Sep 17, 2026 City Council A Session

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>> LET'S GO ♪

[ PROCEDURAL  ]

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: GOOD MORNING. THE TIME IS NOW 9:IS A A.M.

ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 AND THE MEETING OF THE SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL IS CALLED TO ORDER. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL ROLL.

LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS TO INTRODUCE TODAY'S INVOCATOR.

>> SPEARS: I'M HONORED TO HAVE PASTOR WILL DAVIS WITH US HERE TODAY, HE IS A FIFTH GENERATION SAN ANTONIO RESIDENT AND HAS DEEP ROOTS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND HE SERVES AT CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH IN STONE OAK. HE HAS DEDICATED HIS MINISTRY TO SERVING FAMILIES, STRENGTHENING THE COMMUNITY , AND HELPING PEOPLE GROW IN THEIR FAITH. WILL ALSO HAS DEEP TIES TO SAN ANTONIO BEYOND HIS MINISTRY. HE AND HIS WIFE KARA ARE RAISING FIVE CHILDREN HERE, GIVING HIM A STRONG CONNECTION TO THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY HE SERVES AND HE HAS A PRETTY COOL CONNECTION TO THE NBA. WILL COHOSTS THE COACHING FOR LIFE WITH MONTY WILL WILLIAMS, TALKING LEADE LEADERSHIP, FAITH, AND LIFE BEYOND THE BASKETBALL COURT. HE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS SPENT HIS LIFE INVESTING IN PEOPLE AND IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR HIS SERVICE, HIS LEADERSHIP, AND HIS COMMITMENT TO STONE OAK AND SAN ANTONIO. IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE HIM HERE TODAY. I'M GRATEFUL HE'LL BE LE LEADING US IN PRAYER AS OUR INVOCATOR, AND I'LL ADD THAT EVERY TIME I ASK HIM FOR HELP FOR COMMUNITY SPACE, FOR ANYTHING, HE JUST SAYS YES AND MAKES IT HAPPEN, AND IT REALLY IS SO HELPFUL TO ME AND WHAT I'M DOING. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU PERSONALLY.

SO PASTOR WILL. >> THANK YOU. LET'S PRAY TOGETHER.

LORD, WE THANK YOU TODAY FOR OUR WONDERFUL CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, A BEAUTIFULLY DIVERSE CITY WITH SUCH A RICH CULTURAL HERITAGE AND HISTORY, AND MAY WE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THE RESPONSIBILITY YOU HAVE ENTRUSTED TO US TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS AND TO STEWARD THE MANY RESOURCES THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO US.

AND, LORD, WE PRAY FOR YOUR WISDOM TO LEAD AND GUIDE THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE CITY COUNCIL AS THEY ADDRESS THE PERTINENT ISSUES FACING US TODAY.

GIVE US OPEN EARS AND RECEPTIVE HEARTS TO LISTEN TO THE CONCERNS OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE BEEN CALLED TO SERVE. MAY WE ALWAYS SEEK TO HELP THE HURTING AND THOSE IN NEED. WE THANK YOU FOR OUR MILITARY HERE IN MILITARY CITY USA AND FOR ALL OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.

WE ARE SO GRATEFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM AND FOR THEIR SACRIFICE AND SERVICE TO US. WE THANK YOU SPECIFICALLY FOR OUR AIRFORCE AS WE CELEBRATE ITS BIRTHDAY TO TODAY. WE CAN'T IMAGINE OUR GREAT CITY WITHOUT THE AIRFORCE. WE PRAY FOR YOUR HAND OF PROTECTION OVER THEM, AND, LORD, I DO THANK YOU FOR OUR MAYOR AND FOR EACH COUNCILMEMBER AND FOR THE DISTRICTS AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY REPRESENT. BUT ULTIMATELY, WE REPRESENT YOU, GOD, AND WE ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO YOU. SO GIVE EACH ONE OF US YOUR HUMILITY AND YOUR PEACE. BLESS THIS MEETING. WE PRAY FOR UNITY AND DECORUM AS WE DISCUSS AND VOTE ON OUR BUDGET TODAY. WE PRAY THIS IN THE NAME OF

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JESUS, AMEN. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU PASTOR.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

ITEM 3 IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTESES FOR THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS OF THE SEPTEMBER 1, 2, AND 3, 2026 IS THERE A MOTION AND SECOND OF APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES? OKAY. IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.

PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES, THANK YOU.

[POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE  ]

AS A BROAD AIRFORCE VETERAN AND HAVING SERVED AS THE 27TH UNDER SECRETARY OF THE AIRFORCE, I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOUR WORK, THE AIRF AIRFORCE'S WORK ALL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY SAFE AND TO FRANKLY ENSURE A CERTAIN GLOBAL STABILITY AND GLOBAL SECURITY THAT ONLY THE U.S. AIRFORCE CAN PROVIDE AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL TO HOST THE GATEWAY TO THE AIRFORCE AND THE SPACE FORCE HERE AT LACK LAN AIRFORCE BASE. OUR CONNECTION RUNS DEEP AS MENTIONED WITH BASIC TO EVEN HOSTING PILOT TRAINING AT JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO RANDOLPH, TO CYBER INTELLIGENCE MEDICAL READINESS. THE AIRFORCE IS WOVEN INTO OUR COMMUNITY. SO ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, I WISH YOU A HAPPY 79TH BIRTHDAY TO OUR UNITED STATES AIRFORCE, AND NOW WE'LL HAVE REMARKS FROM COLONEL FARMER PLEASE, AND CHIEF AS WELL IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOU'RE MORE THAN

WELCOME. >> THANK YOU, MA'AM. HAPPY BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES AIRFORCE. MAJOR ORTIZ JONES, DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL, MAJOR GENERAL RETIRED JACKSON, HONORED VETERANS, SERVICE MEMBERS, CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, ON BEHALF OF DAVID, COMMANDER JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, THE ENTIRE JBSA LEADERSHIP TEAM AND OUR MISSION PARTNERS ACROSS THE REGION, IT IS MY DISTINCT PRIVILEGE TO STAND WITH YOU TODAY AS WE COMMEMORATE THE 79TH BIRTHDAY OF THE UNITED STATES AIR FOST. THE SUN NEVER SETS ON THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE OR ITS MISSION. AROUND THE CLOCK ACROSS EVERY TIME ZONE AND DOMAIN, OUR AIRMEN STAND READY TO FLY, FIGHT, WIN, AND DELIVER AMERICAN AIR POWER ANYTIME, ANYWHERE. YET, WHILE OUR MISSION CIRCLES THE GLOBE, IT'S PARTICULARLY PROFOUND TO MARK THIS MILESTONE RIGHT HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. BECAUSE SIMPLY PUT, YOU CANNOT TELL THE STORY OF AMERICAN AIR POWER WITHOUT TELLING THE STORY OF THIS GREAT CITY.

