK WE COULD THINK ABOUT DOING THINGS A LITTLE MORE EQUALLILY THAN IN OUR BUDGET. WE SAY WE HAVE EQUITY IN THE BUDGET, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WHEN IT TRANSLATES TO ACTUAL BUDGETS? DOES IT MEAN THAT WE HAVE AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF CDEF STREETS THAT ARE EQUALLY FUNDED OR SEE WHERE THE BIGGEST NEED IT, EVEN IF IT MEANS FOR THE STREETS COMPONENTS SOME OF OUR URBAN CORE DISTRICT GET MORE FUNDING OR MORE FOCUS ON IT. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT. I'M GLAD WE FUNDED A CONSULTANT TO LOOK AT THE SCORES AND I'M TOLD THAT THOSE RESULTS ARE GOING TO COME OUT PRETTY SOON. I THINK I WAS TALKING TO EVEN CRAIG AND OUT NEW I.T. DIRECTOR ABOUT DARE SAY HOW WE CAN USE AI TO BETTER HELP US MAKE STRATEGIC DECISIONS. LIKE RIGHT NOW IF I WANTED TO SEE WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME X STREET GOT ADDRESSED, I HAVE NO WAY TO FIND THAT. SO IF WE COULD PUT INTO ALGORITHMS LIKE ALL OF OUR HISTORICAL DATA ON WHICH STREETS HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED BY WHEN AND THEN STATE, CREATE A RESULT THAT SHOWS US A MORE STRATEGIC, THOUGHTFUL WAY OF HOW LONG SOMETHING HAS BEEN ADDRESSED, HOW MUCH WORK IT NEEDS I THINK WOULD BE REALLY GREAT. A SMALL REQUEST WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS THE SIDEWALK REBATE PROGRAM SO I'LL MAKE MY ARGUMENT NOW AND I HOPE MY COLLEAGUES WILL SUPPORT THIS. OUR SIDEWALK REBATE PROGRAM IN LAST FISCAL YEAR -- IT'S BUDGETED FOR 150K. IT'S BASICALLY WHAT WE DO TO HELP OUR RESIDENTS WHO CAN'T AFFORD TO REPLACE THEIR SIDEWALK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HELP BY GIVING THEM A REBATE IF THEY DO IT BECAUSE SIDEWALKS ARE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE RESIDENTS. I ACTUALLY HAD NO IDEA. THIS IS LIKE MY IGNORANCE, THAT SOMEONE -- YOU COULD [03:30:04] SUE A HOMEOWNER IF YOU TRIP ON THEIR BROKEN SIDEWALK AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR IT. LIKE THEY WOULD HAVE TO GO GET AN ATTORNEY AND GET DEFENSE TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR IT. I HAD NO IDEA. SO THAT'S WHY THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO HELP SUPPORT. BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S BEING USED AT ABOUT A THIRD. QUITE FRANKLY I HAVE A BROKEN SIDEWALK, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO FIX IT. SORRY. BUT THERE IS SOME FUNDS LEFT OVER IN THAT BUCKET AND I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM TO INCORPORATE CHURCHES AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES THAT ARE WILLING TO DO IT BECAUSE THOSE PLACES ALSO HAVE THE -- ALSO HAVE THE SAME SIMILAR SITUATION AND IF THEY'RE WILLING TO STEP UP AND HELP US FIX SOME OF THIS, I THINK THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THAT PROGRAM. I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM TO BOTH CHURCHES AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES AS WELL. THANK YOU TO THE GOVERNS TEAM MEMBERS THAT SUPPORTED THE QUICK BOOK MOVE OVER TO TNI. THIS IS NOT AN EXTRA BUDGET COST BECAUSE WE CAN PAY FOR IT OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS -- SORRY. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS. >> SPEARS: HI EVERYONE. I WAS WITH MY KIDS. THIS IS WHEN THEY GET OUT OF SCHOOL SO THAT'S WHERE I'VE BEEN THIS MORNING. IT'S A ROUGH WEEK. NOW I'M SHIFTING GEARS. IT DOESN'T CHANGE HOW I FEEL ABOUT THE PRESENT -- ALL THE BACKUP WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, ALL THE PRESENTATIONS AND EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD ON. MY COMMUNITY KEEPS ASKING ME HOW DID THIS SNEAK UP ON US LIKE THIS? AND I HAVE TO SAY COUNCILWOMAN KAUR BRINGS UP A GOOD POINT ABOUT THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER. ARPA DOLLARS ARE GONE. WERE THEY MISUSED ON PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE EITHER WEREN'T DOING BEFORE OR THE FUNDS WERE NOT APPLIED THE WAY THEY WERE INTENDED? THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ONE-TIME USE. AND IF IT'S FUNDING PROGRAMS, THAT'S UNSUSTAINABLE. WHAT WOULD WE DO -- I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT WE DID FOR ALL OF THESE SERVICES BEFORE ARPA DOLLARS HIT? AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN IMPACTS, IT'S BEEN AWHILE, BUT I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE WERE PROCEDURALLY DOING PROGRAMS, HOW WE HANDLED ALL OF THAT, FUNDED IT, SPENDING, BECAUSE THAT WAS JUST LIKE CHRISTMAS MONEY AND SOMEHOW IT'S BECOME PART OF THE BUDGET. AND IT WAS NEVER MEANT TO BE LIKE THAT. IT WAS JUST NEVER SUSTAINABLE. MY PRIORITIES REMAIN CLEAR. I WANT TO PROTECT OUR CORE SERVICES, SUPPORT PUBLIC SAFETY, IMPROVE ACCOUNTABILITY, MAINTAIN OUR FISCAL DISCIPLINE. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. THAT IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE I STILL LOOK AT THIS VERY MUCH LIKE MY OWN HOUSEHOLD WHERE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS IN YOUR FAMILY AND YOU ARE ALL OF A SUDDEN CUTTING BACK ON CASH, YOU CUT OUT THE LUXURIES, PAY FOR THE THINGS YOU MUST, YOUR RENT, MORTGAGE, UTILITY BILLS, CLOTHING, FOOD, NECESSITIES, AND YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET MORE MONEY IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT. AND THAT'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO ME. IT'S GOT TO BE SUSTAINABLE. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT TALKING TO OUR RESIDENTS AND TO SAN ANTONIO ABOUT RAISING THE TAX RATE BECAUSE I NEED TO SHOW THEM HOW WE'RE CUTTING BACK TOO. WE HAVE TO SHOW THEM WAYS WE ARE CUTTING BACK ON OUR SPENDING BECAUSE ALSO THEY NEED TO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WE ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE COMPLETELY SUSTAINABLE. THEY NEED TO HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO THIS CONSTANTLY OVER AND OVER AND JUST HIT THEM AGAIN AND AGAIN WITH TAX RATE INCREASES. WE OWE IT TO THEM TO DEEP DIVE ON THE BUDGET, SO I WANT TO SEE -- I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATIONS, BUT I WANT TO SEE SCHEDULES, I WANT TO SEE DATA, I WANT TO SEE MODELS. I WANT TO SEE IT MODELED WITHOUT THE TAX RATE INCREASE. I WANT THAT LIST OF SUBSIDIES THAT I'VE ASKED FOR, I WANT TO SEE ALL THE GRANTS WE APPLIED FOR, WHAT GRANTS CAN WE GO AFTER. I WANT TO SEE WHAT ARPA PROJECTS WE'VE HAD. I WANT TO SEE OUR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES THAT WE ANTICIPATE FOR 2027. I WOULD AGREE HOMELESS SERVICES IS AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST. IT ALSO TIES IN WITH PUBLIC SAFETY, THOUGH. BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I TALK TO MY RESIDENTS ABOUT THAT, THEY KIND OF ALL GO TOGETHER. AND THEY DEFINITELY WORK TOGETHER. SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL [03:35:04] OF THESE PRIORITIES, LISTS, AND MY UNDERSTANDING BACKGROUND, WE WOULD -- MY ACCOUNTING BACKGROUND, WE WOULD WORK UNTIL 2:00 OR 3:00 IN THE MORNING DIVING OVER AND OVER INTO THE SCHEDULES. THAT'S OUR JOB. THEN WE ARE ABLE TO GO EXPLAIN THIS TO OUR RESIDENTS. AND I'M REALLY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE -- OH, THIS ONE TOO. WE HAD THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS COMMITTEE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT TOO, HOW ARE WE GOING TO APPROACH ANY FUNDING SOURCES THAT COULD COME OUT OF THAT OR ANY LEGISLATION WE NEED TO SEE THAT WORKS IN OUR FAVOR FOR SAN ANTONIO. I THINK WHEN WE DIVE INTO THE DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS THESE SMALLER CUTS ADD UP TO BIG NUMBERS SO THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ARE INEFFICIENCIES OR JUST CUTTING BACK ON OR MAYBE WE NEED TO COLLABORATE TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILWOMAN ALDERETE GAVITO HAVE MADE ABOUT COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY AND SUBURBAN CITIES. THERE'S DEFINITE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. I KNOW BECAUSE I WAS OVER THERE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING DO TO WORK TOGETHER BECAUSE THEY'RE FACING THE SAME PROBLEM. IN FACT, MOST CITIES ARE FACING THIS PROBLEM. I AGREE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PIECE IS GOING TO BE KEY HERE. THAT IS ALSO INCUMBENT UPON US TO FIND MORE JOBS, HIGHER PAYING JOBS, EDUCATING OUR WORKFORCE. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MAKE A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS UNNECESSARY. THAT'S REALLY CHANGING THINGS, MAKING OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY BETTER. THERE IS A LOT OF ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY IN AREAS THAT WE HAVEN'T EXPLORED YET THAT HAVE MORE LAND IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN. I THINK I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE US STOP TALKING ABOUT EVERYTHING AS IT'S THIS DISTRICT VERSUS THAT DISTRICT, THEY HAVE MORE, WE HAVE MORE. IT'S US. I CARE MORE ABOUT MY RESIDENTS ALL OVER THE CITY AND IN MY DISTRICT. I'M GOING TO DEFINITELY BE ADVOCATING FOR DISTRICT 9, BUT TO THINK WE LIVE IN A SILO IS NOT RIGHT. IT'S ALL OF US. THEY WANT US TO COLLABORATE, THEY WANT US TO BE HONEST, THEY WANT US TO SHOW LEADERSHIP. I'M JUST REALLY UNCOMFORTABLE SAYING HEY, YEAH, LET'S LOOK AT RAISING OUR TAX RATE WITHOUT AT LEAST SEEING WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE DON'T AND HOW WE REALLY, REALLY GO IN THERE AND CUT, CUT, CUT. AND I'M READY TO CUT, EVEN -- WHEREVER. I'M READY TO CUT IN DISTRICT 9. I'M READY TO LOOK AT THIS. BUT MODELS ARE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF TOWN HALLS IN DISTRICT 9. I'VE ALREADY GOT THEM ON THE LEARN. WE'RE DOING A SURVEY. WE ARE GETTING THE INFORMATION FROM THE RESIDENTS AND I'M GOING TO COME BACK AND SHARE IT ALL WITH YOU, AND I NEED DATA TO SHARE. I HAPPEN TO LIKE THIS SORT OF THING. I'LL BE RUNNING AROUND WITH MY BUDGET BOOK AS SOON AS YOU GIVE IT TO ME. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I KNOW IT IS A LOT OF WORK. I KNOW THAT Y'ALL SPEND A LOT OF TIME ON IT, BUT WE'RE PARTNERS IN THIS AND WE REALLY NEED TO ACT LIKE THAT THAT. SO -- I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR, JUST ONE THING. AND THE COUNCILWOMAN TALKED ABOUT ARPA. JUST TO REMIND SOME OF YOU AND OBVIOUSLY SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WERE NOT HERE WHEN WE DID ARPA, BUT WE GOT $326 MILLION AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT WAS SPENT ALL AT ONE TIME. WE DID NOT -- UNLIKE OTHER ENTITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, WE DIDN'T HIRE POLICE OFFICERS WITH IT OR DO EMS UNITS AND WE DO SO IN A DELIBERATE METHOD SO WE DID NOT CREATE A RECURRING EXPENSE ISSUE FOR US. WE EXPANDED THE SA-CORE PROGRAM DURING ARPA AND THEN MOVED THAT PILOT PROGRAM INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND IT'S STILL HERE TODAY. WE EXPANDED SOME DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND OUTREACH SERVICES THROUGH ARPA, AND THE COUNCIL PRIORITIZED THAT AND WE MOVED PART OF THAT SPENDING INTO THE GENERAL FUND. WE ADDED -- WE EXPANDED SENIOR CENTER HOURS AND WE -- DURING ARPA, AND WE MOVED THAT EXPENSE UNDER THE [03:40:05] GENERAL FUND. AND WE DID ONE YEAR OF THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER, WHICH WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY -- WE'LL GET YOU THE TOTAL ON THAT, BUT THAT CAN'T BE MORE THAN $10 MILLION PROBABLY SINCE IN ALL THOSE PROGRAMS, NOTHING ELSE EXISTS FROM THE ARPA DAYS BECAUSE I THINK WE WERE -- WE AND THE COUNCIL, WE'RE VERY FOCUSED ON NOT CREATING A ONE-TIME SITUATION OR A CLIFF THAT WE WOULD BE DEALING WITH, AND JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH THE COUNCIL AND REMIND EVERYBODY OF WHAT WE DID WITH ARPA. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR, IF I COULD ADD, THE LEGAL ASPECT OF THAT, THE ARPA PROGRAM CAME WITH SOME VERY CLEAR CRITERIA AS TO WHAT THE MONEY COULD BE USED FOR. AND THERE WAS SOME REMEDIES THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAD, INCLUDING AUDIT AND CLAW BACK IF WE DIDN'T USE THAT MONEY PROPERLY. SO WE WERE VERY DILIGENT, AS ERIK SAID, THAT WE COMPLIED WITH ALL THE LEGAL OBLIGATIONS AND CRITERIA IN TERMS OF USING THE ARPA FUNDS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, ANDY. COUNCILMAN GALVAN. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR. A COUPLE OF LAST QUICK THINGS. I WANTED TO VOICE SUPPORT ON THE DIGITAL TWIN THING THAT YOU MENTIONED. I THINK IT WILL BE HELPFUL ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT THE LAN DISCONVERSATION. I'VE ASKED CAN WE DO AN EVALUATION BASED ON THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAY WE COULD HAVE THE LAND BE UTILIZED. NOT ONLY CITY LAND, BUT ACTUALLY OUR LAND USE DEVELOPMENT PLANS AND PATTERNS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL. OF COURSE WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE PARTS OF IT TOO. I THINK I HEARD THIS A COUPLE OF TIMES FROM OTHER COUNCIL COLLEAGUES. GETTING A BIT MORE CLEAR -- EVEN IF IT'S JUST ON THE BACK END FOR US IN THE PROPOSED REDUCTIONS FOR THE 2027 PORTION, THERE WAS A POINT ABOUT HUMAN SERVICES THAT HAS FOUR POSITIONS, LIBRARY SAME THING WILL 11 POSITIONS. WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND MEANS IN TERMS OF SERVICE. AGAIN, IF IT NEEDS TO BE ON THE BACK END FOR US TO DO THAT SO IT'S NOT -- SO WE'RE LOOKING AT IT, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR ME TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT. I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANS. I THINK I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF CONVERSATIONS WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS THE PAST TWO WEEKS AND TALKING A LOT ABOUT WHAT ARE THE -- HOW CAN WE BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT PROGRAMS NEED TO GET TO A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE? AND THEN VICE VERSA, IF THEY'RE REDUCE UNDERSTAND THIS WAY WHAT'S THE IMPACT TO THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THERE. THIS PROGRAM DOESN'T HAVE X MANY OF PEOPLE WE CAN ONLY SERVE THIS MANY NEIGHBORHOODS. I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH THE STRATEGIC PLANS TO KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING WHEN WE DO THIS BUDGETING. THE LAST THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS A LITTLE BIT SILLY, BUT OVERALL WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT CUTS WE CAN LOOK AT PLACES -- I HE KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT BILLBOARDS HERE. I THINK RECRUITING IS A DIFFERENT ONE, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT PUBLIC MESSAGING OVERALL, I'M INTERESTED TO SEE THE EFFICACY OF THE AWARDS AND ALL THAT ALONG WITH ANY OTHER BRANDED MATERIALS THAT WE CREATE THAT AREN'T NECESSARY TO INFORMATIONAL CAMPAIGNS AND SUCH LIKE THAT. AGAIN, DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT ALL COSTS BUT WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE, EVEN IF IT'S $800,000, CLOSER TO A MILLION, WHATEVER IT IS, I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO LOOK AT BEFORE WE GET TWO POSITIONS OR PROGRAMS OVERALL THAT ARE $495,000 THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO CUT BEFORE SOME OF THESE THINGS. THAT'S ALL, MAYOR, THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE, I DON'T THINK I SAW IT ON THERE, BUT IF YOU COULD BREAK DOWN THE COST TO RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES VERSUS COMMERCIAL. WE'RE ASSUMING IT'S ALL RESIDENTIAL, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES WOULD BE ASKED TO PAY MORE. I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SUCH LARGE DRASTIC CUTS WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON AND THE ECONOMY, WE SHOULDN'T BE SPENDING ON ROUGH PROPORTIONALITY. IF WE'RE HAVING THE CUTS CUTTING PROGRAMS AND CUTTING POSSIBLY DEPARTMENTS, THE WAY WE SPEND MONEY HAS TO BE VERY STRATEGIC BASED ON NEED. SO IF THERE ARE LIMITED AFTER SCHOOL OPPORTUNITIES AT HARLANDALE ISD THEN THESE SOCIAL SERVICES AT LIBRARIES MAY BE FOCUSED IN THOSE PARTICULAR AREAS WHERE THERE'S ALSO OTHER GAPS. WE DON'T WANT TO SAY, TO COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN'S POINT, SOME OF OUR COMMUNITIES ONLY IN SOME PARTS OF TOWN ARE SEEING REDUCED SERVICES THROUGH SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THEIR BUDGET CUTS, ALAMO COLLEGES' AND NOW THE CITY AND THAT WOULD THAT WILL HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATE EFFECT ON CERTAIN PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY. YES, WE'RE ALL ONE CITY, BUT WE DO HAVE TO REALIZE THERE ARE DIFFERENT NEEDS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF TOWN AND HOW DO THESE CUTS WORSEN SOMEONE'S LIFE. WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. THE NUMBER ONE PIECE OF [03:45:02] ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS HUMAN CAPITAL. YOU NEED PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB. IF PEOPLE HAVE TO WORK A SECOND SHIFT THEY CAN'T DO THE JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM OR IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR THEIR KIDS THROUGH METRO HEALTH THEY CAN'T BE AT WORK. THE HUMAN ELEMENT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. AND I'D BE INTERESTED TO SEE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR CIP DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE SOME OF US HAVE TALKED ABOUT RAISING THE DEBT SERVICE PIECE OF THAT AND I BELIEVE THAT IS WHERE WE GET CIP DOLLARS FROM. AND AS WE SEE CUTS MAYBE THAT'S AN EQUITY LENS ON THAT. IT'S A MILLION DOLLARS PER DISTRICT, BUT MAYBE SOMETHING MORE THAN OTHERS AND WHO HAS BEEN USING THAT MONEY TO ACTUALLY GET PROGRAMS AND STREETS AND THINGS DONE. SO THAT'S ALSO SUPPLEMENTAL WORK TO THE IMP. WE ALL HAVE PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE IMP THAT ARE GETTING DONE BECAUSE OF NAMP AND CIP. AND I KNOW WE'RE OFFERING A LOT OF DIFFERENT EXERCISES TO GO THROUGH, BUT I THINK ANOTHER HELPFUL ONE WOULD BE LET'S TAKE THE SCENARIO WHERE WE DO THESE LARGE DRASTIC CUTS AND THEN ADD THE TAX INCREASE TO THESE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING THE MOST FOR. SO THAT WAY YOU HAVE ALL THE LARGE CUTS THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE, BUT YOU HAVE THE TAX INCREASE AND THEN YOU'RE ACTUALLY INVESTING REAL MONEY IN HOMELESS SERVICES, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, STREETS, ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, BECAUSE TO COUNCILWOMAN'S POINT, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE EXISTING IN A HOMELESS SHELTER WHO ARE ABOUT TO POSSIBLY BE HOMELESS AGAIN AND THAT IS A REALLY, REALLY HARD PROBLEM TO ADDRESS, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO END UP IN OTHER PARTS OF TOWN AND WHAT WILL THAT DO FOR THE FOLKS WHO HAVE GOTTEN HOUSING AND FEEL SAFE AND THEN THEY WILL GET AN EVICTION AND SAY THIS SHELTER IS GOING PRIVATE SECTOR, WE CAN'T HAVE YOU HERE ANYMORE, THAT WILL BE DEVASTATING TO THOSE FOLKS. IT'S 2026 AND THERE ARE STILL PEOPLE IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WITHOUT A SIDEWALK. THAT'S REESE RIDICULOUS. EVERY CAMPAIGN IS MORE SIDEWALKS TO CLOSE THE GAP AND WE'RE STILL RUNNING ON THAT. I THINK IT'S ALSO WORTH