AND WHILE THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE OFFICIALLY BECAME INDEPENDENT 79 YEARS AGO, ON SEPTEMBER 18, 1947, OUR MILITARY AVIATION HERITAGE STRETCHES BACK MUCH FURTHER.

IT FAN IN 1907 WITH THE AIR NOT CAL DIVISION OF THE U.S. ARMY SIGNAL CORE.

AND ON MARCH 2, 1910 NEARBY AT FORT SAM HOUSTON IN SAN ANTONIO TEXAS, MILITARY AVIATION WAS BORN. AND ON THIS HISTORIC MOR MORNING, FIRST LIEUTENANT BENJAMIN FLOYD BOARDED A PLANE ALONG SIDE A DEDICATED CREW OF ENLISTED MECHANICS KNOWN AS SOLDIERS, AND ON THAT FLIGHT, HE FLEW FOR JUST OVER 7 MINUTES, REACHED AN ALTITUDE OF 200 FEET AND A TOP SPEED OF 30 MILES PER HOUR.

AND FROM THOSE INITIAL SEVEN MINUTES OVER SAN ANTONIO SOIL EMERGED THE GREATEST AIRFORCE THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN. FLOYD AND THE FIRST ARROW SQUADRON PROVED THE OPERATIONAL VALUE OF MILITARY AVIATION.

SUBSEQUENTLY, COMBAT IN THE SKIES OVER WORLD WAR I RA RAPIDLY ACCELERATED TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGIES. VISIONARIES DURING THE INNER WAR PERIODS CHAMPIONED AIR POWER'S NECESSITY, AND DURING WORLD WAR II, THE AIRPLANE MY AIRFORCE'S FO FORCED THE GLOBAL ARE A MAD DID A THAT THAT PROVED CONTROL OF THE SKIES WAS

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AND TWO YEARS LATER, THAT INSTALLATION WAS CHRISTENED LACK LAN AIRFORCE BASE, FOREVER KNOWN TO HISTORY AS THE GATEWAY TO THE AIRFORCE. AND SINCE 1946, MORE THAN 7 MILLION YOUNG AMERICANS HAVE TAKEN THEIR INITIAL STEPS INTO MILITARY LIFE ON THE DRILL PADS AT LAKLAN, AND TODAY UNDER JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO, LAKLAN REMAINS THE SOLE ENTRY POINT TRANSFORMING VOLUNTEERS TO DISCIPLINARIANS AND GU GUARDIANS, SAN ANTONIO TRULY IS THE LIFE BLOOD OF OUR FORCE AND THE HEART THAT SUSTAINS IT. HERE STANDS HEADQUARTERS, RECRUITING, EDUCATING WAR FOR 300,000 PERSONNEL EACH YEAR. HERE OPERATES THE AIRFORCE PERSONNEL CENTER STEERING THE CAREERS OF 1.3 MILLION TOTAL FORCE PROFESSIONALS.

HERE THRIVES HEADQUARTERS 19TH AIRFORCE DIRECTING NEARLY HALF OF THE AIRFORCES FLYING IN OUR PROGRAM ALONGSIDE THE HISTORIC 12TH FLYING TRAINING WING, THE FINEST INSTRUCTOR PILOTS ON EARTH, AND THE LIST GOES ON.

VIRTUALLY EVERY CAPABILITY WE BRING TO THE FIGHT TRACES ITS ROOTS BACK TO THIS GREAT CITY. AND THIS BOND IS FAR MORE THAN INSTITUTIONAL, IT IS DEEPLY PERSONAL. ON AUGUST 9, 1991, A 19-YEAR-OLD RECRUIT NAMED JOHN FARMER BOARDED A BUS IN TULSA OKLAHOMA WITH A ON ONE-WAY TICKET TO CATCH A FLIGHT FROM OKLAHOMA CITY TO SAN ANTONIO. AND LIKE MANY OF MY FRIENDS, I ONLY NEW OF SAN ANTONIO THROUGH MY HISTORY BOOKS BUT MOSTLY THROUGH COUNTRY SO SONGS. I JOINED BECAUSE I NEEDED A DIRECTION, A CHALLENGE, AND A PURPOSE. AND STEPPING ON TO THAT BUS, QUITE FRANKLY, I WAS TERRIFIED. BUT STEPPING OFF THAT BUS AND MEETING MY MILITARY TRAINING INSTRUCTORS AT LA LAKLAN WAS EVEN SCARIER. I NEVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE SOMEDAY, AND I NEVER COULD HAVE IMAGINED THAT A SINGLE JOURNEY WOULD UNFOLD INTO AN AIRFORCE CAREER SPANNING MORE THAN THREE DECADES.

I DID NOT KNOW THAT SAN ANTONIO WOULD BECOME THE HOME WHERE MY CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WERE BORN AND RAISED AND WHERE MY FAMILY WOULD BUILD THEIR LIVES AND WHERE OUR DEEPEST ROOTS WOULD TAKE HOLD. I CERTAINLY NEVER DREAMED THAT 35 YEARS LATER I WOULD STAND AT MUNICIPAL PLAZA BEFORE THIS DISTINGUISHED COUNCIL TO REPRESENT MY SERVICE. MY STORY IS NOT UNIQUE.

IT IS SHARED BY HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF SERVICE MEMBERS WHO CAME HERE AS RECRUITS AND CHOSE TO STAY AS NEIGHBORS. YOU SEE, THE CROWN JEWEL OF THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE IS NOT OUR STEALTH AIRCRAFT, PRECISION WEAPONS OR ADV ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY. OUR ADVANTAGES ARE PEOPLE. IT IS OUR ABILITY TO TAKE YOUNG CITIZENS FROM EVERY CORNER OF THIS COUNTRY AND EMPOWER THEM TO DO THE EXTRAORDINARY. AND WE CANNOT ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE DO AROUND THIS GLOBE WITHOUT THE STEADFAST ADVOCACY, WARMTH, AND PARTNERSHIP OF MILITARY CITY USA. AND IN CLOSING, I AM REM REMINDED OF THE CHARGE SHARED BY MY COMMANDER, GENERAL WILSON, WE'RE NOT HERE JUST TO BE SOMETHING, WE'RE HERE TO DO SOMETHING. WITH THE CONTINUED DEDICATION OF OUR AIRMEN AND THE ENDURING SUPPORT OF THE C CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THERE'S NOTHING OUR COMBINED TEAM CANNOT ESTABLISH. MAYOR ORTIZ JONES, COUNCILMEMBERS, CIVIC LE LEADERS, THANK YOU FOR HO HONORING US TODAY. HAPPY 79TH BIRTHDAY TO THE AIRFORCE, AND MAYOR JONES, PLEASE JOIN ME IN CUTTING THE CAKE.

THANK YOU. >> LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, PLEASE DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO THE CENTER OF THE ROOM FOR THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE BIRTHDAY CAKE CUTTING CEREMONY. FOR ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED IN THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE, PLEASE COME FORWARD AND FORM UP BEHIND MAYOR JONES AND COLONEL FA FARMER. THEY'LL PAUSE TO OBSERVE THE BIRTHDAY WITH A CEREMONIAL

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FOR 79 AIRS AIRMEN HAVE ANSWERED THE CALL TO DEFEND OUR NATION, PROTECT OUR FREEDOMS AND DELIVER AIR POWER AND CAPABILITIES WHEN AND WHEREVER THEY ARE NEE NEEDED. WE HONOR ALL OF THOSE WHO HAVE WORN THE UNIFORM OF THE UNITED STATES AIRFORCE AND WE THANK THE FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE SUP SUPPORTED THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR SERVICE. HAPPY 79TH BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES AIRFORCE. AIM HIGH. FLY, FIGHT.

WIN. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: BEFORE WE CUT THE CAKE, WE'RE GOING TO SING; RIGHT? OH WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE. OKAY.

ON 3, 1, 2, 3. ♪ >> THANK YOU, THIS WAS AN

HONOR, I APPRECIATE IT. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: WONDERFUL. GREAT REMARKS TOO.

JUST TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HE HERE. THANK YOU, AGAIN, AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR UNITED STATES AIRFORCE. TOMORROW, SEPTEMBER 18 MARKS PRISONER OF WAR AND MISSING IN ACTION DAY, WHICH IS OBSERVED EACH YEAR, AND SO TODAY WE'LL HONOR THOSE BRAVE AMERICANS WHO ENDURED CAPTIVITY AS PRISONERS OF WAR. REMEMBERED THOSE WHO REMAIN MISSING IN ACTION AND STAND WITH THE FAMILIES WHO CONTINUE TO WAIT FOR ANS ANSWERS.

HERE IN MILITARY CITY USA, WE UNDERSTAND THE PROFOUND SACRIFICES OF MILITARY SERVICE, WE STAND WITH THEIR FAMILIES, HONOR THEIR SERVICE AND REAFFIRM THE PROMISE THAT NO ONE WILL EVER BE FORGOTTEN. JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE AS WE RECOGNIZE AND COMMEMORATE THE PRISONERS OF WAR AND THOSE MISSING IN ACTION. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO

[CONSENT AGENDA  ]

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THERE'S ALREADY A LOT GOING ON TODAY ERIC. OKAY.

THIS MEANS THEY WILL BE CONSIDERED AS A GROUP AND THEY WILL NOT BE A STAFF PRESENTATION UNTIL PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSID CONSIDERATION.

HEARING NONE. ANY ITEMS COUNCILMEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO PULL FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE HEARD INDIVIDUALLY? OKAY.

HEARING NONE WE HAVE -- LET'S SEE, A COUPLE FOLKS. ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT IS SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON ITEM 11. TERESA GOTIREZ, PLEASE.

TERESA. OKAY. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY. IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. ARE THERE ITEMS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CONSENT AGENDA FROM MY COLLEAGUES? OKAY. HEARING NONE, THERE BEING NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU.

THE NEXT ITEM IS THE CITY MANAGER'S REPORT, ERIC, OVER TO YOU.

>> NO MANAGER'S REPORT TO TODAY, MAYOR. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

THANK YOU. SO ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10 ARE THE BUDGET ITEMS. I BELIEVE STAFF HAS A PRESENTATION FOR ALL SIX ITEMS, SO IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND DISCUSSION FOR ALL SIX ITEMS TOGETHER.

HOWEVER, THESE ITEMS WILL HAVE INDIVIDUAL VOTES. OKAY.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTIONS FOR ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10, 5 THROUGH 10.

>> CLERK: ITEM 5 IS AN ORDINANCE ADOPTING THE ANNUAL CONSOLIDATED OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGETS FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO FISCAL YEAR 2027 THAT BEGINS OCTOBER 1, APPROVING PROJECTS INCLUDED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 THROUGH FISCAL YEAR 2031 FI FIVE-YEAR INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGEMENT PLAN, APPROVING THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 TO FISCAL YEAR 2032, SIX-YEAR CAPITAL IMP IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. APPROVING CERTAIN CONTRACTS PROVIDING FOR A ONE-TIME ANNUITY INCREASE FOR RETIREES AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES AND A REVISION TO THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION RATE IN CONNECTION WITH THE TEXAS KNEW MISPAL RETIREMENT SYSTEM AUTHORIZING PERSONNEL COMPLEMENTS, APPRO APPROPRIATING FUNDS, AMENDING RELATED ORDINANCES, AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO FURTHER AMEND THE BUDGET AND MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED BUDGET. ITEM 6 IS AN ORDINANCE RATIFYING THE ADOPTION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET THAT WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES THAN IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET. ITEM 7 IS ORDINANCE SETTING THE AD VALOREM TAX RATE FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT 35.138 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR BEGINNING ON JANUARY 12026 AND ENDING ON DECE DECEMBER 312026. ITEM 8 IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING THE AD VALOREM CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THE FUNDED DEBT OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT 21.150 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2026 AND ENDING ON DECEMBER 31, 2026.

ITEM 9 IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING FEES AND INCLUDED -- AS INCLUDED WITHIN FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND AND CERTAIN RESTRICTED FUNDS AND AMENDING THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO TEXAS TO REFLECT SUCH CHANGES.

ITEM 10 IS AN ORDINANCE CARRYING FORWARD CERTAIN FISCAL YEAR 2026 FUNDS AMENDING PRIOR APPROPRIATIONS APPROPRIATING FUNDS FOR REQUIREMENTS IN CITY PROJECTS,

INITIATIVES AND DEPARTMENTS. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY. THANK YOU.

ERIC, OVER TO YOU. >> WE'VE GOT A QUICK PRESENTATION JUST JUS

TINA WILL GIVE. >> TATE: GOOD MORNING MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL.