LOOKING WE HAVE THE FOUR-YEAR TERM THAT'S GIVEN TO US FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING PURPOSES, NOT TO MAKE US COMFORTABLE IN OUR SEATS. LET'S SEE WHAT THE 100 MILLION DOLLARS' WORTH OF CUTS LOOK LIKE, ADD THE TAX INCREASE AND FUND IT INTO THESE REALLY CORE AREAS BASED ON NEED, NOT EXACTLY EQUALLY DISTRIBUTED, BUT CLOSE THE GAP FOR PEOPLE. THERE ARE DISTRICTS WHO HAVE MILES OF SIDEWALKS. UNACCEPTABLE. THERE ARE SIDEWALK GAPS NEAR SCHOOLS TO THIS DAY, UNACCEPTABLE. WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH R4S FOR ANIMAL CARE SERVICES, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE CRITICAL CALL LIST AND THAT'S IMPORTANT AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A LIVE SHELTER RATE, WE'RE ALSO NOT PICKING UP STRAY DOGS AND THAT'S VERY -- THAT'S EXIST INCIDENT IN PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES. IN DISTRICT 4 WHERE I LIVE AND WHERE I DRIVE AROUND D4, I SEE A STRAY DOG EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND I HAVE TO TRY NOT TO NORMALIZE THAT BECAUSE I SEE IT AFTERWARD AND I THINK THAT'S JUST ANOTHER STRAY DOG, BUT THERE ARE OTHER PARTS OF TOWN THAT DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM. SO WE'VE GOT TO BE REALLY STRATEGIC IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ALL THESE CUTS WE NEED TO MAKE THE INVESTMENTS IN THE RIGHT SPOT. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THE SAME CYCLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN. MY PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY AND THIS SIDE OVER THERE HAVE THESE LARGE GAPS. SO IF WE'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO PAY MORE THEN WE SHOULD BE BASING IT ON THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY. HAVE THAT REAL FOCUS. IT'S NOT THE CONTROVERSIAL E WORD, BUT BASED ON NEED. I WOULD ADD THAT TO THE CONVERSATION ALSO. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN WHYTE. >> WHYTE: VERY BRIEFLY, JUST BACK TO THE SISTER CITIES EXAMPLE. DOING THINGS JUST BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE IT DOESN'T CUT IT ANYMORE. AND MAYBE THESE SISTER CITIES AND INTERNATIONAL -- WHICH ONE DID I READ HERE? THE SISTER CITIES 300,000, 400,000 FOR INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL AND DIPLOMATIC FUNCTIONS. MAYBE THESE ARE RETURNING AN INVESTMENT THAT I JUST HAVEN'T BEEN MADE AWARE OF. SO IF WE'VE BEEN GOING TO SOME OF THESE PLACES AND SPENDING MONEY ON THIS AND WE'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, COMPANIES INVESTING IN SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE OF IT OR WHATEVER IT IS, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME METRICS ON WHAT THE PROGRAM HAS RETURNED. WELL, WHAT IS THE ROI? I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT COUNCILWOMAN KAUR BROUGHT UP THE SLIDE OF WHAT WAS PEOPLE'S FIRST AND SECOND CHOICE, POLICE SERVICES WAS I THINK SECOND AMONG PEOPLE'S FIRST -- THEIR FIRST CHOICE. [03:50:04] WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OFFICERS HAVE THE LATEST AND GREATEST EQUIPMENT TOO SO THAT THEY CAN DO THEIR JOBS MORE SAFELY. SO I WANTED TO ADD THAT IN AS WELL. AND THEN WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOUSING AFFORDABILITY, I COULDN'T LET THAT GO BY WITHOUT SAYING THAT RAISING SOMEBODY'S PROPERTY TAXES DOES NOT MAKE IT MORE AFFORDABLE FOR THEM TO LIVE IN THEIR HOME. SO -- BUT LOOK, I THINK THE DISCUSSION OVERALL HAS BEEN GOOD. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE GOTTEN ANYWHERE, BUT -- BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE OUR OWN IDEAS OF WHAT IS NECESSARY AND PRIORITIES AND ALL THAT. THE PFM GROUP, THOUGH, I THINK IF WE GO BACK AND FOCUS ON THEIR PRESENTATION, IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO BE SERIOUS ABOUT DOING THIS -- AND TO COUNCILMAN'S MUNGIA'S POINT, YES, IT'S STRATEGIC CUTS, IT'S STRATEGIC INVESTMENT OF DOLLARS, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO AGREE ON A FRAMEWORK TO GET THIS DONE. IT CAN'T BE ALL OUR OWN IDEAS ON WHAT WE SHOULD OR WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING. WE'RE NEVER GOING TO REACH ANY SORT OF CONSENSUS. AND ERIK AND HIS TEAM IS GOING TO GO BACK AFTER THIS AND HUDDLE UP AND SAY, WHAT THE HELL DID WE JUST HEAR? THEY WOULD NEVER SAY THAT, NO. BUT YOU GET MY POINT. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION, AND I'LL TELL YOU THIS, BETWEEN NOW AND FINALIZING THAT BUDGET, I'M READY AND I KNOW Y'ALL ARE TOO, TO WORKDAY IN, DAY OUT WITH ALL THE OF YOU TO TRY TO REACH SOME SORT OF CONSENSUS ON THESE THINGS SO THAT WE INVEST OUR DOLLARS THE BEST WAY WE CAN FOR OUR CITIZENS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU. SO WE ARE DEFINITELY ONE SAN ANTONIO AND WE ARE DEFINITELY TEAM SAN ANTONIO. I STILL THINK THERE'S A LINE BETWEEN. AND I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO WHO BRINGS MORE JOBS OR WHO BRINGS MORE INDUSTRY BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT ARE HEAVY RESIDENTIAL AND THEN THERE ARE SOME AREAS OF TOWN THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IT'S LIKE YOU NAME THE ZONING, WE'VE GOT IT. AND COUNCILMAN MUNGIA AND I CAN TALK TO THAT AT LENGTH. SO IS THERE A RETURN ON INVESTMENT? THERE IS, AND WE'VE SEEN IT YEAR AFTER YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THIS DAIS. GREATER SATX IN CONJUNCTION WITH AWDC BROUGHT ACB HERE. WE HAVE GOTTEN SOLAR PLANTS FROM -- SOLAR FROM KOREA. SO IT'S COMING AND IT'S HERE AND THAT'S WHY THE INVESTMENT IS CRITICAL THAT WE HAVE IT AND THEY SEE THAT THIS IS A COUNCIL THAT IS WELL INFORMED, WELL TRAVELED AND HAS A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. SO I THINK THAT THAT HAS BEEN PROVEN BY WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I WOULD LIKE US TO BE CAUTIOUS IN TERMS OF WHEN WE COMPARE OUR BUDGET TO THAT OF A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET BECAUSE A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET DOES NOT NEED TO COMPETE WITH PHOENIX OR AUSTIN OR NEW BRAUNFELS FOR BUSINESSES AND FOR INCOME. SO UNDERSTAND THAT A CITY AND HOW WE COMPETE FOR INDUSTRY AND JOBS AND GROWTH IS DIFFERENT THAN, YOU KNOW, YOUR HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN CUTTING SOME THINGS AND JUST WORKING WITH THAT. WE NEED TO BE CONTINUALLY MOVING FORWARD. THE OTHER THING ABOUT THAT A CITY HAS THAT A HOUSEHOLD BUDGET DOESN'T IS THE THINGS THAT WE ARE MANDATED