I WANTED TO PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE FINAL AMENDMENTS THAT WERE PROVIDED TO YOU LAST NIGHT THROUGH A MEMO. TODAY WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE AMENDMENTS, BOTH REVENUES AND EXPENSES AS WELL AS CHANGES IN THE RESTRICTED FUNDS. SO INCLUDED IN LAST NIGHT'S MEMO, WE PROVIDED ADDITIONAL REVENUE INCREASES OF ABOUT $4.5 MILLION OVER 2 YEARS, ABOUT $2.2 MILLION ANNUALLY.

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AND FINALLY, INCREASING THE NONRESIDENT LIBRARY CARD INCREASE FROM $20 TO $30.

WITH THESE RESOURCES, THEY WILL FUND AN ADDITIONAL 9 INCREASES TO OUR EXPENSES, ABOUT $4.5 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS. THIS INCLUDES RESTORING SEVERAL ITEMS THAT WERE PROPOSED AS REDUCTIONS IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH INCLUDES RESTORING PART TIME NUTRITION SITES FOR DARNER OR AT DARNER, RESTORES THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT FOR EMPLOYEES, IT ALSO RESTORES THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIPS FOR ONLY -- SCHOLARSHIPS FOR ONLY CITY OF SAN ANTONIO RESIDENTS. IT RESTORES FUNDING FOR ONE POSITION THAT SUPPORTS CULTURAL INITIATIVES AT THE HIS HIST OFFICE OF HISTORY AND PRESERVATION, AND RESTORES FUNDING FOR THE GASTRONOMY PROGRAM FOR ONE YEAR.

AND THEY RESTORE FUNDING OF ABOUT HO THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CARRY TOWARDS, AND THE CLIMATE ADAPTATION MANAGER AND RESTORES FIVE FILLED POSITIONS WITHIN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.

THIS INCLUDES THREE MATERNAL HEALTH POSITIONS. ONE MAYOR AND FINANCE FITNESS COUNCIL -- ONE THAT SUPPORTS THE MAYOR AND FITNESS COUNCIL, AND FINALLY ONE POSITION FOR PERFORMANCE ANALYST. AND FINALLY, IT ALSO INCLUDES FUNDING FOR THE AFTER-SCHOOL CHALLENGE FOR THE SOUTHWEST INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT. AMENDMENTS TO OUR RESTRICTED FUNDS AND CAPITAL BUDGET.

THIS INCLUDES $1 MILLION, $500,000 EACH, EACH YEAR FOR THE WOMEN'S HEALTH PROGRAMS OF REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE. THIS IS FUNDED OUT OF THE MEDICAID WAIVER RESERVES, AND FINALLY, IT AMENDS OUR CAPITAL BUDGET TO INCREASE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS FOR EACH CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FROM 200,000 TO $1 MILLION FOR A TOTAL INCREASE OF $8 MILLION FOR THE CAPITAL BUDGET FUNDED THROUGH OUR DEBT CAPACITY. THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY

TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, THE GASTRONOMY WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, THAT WOULD BE ABSORBED BY VISIT SAN ANT ANTONIO, SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S -- IT'S IDENTIFIED AS RESTORED,

THAT'S HOW IT'S RESTORED. >> TATE: RIGHT. >> IT'S RESTORED IN THE CITY'S

GENERAL FUND AND ABSORBED BY VISIT SAN ANTONIO IN 28. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: GOOD.

IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE PRESENTATION, PLEASE SIGN IN.

FIRST WE'LL DO THAT. WE'LL MOVE -- IS IT JUST CLARIFYING?

GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU.

JUST A QUICK, QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION, YESTERDAY WE TALKED ABOUT THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP AND HOW THOSE COULD COME OUT OF CARRY FORWARD IN EACH DISTRICT, DID -- I DIDN'T SEE THAT REF REFLECTED IN THE

PRESENTATION SO I JUST WANT ED TO CLARIFY. >> WALSH: YES, MA'AM IN LAST NIGHT'S MEMO WE INCLUDED -- WITH SOME OF THE RESTORATION THAT WAS INCLUDED IN LAST NIGHT'S MEMO OF SAEP, IT RESTORED THE MEMO RESTORES 1.5 OF THE $2.1 MILLION, AND THEN AS YOU REQUESTED, WE INCLUDED IN THE MEMO LAST NIGHT THE CARRY FORWARD BALANCES IN EACH DISTRICT. IF YOU ALL WERE TO CHOOSE TO DO THAT, THERE'S ALL -- THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL $700,000 TO GET BACK TO THE $2.1 MILLION.

THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THE AMENDMENT MEMOS, BUT INCLUDED IT FOR INFORMATION

IN THE ANSWER TO THE MEMO LAST NIGHT. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: GOT IT.

SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: JUST TO CLARIFY, I BELIEVE DISTRICT 7, 9 AND 10 HAVE ENOUGH CARRY FORWARD TO MAKE UP THAT BALANCE. I KNOW MANY OF US HAVE PROJECTS SO IS THAT A

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THERE? >> WALSH: YEAH. YOU ALL INDIVIDUALLY WOULD NEED TO WEIGH IN WHETHER OR NOT YOU NEED TO MAKE A CONTRIBUTION FROM THOSE DOLLARS TO THOSE ACCOUNTS TO MAKE UP THAT $700,000 DIFFERENCE, SO IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL CONSID CONSIDERATION. AND WHILE I'M ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, LET ME ALSO INCLUDE IN THERE THAT WASN'T IN THE PRESENTATION, WE DID INCLUDE IN THE MEMO, AND IT IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE -- THIS IS INCLUDED AS PART OF THE AMENDMENT THE ISSUE THAT COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ RAISED YESTERDAY WITH BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND EMERGENCY FUNDING CONTINGENT ON A PLAN, THAT IS INCLUDED, AND THEN LASTLY, THE F -- THE USE OF FISCAL YEAR $26, $1.5 MILLION FOR THE EMERGENCY HOMEOWNER EMERGENCY REPAIR ASSISTANCE AS IT RELATES TO THE AUGUST

28 STORM THAT PARTS OF THE CITY INCURRED. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: CLARIFY, IF FOLKS WANT TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE, THEY WOULD DO SO

INDIVIDUALLY AND NOT PART OF THE BUDGET ITEM. >> WALSH: THEY WOULD NEED TO

BUT THEY WOULD NEED TO WEIGH IN WHEN THEY DO THAT. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

PLEASE INCLUDE THAT IN YOUR REMARKS. THANK YOU.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE -- AND, AGAIN, THIS IS FOR ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10, AND I'LL CALL YOU IN THE ORDER THAT YOU HAVE SIGNED UP. THE FIRST PERSON TO SPEAK IS ZACHARY KAR KAROSKA, FOLLOWED BY ED BANSA AND ASKIAR. EVERYONE WILL GET TO SPEAK -- SO IT'S ZACHARY FIRST.

ZACHARY AND THEN ED PA PANSA, AND THEN AVA AS ASKIARO.

>> GOOD MORNING, MY NAME IS ZACHARY KAROSKO, A SENIOR AT TAFT HIGH SCHOOL, FOUNDER AND PRESIDENT OF TAFT BIKE CLUB. MY STORY WITH THE MA MAYOR'S FINANCE COUNCIL STARTED LONG BEFORE I EVER IMAGINED STANDING HERE.

GROWING UP WITH A CONGENITAL HEART DEFECT WHICH AFFECTS ONE OUT OF EVERY 100 KIDS THERE WERE TIMES I HAD TO SIT ON THE SIDELINES WHILE OTHER KIDS PLAYED.

I WANTED TO PARTICIPATE, BE A PART OF A TEAM, I WANTED TO BELONG, AND WHEN SPORTS AND MUSIC TOLD ME NO, CYCLING FOUND ME. THROUGH CYCLING, I FOUND THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL, WHICH GAVE ME SOMETHING I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR, AND THAT WAS MY VOICE. SOMEONE BELIEVED IN ME AND GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD AND SERVE. THAT OPPORTUNITY EVENTUALLY BECAME THE TAFT BIKE CLUB.

WHAT STARTED WITH ONE STUDENT LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO BELONG HAS BECOME AN OPPORTUNITY OF MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS, WE'VE RIDDEN OVER THOUSANDS OF MILES THROUGHOUT SAN ANTONIO, PARTICIPATED IN FIESTA EVENTS AND TAUGHT STUDENTS HOW TO RIDE AND CARE FOR THEIR BIKES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, GIVEN STUDENTS A PLACE TO FEEL WELCOME. BUT THE GREATEST THING WE'VE DONE ISN'T MILES OR EVENTS, IT'S THE STUDENTS. IT'S THE STUDENT WHO FOUND CONFIDENCE.

IT'S THE STUDENT WHO FOUND A FRIEND. THE STUDENT WHO DISCOVERED THEY COULD EAT, AND THAT'S THE IMPACT OF THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S FRUSTRATING TO ME THAT A PROGRAM HAS -- THAT HAS CREATED SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IS EVEN BEING CONSIDERED FOR CUTS.

BECAUSE THE IMPACT DOESN'T STOP WITH THE STUDENTS OF THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL.

THOSE STUDENTS TAKE WHAT THEY LEARN BACK TO THEIR SCHOOLS, THEIR CLUBS, THEIR FRIENDS, AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. ONE OPPORTUNITY CAN CREATE ANOTHER. AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED TO ME. IF THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL -- WITH THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL, IF I NEVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, THERE MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN A TAFT BIKE CLUB AND MORE THAN 100 STUDENTS MIGHT NOT HAVE FOUND THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME FROM IT. AND THERE ARE STILL STUDENTS WAITING FOR THEIR OPPORTUNITY. WE ARE THE FUTURE DOC DOCTORS, NURSES, TE TEACHERS, BUSINESS O OWNERS, AND LEADERS OF SAN ANTONIO.

BUT WE CAN'T EXPECT YOUNG PEOPLE TO LEAD TOMORROW IF WE DON'T GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES TO LEAD TODAY. WE NEED PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE IN US.

WE NEED PLACES WHERE OUR VOICES CAN BE HEARD. SO PLEASE, DON'T TAKE AWAY OPPORTUNITIES. WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WE HAVEN'T MET YET, THE LEADERS WHO HAVEN'T FOUND THEIR VOICE, AND THE POSSIBILITIES WE HAVEN'T DISCOVERED. PLEASE SAVE THE MAYOR'S FITNESS COUNCIL BECAUSE THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO IS SITTING IN OUR CLASSROOMS RIGHT N NOW, AND WE DESERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD IT. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. ED BANIS FOLLOWED BY ANNA, AND PAUL RODR RODRIGUEZ, AND DR. ROCHA GARCIA.

PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE CENTER. >> HELLO.

BUENOS DIAS. ED BANSAS FROM DISTRICT 4. HAPPY BIRTHDAY AIRFORCE.

[00:35:09]

OKAY. LOTS TO VOTE ON. SO IT -- IT IS ALL OVER BUT THE COUNT. WHY DOES ANYONE WANT TO CUT ONE DOLLAR FROM ANY PROGRAM? MAYBE GOING FORWARD, YOU DON'T ADD ANYTHING. I WANT EVERY BIG CAPITAL PROJECT OUT THERE, BUT ALSO ALL THE LITTLE ON ONES. I DROVE FOR VIA AND HAVE SEEN THE CITY. MAYBE EVERYONE CAN GO HOME AND CUT 5% OFF THEIR BUDGET.

I STILL URGE 6 OF YOU TO VOTE FOR ALL THE INCREASES. MOST BIG WINS ARE JUST BY ONE POINT. THIS IS A RICH COUNTRY, THE RICHEST COUNTRY EV EVER.

WE ARE NOT BROKE. IT IS A LACK OF PROPER DISTRIBUTION OF OUR WEALTH, AND IT IS BEING DISTRIBUTED -- I CAN'T SAY THE WORD. OOPS.

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. NO, NIOSA, OKAY. BUT I SAY THIS AND I THANK ALL OF YOU FOR WORKING, I'M RETIRED AND DON'T MISS IT. YAY.

HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

ANNA ASAVARO, PAUL RODRIGUEZ, DR. ROCHA GARCIA. >> GOOD MORNING, DR

DR. ROCHA G GARCIA AND I WILL BE TOGETHER. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: SIX

MINUTES, MA'AM. >> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.