TO DO. AND I DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS BROUGHT FOR US, BUT AGAIN, I DON'T GO BACK TO WHAT IS MANDATED, WHAT IS PRIORITY SERVICES, AND WHAT IS CITY SERVICES. IF WE TAKE THIS OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND WE ASK THEM WEDNESDAY WE SEE THAT 311 SERVICE CALLS AREN'T MANDATED BUT WHAT IS THE ONE THING THEY'RE GOING TO ASK FOR IS 311 AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION OF 311. SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT OUR CONSTITUENCY, ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR AND WHAT THEIR EXPECTATION IS. SO I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND WE MAKE THESE CHOICES, I AM STILL LOOKING TO SEE WHERE EXACTLY WE'RE GOING TO TIGHTEN UP BECAUSE I'M STILL NOT HEARING SPECIFIC PROJECTS OR [03:55:02] SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS, ALL I'M HEARING IS PROTECT, PROTECT. THE THING IS WE NEED TO -- WE NEED TO COME TO YOU NEXT TIME, ERIK, WITH THINGS THAT WE HAVE THOUGHT OF IN TERMS OF WHERE WE ARE GOING -- WHERE WE ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL INCREASE THE BUDGET, WHAT PROJECTS, PUBLIC WORKS PROJECTS WE WOULD BE WILLING TO DEFER. I THINK ALSO UNDERSTANDING WHAT MEMBERSHIPS -- IF IT IS ABOUT MEMBERSHIPS, WHAT MEMBERSHIPS WE CAN GET CREATIVE WITH AND MAYBE JOIN THROUGH A CHAMBER OR TRAVEL OTHER WAYS. AND THEN ANDY, I THINK YOU NEED TO CHIME IN ABOUT LEGALLY WHAT WE COULD DO AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO DO THIS BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE WE ARE KIND OF CONSTRAINED. AND I KNOW SOME TRIPS, GREAT. IT'S CITY TRAVEL BUDGET. SOME I'M A GUEST OF A FOREIGN GOVERNMENT. THIS IS JUST THE WAY IT IS. SO HOW DO WE DO THAT, GET CREATIVE? I KNOW SOME OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES HAVE MADE CONFERENCES BECAUSE THEY'VE INVITED YOU AS A GUEST AND TAKEN CARE OF THINGS. SO ANDY, IF WE COULD JUST GET MORE OF THAT IN TERMS OF AS WE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, HOW WE ARE GOING TO TRAVEL AND MOVE FORWARD ON THAT. I THINK WE'VE MADE SOME PROGRESS. I THINK WE'VE HEARD SOME IDEAS, ERIK, FOR YOU TO START WITH. AND I JUST LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THROUGH THIS PROCESS. I THINK IT IS GOING TO COME WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE CREATIVE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD RELY TOO HEAVILY ON TAXING -- OTHER TAXING ENTITIES BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR OWN PROBLEMS. I THINK WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK WITH THEM, BUT I DO THINK WE NEED TO START ENGAGING WITH OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITIES AND BRING THEM ALONG IN OUR CONVERSATION AS WE MAKE ADJUSTMENTS. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST FIRST. THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO. >> CASTILLO: WHETHER IT'S SCENARIO 1 OR SCENARIO 2, I BELIEVE THERE'S VALUE IN US HAVING A CONVERSATION AND HOW WE MEET THE NEED WHERE ONE EXISTS, SIMILAR TO COUNCILMEMBER DR. KAUR, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY IS HOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE LAGS. I DO WALK OUR CONSTITUENCY THROUGH THAT SINCE WE'RE AN OLDER PART OF TOWN, I KNOW IT'S CONSTRUCTED BEFORE SPECIFIC BUILDING CODES, THAT'S WHY THEY MAY SEE THEY HAVE NEWER INFRASTRUCTURE BECAUSE THE BUILDER IS REQUIRED TO BUILD THAT INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PROJECT. I KNOW WITH THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS COMING UP I KNOW IT WILL BE A COMMENT BECAUSE I'VE HEARD IT EVERY YEAR SINCE BEING ON COUNCIL IS THE NORTHERN DISTRICTS HAVE THINGS THAT WE DON'T. AND I WALK THEM THROUGH THE CODE AND THE REASON WHY. BUT WHETHER IT'S SCENARIO 1 OR SCENARIO 2 WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IN TERMS OF NAMP AND CIP. WHERE IS THE NEED AND SHOULD WE ALL BE GETTING THE EQUAL BUDGET WHEN THERE ARE DISTRICTS THAT LACK THE BASIC INFRASTRUCTURES. I STILL HAVE SEATS THAT ARE GRAVEL. SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEED AND WE SHOULD BE WORKING TOWARD ENSURING THAT WE'RE MEETING THOSE NEEDS OF FOLKS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY. I KNOW THERE'S SIDEWALK GAPS NOT JUST IN D5, ALL OVER, BUT HOW ARE WE MEETING THAT NEED WITH OUR LIMITED DOLLARS. I DID WANT TO CHIME BACK IN TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR RAISED IN TERMS OF THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING. WE ALSO KNOW WHERE THE CAN CLOSURE OF LAUREL RIDGE WE WILL SEE INDIVIDUALS WITH LOTS OF NEEDS OUT IN THE COMMUNITY SO WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY, IN MY OPINION, TO ALLOW US TO DIVEST FROM PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING OR ANYTHING IN TERMS OF THE WORK THAT MARK AND THE DHS TEAM ARE DOING AS WELL. SO JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE TWO POINTS IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENSURING THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE WORK OF MARK'S TEAM AND ALSO JUST PREPARING FOR WHAT WE'RE ABOUT TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE CLOSURE OF LAUREL RIDGE. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR. >> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST TO PICK UP WHERE I WAS ENDING OFF ON THE FIRST ROUND REGARDING THE QUICK BUILD PROGRAM. IF YOU LOOK AT THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET ON THE SLIDE, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU HAVE THOSE ATTACHMENTS. IT IS PAGE 40 OF THE APPENDICES. THAT BUDGET IS ONLY $2 MILLION. AND TRANSPORTATION HAS LIKE SUCH A KEY PART OF EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO DO. THIS LAST WEEK WE GOT TO DO MEMORIAL RIDE FOR SILENCE FOR ALL OF THE CYCLISTS THAT HAVE LOST THEIR LIVES ON THE STREETS, AND THAT IS LISTED IN OUR VISION ZERO. IT'S LIKE A PART ARE OF OUR VISION ZERO PROGRAM. WE WERE THE FIRST CITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO ADOPT A VISION ZERO PROGRAM. AND THAT'S UNDER CITY SERVICES. [04:00:01] SO WHEN WE MAKE THESE COMMENTS ABOUT LET'S LOOK AT THESE SLIDES AND DETERMINE WHAT IS NOT AS IMPORTANT, WE'RE GOING TO CUT VISION ZERO? WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK ON OUR COMMITMENT TO HAVE NO CYCLISTS' DEATHS ON OUR STREETS. SO I JUST -- THIS DATA IS REALLY FASCINATING AND IT'S JUST ILLUMINATING TO ME