GOODS MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. ON BEHALF OF 200900SAP SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS AWAITING THEIR AWARDS THIS SEMESTER, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR VOICING SUPPORT FOR THE CITY SCHOLARSHIP AND OUTREACH FUNDING FOR THE SAN ANTONIO PARTNERSHIP. I URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR THE BUDGET THAT INCLUDES THE AMENDMENTS OF THE FUNDING AND RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU TO CONSIDER BRINGING THE AMOUNT TO THE FULL 2.2 MILLION. APPROVING THE SCH SCHOLARSHIP FUNDING TODAY WILL BRING FINANCIAL AND EMOTIONAL RELIEF TO THESE 2,900 STUDENTS WHO HAVE MET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP. THEY WILL AGAIN HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO PERSIST IN THEIR STUDIES AND TO CONTINUE ON THEIR JOURNEY TO DEGREE ATT ATTAINMENT. THEY'LL KNOW THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO STANDS WITH THEM. AND THE RETURN ON INV INVESTMENT WILL BE KNOWN AND SEEN AS THEY BECOME THE LEADERS AND THE PROFESSIONALS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WILL ENSURE SAN ANTONIO STAYS ECONOMICALLY COMPETITIVE WHERE ALL SAN ANTON ANTONIOIANS WILL THRIVE. I ALSO RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU VOTE TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE. LIKEWISE, THIS MEASURE WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICES THAT ALL RESIDENTS DESERVE. I HAVE SEEN AND HEARD EACH ONE OF YOU SPEAK PASSIONATELY ON BEHALF OF ALL THE RESIDENTS OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK, LONG DAYS, AND LONG NIGHTS TO GET TO THIS

POINT. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR AND COUNCIL, GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORK YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO. IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU ALL THIS MORNING. BUT TODAY USED TO BE MY FAVORITE DAY UP UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO -- I KNOW, COUNCILMAN YOU LAUGH, BUT IT REALLY W WAS, BUT UNTIL A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO I STARTED GETTING REALLY WORRIED AND I WAS THE CHICKEN LITTLE SAYING THE SKY IS FALLING AND WE NEED A PLAN B AND NEED A PLAN C, AND HERE WE ARE. I -- I SAID SEVERAL TIMES THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME ISSUES THAT THE NEXT COUNCIL WOULD BE GRAPPLING WITH, AND I DO NOT ENVY ANY ONE OF YOU TODAY. I WISH YOU THE BEST OF LUCK, AND I WISH THAT YOU WOULD LEAD WITH YOUR HEARTS AS WELL AS LOOK AT SOME CREATIVE SOLUTIONS TO HELP ADDRESS THE SITUATION WE'RE IN TODAY. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN HERE, WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TOGETHER, WILL CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO EACH OT OTHER'S IDEAS, CREATIVE IDEAS TO HELP US GET PAST THIS. NOW, THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY STARTED CONSIDERING DIFFERENT IDEAS TO HOW TO SOLVE FOR THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP'S GAP. I HAVE NOT TAKEN -- I SAID THIS LAST NIGHT, I HAVE NOT TAKEN A VACATION DAY IN ABOUT 14 MONTHS.

[00:40:02]

THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP HAS FUNDED 15,000 STUDENTS, I'M AN ALUM.

I'M HERE TO REPRESENT THEM AS WELL. THE 2900 STUDENTS THAT ARE RIGHT NOW IN CLASS OR AT WORK THAT COULDN'T BE HERE, I GET TO REPRESENT THEM AS WELL, AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT TWO OF YOU REPRESENT THE STUDENTS AS WELL ON THE BOARD, MY FORMER COUNCIL COLLEAGUE OUTSIDE SISTER PHYLIS VIAGRAN, AND RIC GALVAN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND COM COMMITMENT TO THE EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP. NOW, WE KNOW THAT FOR YEARS WE HAVE HEARD THAT SAN ANTONIO NEEDS AN EDUCATED WORK FORCE TO COMPETE WITH THE LARGER CITIES.

INVESTING IN OUR YOUTH HAS CONTINUED TO BE IN PRIORITY AND IN TERMS OF POLICY DISCUSSIONS THAT AFFECT OUR ECONOMIC COMPETITIVENESS. CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY AT A TIME WHEN STATE AND FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS ARE NOT INVESTING AS MUCH AS THEY SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE AND ABSOLUTELY SHOULD BE ONE OF SAN ANTONIO'S LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING STRATEGIES.

I DO HOPE THAT EVERY SOLUTION PROPOSED TODAY ADDRESSES THE PROJECTED CUTS FOR THE SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP. THE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN CLASS RIGHT NOW ARE DEPENDING ON THEIR LE LEADERS TO KEEP THEIR END OF THE DEAL. THE SUPERINTENDENTS CLEARLY MAKE THAT POINT IN THE LETTER YESTERDAY, AND ERIC, ALTHOUGH YOU MIGHT BE THE BEST CITY MANAGER IN ALL OF THE LAND, I DO NOT ENVY YOU TODAY, BUT I'M GRATEFUL FOR YOU TRYING, FOR YOU TRYING FOR OUR STUDENTS. I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH SOME OF YOU ALL AS WELL. I WAS ABLE TO SHARE SOME NUMBERS OF THE STUDENTS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED. I REMINDED FOLKS THAT IN DISTRICTS 3 TO 6 WE HAVE THE MOST SCHOLARSHIPS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED. DISTRICT 4, THE DISTRICT I FORMALLY REPRESENTED HAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF STUDENTS, 545 STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE AFFECTED. THE SECOND LARGEST NUMBER IS 449 STUDENTS, ALSO ON THE SOUTH SIDE ON DISTRICT 3. 309 STUDENTS IN DISTRICT 5, AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON AND ON, AND WE KNOW THAT TODAY, WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY G GETTING TOGETHER AND LISTENING TO EACH OTHER'S CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.

I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T LIKE PITTING OUR CHILDREN AGAINST EACH OTHER.

NONPROFITS ARE ALL IMPORTANT, WE SHOULDN'T PIT THEM AGAINST EACH OTHER, BUT I KNOW SOMEWHERE DEEP THERE, THERE SHOULD BE A CREATIVE SOLUTION, AND I KNOW AND I VALUE YOUR OPINIONS AND YOUR IMPORTANT WORK THAT YOU DO, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL WILL FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS. I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK AND WISH YOU THE BEST TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

PAUL RODRIGUEZ FOLLOWED BY FATHER DRENAN AND THEN

>> MAYOR JONES AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS PAUL RODRIGUEZ AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF UP PARTNERSHIP AND OUR FUTURE READY BEXAR COUNTY PARTNERS. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS, MANY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT DELEGATE AGENCIES AND THE PROPOSED FY28 REDUCTION IN FUNDING. THOSE CONCERNS REMAIN AND OUR REQUEST REMAINS THE SAME. TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF ANY FRAMEWORK FOR FY28 DURING FY27 SO AS SO ENSURE COMMUNITY INPUT AND HOW TO ALIGN ACCOUNTABILITY AND A DATA INFRASTRUCTURE THAT PROVIDES TRANSPARENT METRICS.

TODAY, HOWEVER, I WANT TO SPEAK MORE BROADLY ABOUT WHAT IS AT STAKE FOR SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES AND YOUNG PEOPLE BASED ON TODAY'S VOTE.

WE RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE FACING DIFFICULT CHOICES. THE CITY IS CONFRONTING SIGNIFICANT FISCAL CHALLENGES. BY LAW, A BALANCED BUDGET MUST BE ADOPTED. WE UNDERSTAND THAT REALITY YET EVEN IN DIFFICULT MOMENTS OUR COMMUNITY MUST REMAIN CLEAR ABOUT WHAT AND WHO WE ARE TRYING TO PROTECT. ACROSS OUR CITY, FAMILIES DEPEND ON A NETWORK OF SUPPORTS THAT HELP CHILDREN SUCCEED, KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE ENGAGED, CREATE PATHWAYS TO COLLEGE AND CAREERS, STRENGTHEN FAMILIES, AND HELP RESIDENTS NAVIGATE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REDUCTIONS, IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER WHAT THOSE ACTUALLY MEAN. IT MEANS UNCERTAINTY FOR NEARLY 3,000 STUDENTS WHO DEPEND ON SAN ANTONIO EDUCATION PARTNERSHIP SCHOLARSHIPS TO CONTINUE THEIR COLLEGE JOURNEYS. IT MEANS DIFFICULT QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY INSTITUTIONS LIKE THE EAST SIDE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AND WHETHER THE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO RELY ON THOSE PROGRAMS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE SAFE PLACES TO LEARN, GROW, AND BELONG. IT MEANS FEWER OPPORTUNITIES FOR

[00:45:06]

AS YOU VOTE TODAY, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO THINK NOT ONLY ABOUT WHAT CAN BE CUT BUT ABOUT WHAT MUST BE PROTECTED AND WHETHER WE CAN PRESERVE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND SUPPORTS THAT HELP SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES THRIVE, ESPECIALLY DURING CHALLENGING TIMES. THOSE ARE THE IMPACTS OF THE DECISIONS BEFORE YOU TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOUR SERVICE, AND YOUR COMMITMENT FOR THE

FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. FATHER DRENNEN FOLLOWED BY

FATHER SCHAEFER AND THEN SONIA RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE . >> MAYOR JONES, COUNCIL MEMBERS. WE WILL BE PREVENTING AS AN ORGANIZATION.

>> MAYOR JONES: YOU HAVE NINE MINUTES. >> BROTHERS AND SISTERS, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. MY NAME IS FATHER SCHAEFER.

I'M PASTOR AT MISSION SAN JOSE AND A COPS/METRO LEADER THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS AT A CRUCIAL POINT IN ITS HISTORY. MANY ISSUES HAVE COME TOGETHER TO CAUSE A PROJECTED DEBT IN OUR BUDGET.

INFLATION CONTINUES TO RAISE PRICES, NOT ONLY IN THE GROCERY STORE AND GAS STATION BUT ALSO IN THE COST OF RUNNING OUR SCHOOLS, PAYING OUR STREETS, AND PAYING FOR POLICE AND FIRE PROTECTION. THE LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDS ELIMINATES SUPPORT THAT HAS BEEN RELIED ON FOR YEARS. CHANGES IN FUNDING THROUGH THE STATE HAVE ALSO DIMINISHED MONEY AVAILABLE TO THE CITY.

AS A RESULT IS A PROJECTED DEBT OVER TWO YEARS OF $156 MILLION.

WE COMMEND THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS STAFF AND THEIR EFFORTS TO PROPOSE A BALANCED BUDGET BUT AS YET THAT GOAL IS NOT ACHIEVED. WHAT WILL WE LOSE IF THERE ARE INSUFFICIENT FUNDS? WE WILL FACE CUTS IN OUR CITY'S PROTECTION BY POLICE AND FIREFIGHTERS. SENIORS WILL LOSE SERVICES THAT HELP THEM IN VULNERABLE TIMES. ALL OF US WILL BE DIMINISHED BY CUTS TO OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES. SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL LOSE SUPPORT IN THEIR LEARNING.

THE QUESTION WE FACE IS MORE THAN A FINANCIAL ONE. IT IS A MORAL ONE.

WHAT KIND OF CITY DO WE WANT TO BE? WILL WE ABANDON EACH OTHER IN THIS TIME? WILL WE CUT BACK, CUT OUT, CUT DOWN? WILL WE FORCE CUTS THAT WOUND NOT ONLY THE MOST VULNERABLE, BUT INDEED ALL OF THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. OR WILL WE JOIN THOSE OTHER CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY WHO HAVE INVESTED IN THEIR PEOPLE AND HAVE BECOME PROSPEROUS BY DOING SO. IN A RECENT STUDY OF 250 MAJOR CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES, SAN ANTONIO RANKED 150TH IN ITS PREPARATION FOR THE FUTURE.

WE CAN DO BETTER. >> I'M FATHER JIMMY DRENNEN. I'M THE PASTOR OF ST. MARGARET MARY CATHOLIC CHURCH AND I WANT TO BEGIN BY SHARING WITH YOU THAT COPS/METRO IS MADE UP OF ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT.

SO OUR PRESENCE HERE IS ONE THAT ADDRESSES EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

AS WE BEGIN THIS DAY, WE PAUSE FOR A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR AIR FORCE. AND WE WERE TOLD BY THE LEADERSHIP HERE AT JOINT BASE THAT THE GREATEST ASSET IN OUR AIR FORCE IS NOT THE PLANES THAT ARE BEING FLOWN BUT THE PERSONNEL THAT FLY THEM. THE PEOPLE ARE WHAT MAKE THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE GREAT. IN THE SAME WAY THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS MADE GREAT, NOT BY STADIUMS, NOT BY BUILDINGS, NOT BY STREETS, NOT BY CHURCH BUILDINGS BUT BY THE PEOPLE, THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO.

AND SO WE BELIEVE THAT INVESTMENT IN THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO IS KEY IN MOVING US FORWARD. TAKING US FROM THE SLOT OF 151ST OUT OF 250 CITIES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND MOVING US TOWARDS NUMBER ONE.

IT CANNOT BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN INVESTMENT IN OUR PEOPLE.

JOB PREPAREDNESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EDUCATION BECOME ESSENTIAL IN EVERY

[00:50:04]

NOW, WE KNOW THAT IF WE LOOK FORWARD FOR OUR CITY, WE CANNOT BALANCE THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE. THOSE IN GREATEST NEED.