THAT WE ARE SO AWESOME AS A CITY FOR ALL OF THE CITY SERVICES THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THAT MAY NOT HAVE COME UP IN OUR MANDATED OR PRIORITY, BUT THEY ARE SO CRITICAL TO WHO WE ARE. NOW PASSING PHILLY AS THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY, WE HAVE AN EXPECTATION TO LIVE UP TO THAT BY ACTUALLY DOING WHAT WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO AND PROVIDING GREAT SERVICES, CORE SERVICES, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE ARE THESE MANDATED PRIORITY IN CITY SERVICES. THAT BEING SAID I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE THE SUPPORT THAT MY COLLEAGUES PROVIDED FOR THE QUICK BUILD PROGRAM THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME TO US FROM OUR ACTIVISTS IN DISTRICT 1 THAT REALLY SUPPORT PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST SAFETY. AND HONESTLY THE GOAL THERE IS JUST TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF IMPLEMENTATION FOR WORK THAT WE'RE DOING. SO WHATEVER CITY STAFF COMES BACK WITH, HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE, I THINK OUR GOAL IS JUST TO SET A TARGET. I LIKE THESE TARGET MEASURES THAT WE -- THAT ERIK AND THE TEAM HAVE BEEN DOING. SO LET'S SET A TARGET FOR 20 PROJECTS OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND SEE IF WE CAN HIT THAT TARGET AND HOWEVER WE GET THERE I THINK WOULD BE GREAT. ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS JUST ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY MEASURE. I KNOW MY COLLEAGUE BROUGHT UP THAT PUBLIC SAFETY WAS LISTED THERE OR POLICE OFFICER WAS LISTED AS THE TOP THREE THINGS. I THINK LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH SAFFE OFFICERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES. FOR ME THE THINGS THAT I ALWAYS GET ACCOLADES FOR IN TERMS OF HOW GREAT THEY ARE ARE THE SAFFE AND OUR BIKE PATROL. I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE SUFFICIENT SERVICES IN THOSE AREAS. AND FROM ACS, WE JUST HAD A REALLY BAD CASE THAT MANY OF YOU HEARD ABOUT IN DISTRICT 1 WITH ANOTHER DOG THAT WAS ATTACKED AND KILLED IN THE HILLS RIDGE VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD. SO SING WE NEED -- I KNOW TO YOUR COMMENT, COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA, THAT THIS IS WHY MORE ATTENTION HAD BEEN PLACED ON IT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT I STILL DON'T THINK WE HAVE ENOUGH AND I THINK IT'S ALSO REALLY HARD. WE HEAR FROM OUR INDIVIDUALS EVERY WEEK AT PUBLIC COMMENT HOW MUCH THEY -- HOW MUCH SUPPORT THAT ACS NEEDS AND WE NEED TO BE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE BETTER RECRUIT FOR THOSE POSITIONS THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO FILL BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WHAT I HEAR FROM ACS ALL THE TIME IS IT'S SO HARD TO FIND ACS OFFICERS AND FOLKS THAT WANT TO DO DANGEROUS DOG INVESTIGATIONS, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I'LL END OFF BY SAYING I WANTED TO ECHO COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO'S POINT ABOUT HUMANIZING. IT'S EASY -- FOR EXAMPLE, THE SISTER CITIES LINE ITEM UNDER EDD. IT SAYS 1.5 IN THE AUTHORIZED COUNT. THAT'S 1.5 PEOPLE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, AND THAT'S EASY TO SEE AS A NUMBER, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERSON, I KNOW WHO THAT PERSON IS AND THEY'RE SUCH A CRITICAL INDIVIDUAL TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO WHEN IT COMES TO INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS WITH THE CITY STAFF, THINK ABOUT THAT PERSON AND THINK ABOUT THEIR FACE WHEN YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT OH YEAH IS THIS WORK IMPORTANT? ARE WE SAYING THAT THE WORK THEY'RE DOING DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE? BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I INTERACT WITH THEM THAT THEY ARE DOING AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF MAKING SURE WE ARE BEING SEEN AS THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY IN THE COUNTRY. AND [INDISCERNIBLE] AGREES. THE LAST THING I'LL END WITH. AT THE SAME TIME, I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY BE MY LITTLE FINDING MIDDLE GROUND HERE. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING WHEN IT COMES TO THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE WE ARE DOING THE JOB AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. I DON'T THINK THAT MEANS GOING THROUGH AND GOING THROUGH ALL THE CITY SERVICES AND JUST SLASHING THOSE BUT I THINK THERE ARE WAYS WE COULD FIND EFFICIENCIES, WHICH I THINK IS ERIK IF YOU TAKE ONE THING AWAY IS MAYBE WE ARE ASKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT JUST BLANKETED, YOU KNOW, $55 MILLION FOR X THAT WE DON'T HAVE GRAPHICS. [BUZZER]. BUT REALLY THOUGHTFULLY THOUGHT OUT. THANKS, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM IN THE SECOND ROUND? OKAY. JUSTINA, QUESTION. WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY $20 MILLION FOR THE MEDICAID 1115 WAIVER PROGRAM THROUGH A DEEPER DIVE. DO WE HAVE ANY OF THOSE DEEPE DIVES ANTICIPATED IN OTHER AREAS? >> SO WITH THE MEDICAID WAIVER WE KNEW THAT WAS EXPIRING SO WE WENT BACK AND WE LOOKED AT IT. [04:05:03] THAT FUND OR THOSE RESERVES, THAT'S THE-- THAT'S ONE OF THE ONLY PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE THAT WE KNOW IS COMING. I MEAN, OUR GRANTS HAVE EXPIRATION DATES, BUT THAT'S THE ONLY -- THAT WAS A VERY UNIQUE SITUATION THAT WE HAD. SO THAT'S WHY WE WENT BACK AND DID THAT FULL ANALYSIS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. SO WE DON'T ANTICIPATE DOING ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT IN OTHER PROGRAMS. >> BECAUSE THAT PIECE WAS SO UNIQUE THAT'S WHY WE DID THAT. BUT WE ARE ALWAYS LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES AND AREAS WHERE WE -- LIKE THROUGH THE CBR'S. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. I WANT TO FOOT STOMP THE POINT THAT MY COLLEAGUE MEZA GONZÁLEZ MADE THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM AND WE SHOULD ALREADY BE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN THIS TO OUR NEIGHBORS, BUT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY PIECE, ERIK, ESPECIALLY IF THE CONNECTION IS MADE, HEY, MUCH OF THIS PROPERTY TAX INCREASE WOULD -- IS NEEDED TO GO TOWARD MEETING OUR REQUIREMENTS AS PART OF THE CBA. I THINK SHOWING WHAT ACTUALLY IS IN THE CBA THAT IS DICTATING THAT GROWTH IN THE BUDGET I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO WALK AS MANY PEOPLE ALONG AS POSSIBLE. I THINK ALSO TYING WHATEVER THAT COST INVESTMENT IS TO THE OUTCOME THAT WE ALL HAVE SAID IS WHAT WE THINK IS SUFFICIENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY. FOR EXAMPLE, A RESPONSE TIME, RIGHT, FROM EITHER POLICE OR FROM PD. SO NOT ONLY ARE WE MANDATED TO DO THIS BY THE CBA, BUT ALSO THIS LEVEL OF INVESTMENT ALSO ALLOWS US TO MEET AN OUTCOME THAT WE ALL HAVE AGREED IS NECESSARY FOR OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK AS MUCH AS WE CAN WALK IT FOR FOLKS IS IMPORTANT. I ECHO THE COMMENTS ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN SOME OF THESE INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS, SECRETARY CISNER ROSE WILL GO ON AT LENGTH ABOUT HOW TOYOTA CAME HERE, AND THAT WAS BY REALLY INVESTING IN THAT RELATIONSHIP, GOING TO JAPAN. A RELATIONSHIP THAT CONTINUES WITH THAT SAME FAMILY AND ADVISOR TODAY. MANY OF THEM WERE ACTUALLY JUST AT THE TOYOTA -- AT ONE OF THE TOYOTA EVENTS LAST YEAR WHERE HE WAS RECOGNIZED. SIMILARLY AS I HAVE FOUND AND GREATER SATX ECHOS THIS, COMMUNITIES KNOW ABOUT HOUSTON, DALLAS, AUSTIN. THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW ABOUT SAN ANTONIO. AND WE SAW THAT WHEN WE WENT TO TAIWAN AND REALLY HAD TO HIGHLIGHT THE UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES THAT EXIST IN SAN ANTONIO FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PURPOSES FOR THOSE COMPANIES. SO THAT IS NOT -- ALSO WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $300,000, THAT IS NOT A PLACE WHERE I THINK -- WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ROI OF SOME OF THESE THINGS WE CAN LOOK IN OTHER PLACES, I BELIEVE. THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER GLEE. THE -- WHERE DID MARK GO? THERE HE IS. IS IT 3 POINT -- CAN YOU ELABORATE FOR EVERYBODY BECAUSE I THINK FOLKS WERE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT NUMBER AGAIN. >> THE COST IN THIS FISCAL YEAR WAS 3.6 MILLION TO PAY FOR THE LEASE WAS ARPA FUNDS, IT WAS ONE-TIME USE. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE FRAMEWORK THAT WE LAID OUT LAST WEEK, THE ITEM AROUND GUIDING PEOPLE OFF THE STREETS WAS ADDING SHELTER CAPACITY. I MENTIONED LAST WEEK AS WELL THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS, TO COUNCILWOMAN KAUR'S QUESTION AROUND THE LOSS IN CAPACITY AND COMMUNITY. WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS PLACING PEOPLE INTO HOUSING BEFORE THE END OF THE CONTRACT PERIOD. IT OBVIOUSLY IS A GAP THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS ON RIGHT NOW. WE DO HAVE SOLUTION WITH SAM MINISTRIES, HAVING FUNDING FROM TDHCA TO BUILD OUT A PERMANENT SHELTER CAPACITY IN THE COMMUNITY, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM RIGHT NOW, BUT IT IS CONTEMPLATED, MAYOR, IN THE FRAMEWORK FOCUS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. AND THAT ENDS IN SEPTEMBER, CORRECT? >> CORRECT. >> MAYOR JONES: THE LEASE DOES IN AND IT'S 4.6 YOU SAID. >> CORRECT. 4.8. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIPS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KIND OF MAKING THESE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THE THING THAT WE THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, IDENTIFYING FUNDING FOR IT AND WHERE WE HAVE SOME OUTSTANDING DEBTS. THE MLS SOCCER STADIUM, THE [04:10:02] NUMBER THIS YEAR IS 3.1 MILLION IF WE COLLECTED THAT. SO 3.1 MILLION, IF WE WERE ABLE TO TRANSFER THAT FROM THE PFC INTO THE GENERAL FUND, COULD GO TO THE LOW BARRIER SHELTER. YES, SIR, GO AHEAD. >> MAYOR, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S AS EASY AS THAT OF JUST MOVING THE MONEY TO THE GENERAL FUND. >> MAYOR JONES: IT TAKES A VOTE, RIGHT. >> YEAH, WE HAVE A REQUIREMENT -- US AND THE COUNTY HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE AND OWN THAT FACILITY. IF THERE WAS A THOUGHT THAT EITHER ENTITY WAS GOING TO TRANSFER MONEY TO EITHER THE COURTHOUSE OR CITY HALL, THEN IT WOULD REQUIRE A VOTE OF THAT GROUP, BUT I'LL ADD THAT WOULD BE TANTAMOUNT TO US TAKING A MILLION DOLLARS FROM THE ALAMODOME TO SOLVE A GENERAL FUND ISSUE, WHICH IS -- WHICH WE WOULDN'T DO BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS NEEDED TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THAT FACILITY. >> MAYOR JONES: SO JUST TO BE VERY CLEAR, ON THIS POINT, THAT'S MONEY THAT NO ONE EXPECTED TO ACTUALLY HAVE YEARS AGO, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE AGREEMENT IS BASED ON US BRINGING A TEAM HERE. SO AS A RESULT OF THAT HAPPENING, THIS IS KIND OF NEW MONEY THAT NO ONE ANTICIPATED. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE MONEY THAT GOES TOWARD THE OPERATING EXPENSES AS ORIGINALLY ENVISIONED. >> NO, I THINK IT DOES, MAYOR. WE'LL GO BACK. THAT'S WHAT THE LEASE CONTEMPLATES, BUT -- >> MAYOR JONES: BUT IT'S A PENALTY BECAUSE WE DIDN'T DO SOMETHING AND NOBODY THOUGHT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO THE PENALTY BECAUSE PEOPLE THOUGHT WE WOULD BRING A TEAM HERE. >> I UNDERSTAND YOUR POSITION. I'M JUST SAYING THAT THE MONEY -- THE FIRST HOOP IT'S GOT TO RUN THROUGH IS THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OR CAPITAL NEED OF THE FACILITY. THEN IF EITHER ENTITY WANTS TO PULL MONEY TO HOME BASE, THEN IT REQUIRES A VOTE OF THAT. AND I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT I LIKELY WOULDN'T RECOMMEND THAT WE TAKE MONEY OUT OF A FACILITY THAT WE'VE GOT TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN OR CAPITALIZE TO SOLVE A GENERAL FUND PROBLEM. >> MAYOR JONES: AS WE LOOK AT MONEY THAT WE COULD COME IN, THOUGH, GIVEN THE SIZE OF THIS DEFICIT, I THINK WE NEED TO AS SOMEBODY HAS PREVIOUSLY SAID, PUT ON OUR INNOVATION CAPS. I ALSO THINK IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT AND I KNOW, MARK, IT'S KIND OF CORE TO YOUR WHOLE STRATEGY, WHICH IS BETTER LEANING IN TO PHILANTHROPY AND CORPORATE. I THINK THAT'S EXCELLENT. I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE RIPE WHEN I LOOK AT THE FY27 GENERAL FUND REDUCTIONS I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RESTRUCTURING THE EXPLORER PROGRAM, THAT SEEMS LIKE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ONE OF OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS TO COME IN AND HELP WITH. I THINK HAVING TO REDUCE 11 POSITIONS AND FUNDING FOR THE BOOK FESTIVAL, WHICH IS THREE-QUARTERS OF A MILLION DOLLARS, I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING CERTAINLY I WOULD THINK ONE OF OUR LOCAL CORPORATIONS COULD ALSO BE HELPFUL WITH. SO ALL THAT TO SAY I'M GOING TO LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH MY COLLEAGUES ABOUT A UNITED FRONT THAT WE CAN HAVE TO OUR LOCAL PHILANTHROPY AND ORGANIZATIONS ON HOW THEY CAN HELP OFFSET SOME OF THE SERVICES WHICH WE THINK ARE IMPORTANT. I THINK THEY THINK WOULD ALSO BE IMPORTANT. AND FRANKLY HAS ALSO BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES, WHICH IS PHILANTHROPY AND CORPORATE STEPPING UP IN LIGHT OF VERY CHALLENGING FISCAL ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL OF US. ONE THING, ERIK, ON THE -- FOR THE JUNE 18TH BRIEFING, WILL THIS PRESENTATION -- WILL THAT PRESENTATION HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW YOUR BUDGET HELPS US MEET THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS CURRENTLY OUTLINED? IE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL STILL BE ABLE TO MEET THIS ONE? THIS ONE WE'LL FALL SHORT 25%. WILL IT BE STRUCTURE UNDERSTAND THAT WAY TO THE BROADER DISCUSSION EARLIER ABOUT INVESTMENTS, VIS-A-VIS OUTCOMES? >> SO IDEALLY YES IN THE AREAS OF REDUCTION SO THAT THE COUNCIL UNDERSTANDS THE POTENTIAL IMPACTS. WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT FOR THE ENTIRE BUDGET. THAT'S WHAT WE'LL DO IN AUGUST. WE'LL WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DO THAT AS PART OF THE TRIAL BUDGET, ESPECIALLY IN ANY Q&AS WE ARE PROPOSING IN REDUCTIONS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. SO FOR THE 58 SOME-ODD PERFORMANCE AREAS HOW CAN WE UNDERSTAND HOW OUR BUDGET HELPS US MEET THOSE GOALS? >> SO IF WE'RE IN THOSE 58 AND THE SIX PLUS SIX, IF IN ANY AREAS THAT WE PROPOSE REDUCTIONS AND SPENDING ON JUNE 18TH, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT THE ASSOCIATED 58 MEASURES. I'M NOT SURE IT'S GOING TO BE ALL 58. >> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S HELPFUL, THANK YOU. [04:15:01] THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE STAFF FOR ALL THE HARD WORK. THANK YOU TO MY COLLEAGUES FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSION AND INDICATION OF WHAT IS STILL NECESSARY. I THINK WHAT YOU HEARD A LOT AS WELL HERE, ERIK, WAS SOME FEEDBACK NOT ONLY ON PROCESS THAT HELPS US UNDERSTAND TRULY KIND OF WHERE WE ARE VERSUS WHERE WE NEED TO GO, AS WELL AS, OF COURSE, SOME FOLKS HAD SOME SPECIFIC IDEAS ABOUT WHERE WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO TAKE SOME CUTS. BUT LAYING ALL OF THAT OUT FOR US IN TERMS OF THE OPTIONS AND THEN THE OTHER THINGS THAT ALLOW US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE WE'RE -- WE'RE FOREGOING PROPERTY TAX TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP OURSELVES, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT, AS WAS -- I FORGET WHO EXACTLY SAID IT, BUT THINKING ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION AND SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR DECISIONS WE HAVE, THE BOND, OF COURSE, HOW WE'RE GOING TO STRUCTURE OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, SO THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY JUMPS OUT AT ME WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE -- ESPECIALLY THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT THAT WE JUST MAY NOT HAVE FUNDING FOR, WHEN WE'RE THINKING OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK, AN APPROACH TO THAT IS HEY, DO NO HARM. NOT ONLY COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE YOU'VE GOT ENOUGH CHILDCARE, BUT WHEN YOU COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY YOU'VE ALSO GOT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE ABIDING BY EMISSION STANDARDS, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME OF WHICH MAY OR MAY NOT APPLY FEDERALLY BASED ON THE ENDANGERMENT CLAUSE AND THAT'S HAPPENING THERE. BUT I THINK IT DOES LETTER US BEING THOUGHTFUL ABOUT HOW WE ASK FOR THE THINGS, HOW AND HOW OFTEN WE ASK FOR THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMUNITY NEEDS AND DESERVES DESERVES. AI, IF YOU'D RECAP FOR US -- ERIK, IF YOU'D RECAP FOR US, PLEASE. >> SO LISTEN, THANK YOU FOR THE CONVERSATION TODAY. THIS IS -- THESE AREN'T EASY CONVERSATIONS AND I KNOW THEY'RE NOT. BUT THEY'RE IMPORTANT AND THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND KIND OF WHERE YOU ALL ARE AT AS A GROUP AND AS A BODY SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT MILESTONE. THE NEXT MILESTONE IS GOING TO BE THE JUNE 18TH TRIAL BUDGET WHERE WE WILL LAY OUT CERTAINLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU GUYS TALKED ABOUT TODAY. I THINK WE WILL ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON KIND OF THE BALANCE AND THE COMMUNICATION OF ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING, THAT WE'RE BEING THE BEST STEWARDS OF PUBLIC MONEY AND BEING EFFICIENT TOWARDS OUR SERVICES AND THE USE OF THAT MONEY, WHETHER IT IS THAT ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SQUARED AWAY, ALL THOSE ISSUES, BUT ENSURING THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN. AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE TRIAL BUDGET WILL JUST BE THE FIRST BE THE AUGUST PROPOSED BUDGET. SO I THINK THE OTHER ASPECT OF THIS THAT I THINK WILL BE IMPORTANT FOR ME IS ENSURING THAT WE ARE THINKING THROUGH HOW WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE THIS AS IT RELATES TO THE PRIORITIES THAT YOU ALL IDENTIFIED THAT REALLY MIRROR THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND BE ABLE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PUTTING TOGETHER A PLAN TO BE FUNDED IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AND A TWO-YEAR BALANCED BUDGET THAT CONTINUES TO ACCOMMODATE THE THINGS THAT THE PUBLIC EXPECTS AND CERTAINLY THAT YOU ALL AS A GROUP EXPECT. AND IT'S NO -- PROBABLY THOSE THREE SENTENCES SOUND REAL EASY, BUT I THINK IT WILL BE A LOT MORE DIFFICULT THAN MY SUMMATION, BUT WE'RE READY TO GET TO WORK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATION ON JUNE 18TH, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY, GREAT. THANK YOU. THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, THE TIME IS NOW 2:47 P.M. AND THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.