WE KNOW THAT THE BUDGET CUTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING TOWARDS AS A CITY IS -- AND WE ARE SEEING IN OUR NEAR FUTURE -- IF WE DO NOT INCREASE REVENUES ARE GOING TO DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECT THE MOST VULNERABLE. AND SO THAT IN MIND, KNOWING THAT WE COMMEND THE CITY LEADERSHIP TODAY AND IN THE PAST FOR NOT RAISING PROPERTY TAXES OVER THE PAST 33 YEARS, BUT WE CANNOT SIMPLY MAINTAIN THAT TRAJECTORY AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR PEOPLE. THIS IS NOT A RECORD THAT WE NEED TO KEEP. THE RECORD WE NEED TO KEEP AND THE RECORD WE NEED TO CREATE IS INVESTMENT IN OUR PEOPLE. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO CUT BACK AND PULL AWAY FROM INVESTMENT IN OUR PEOPLE. NOW IS THE TIME TO INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE. AND TO DOUBLE DOWN ON THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO BECAUSE THAT IS WHERE OUR FUTURE LIES. AND SO KNOWING THAT WE CANNOT BALANCE THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE, WE ARE SUPPORTING COPS/METRO ALLIANCE. THIS MODEST TAX INCREASE THAT IS BEING PROPOSED BY THE CITY MANAGER. WE KNOW THAT IT IS GOING TO AMOUNT TO THAT'S WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO, THOSE WHO ARE PROPERTY TAX PAYERS. BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE MOST VULNERABLE. IN FACT, 47% OF THE PEOPLE WHO PAY TAXES IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WILL NOT SEE AN INCREASE. ONLY 53% WILL.

SO THE MOST VULNERABLE WILL NOT BE IMPACTED. WHAT WE ARE ASKING YOU TO DO IS WE ARE ASKING YOU TO MOVE OUR CITY FORWARD. AGAIN, NOBODY WANTS TO SEE A TAX INCREASE BUT NOBODY WANTS TO MAINTAIN A RECORD YEAR AFTER YEAR OF NOT INCREASING TAXES IF IT MEANS THAT WE ARE DESTROYING THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO BY BALANCING THE BUDGET ON THE BACKS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE.

[APPLAUSE] LET'S WORK TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE.

LET'S BRING ALL OF OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS TOGETHER, WITH OUR MAYOR, IN MAKING A DECISION THAT THE FUTURE OF SAN ANTONIO WILL BE IN ITS PEOPLE.

IN AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE, A PREPARED WORKFORCE THAT WILL CREATE PROSPERITY FOR DECADES TO COME. LET'S STOP KEEPING A RECORD FOR THE SAKE OF KEEPING A RECORD. AND INSTEAD DO WHAT WE KNOW IS MOST ESSENTIAL.

FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF OUR AIR FORCE. REALIZE THAT OUR GREATEST ASSET IS OUR PEOPLE. THAT'S WHERE OUR INVESTMENT SHOULD BE.

WE ARE ASKING YOU TO SUPPORT THIS MODEST TAX INCREASE THAT WILL NOT BE A BURDEN ON THE BACKS OF THE MOST VULNERABLE BUT WILL MOVE US FORWARD.

WE THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO US AND WE ASK THAT YOU MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

MAKE THAT CHOICE AND VOTE FOR A BALANCED BUDGET WITH A MODEST TAX INCREASE.

THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU.

[00:55:03]

>> GOOD MORNING. MY NAME IS JEANETTE MCCART.

I CAME TO ADDRESS THE SAN ANTONIO CITY BUDGET. I REPRESENT 1,153 HOMES AND APPROXIMATELY 4,000 RESIDENTS. ON THEIR BEHALF, I AM ASKING YOU TO FOREGO THE PRESENT CONVENIENCE OF INCREASING OUR PROPERTY TAXES TO ACCOMMODATE A PROJECTED DEFICIT AND CURRENT SPENDING HABITS.

AS THE PRESIDENT OF BROWN STATION WEST COMMUNITY I'M WELL AWARE OF THE INCREASING PRICES JUST FOR OUR EXISTENCE. SAWS, CPS, GROCERIES, GAS.

OUR BOARD IS ALSO LOOKING AT AN ASSESSMENT INCREASE FOR OUR HOMEOWNERS, WHICH I INTEND TO OPPOSE, AS I AM OPPOSING THIS TAX INCREASE. MANY CONSTITUENTS ARE RETIRED AND THEREFORE LIVED ON A RESTRICTED INCOME. AND WE COMMONLY CALL IT A FIXED INCOME. BUT WE ALL LIVE ON A FIXED INCOME.

THE CHALLENGE COMES WHEN WE MUST LIVE WITHIN OUR MEANS. RESPECTFULLY, I ASK THE COUNCIL TO REJECT THE TAX INCREASE AND TO REDUCE IT. I WORK ONLY WITH A SMALL BUDGET BUT THE BASIC PREMISE IS THE SAME. LINE ITEMS CAN BE PADDED, PROPOSED, PROJECTED. JUST TO CUSHION BUDGETS MORE COMFORTABLY.

IT IS OUR FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO QUESTION THESE AREAS AND TO REDUCE THE CUSHION. WE ARE NOT AN ENDLESS BUCKET OF WEALTH.

AS THE WEALTHIEST NATION IN THE WORLD, OUR AMERICANS, OUR OWN TEXANS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO DECIDE IF THEY WILL BUY MEDICINE, GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, OR HAVE GAS TO GET TO THE DOCTOR. I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU SCRUTINIZE THE CITY EXPENDITURES WITH THIS QUESTION: IS THIS REALLY NEEDED?

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. JUDITH GERWITZ.

JUDITH GERWITZ FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER LONGORIA. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JUDY GERWITZ. I HAVE LIVED IN DISTRICT 8 FOR A LITTLE OVER 25 YEARS. AND I RECENTLY HAVE FLED THE AREA DUE TO CRIME.

AND I ALSO OWN TWO RENTAL PROPERTIES IN DISTRICT 2. I'M ASKING YOU TO REALLY THINK ABOUT RAISING TAXES WHEN OUR BASIC SERVICES ARE NOT BEING DELIVERED TO THE CITIZENS. WHEN WE'RE CONCERNED ABOUT POLICE STAFFING.

I WANT YOU TO KNOW I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE IN A CRIME-RIDDEN AREA.

I GREW UP IN HOUSING PROJECTS IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS AND I REFUSE TO LIVE IN A CRIME-RIDDEN PLACE AT THIS STAGE OF MY LIFE.

MY HUSBAND AND I, OUR RETIREMENT IS GREATLY IMPACTED BECAUSE WE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE INTO AN HOA WITH A GATE AND A GUARD FOR THAT ADDED SECURITY.

I THINK THAT THE FOCUS OR THE HIGHEST FOCUS OF THIS BODY SHOULD BE THE DELIVERY OF BASIC SERVICES TO EVERYONE IN SAN ANTONIO. AND AT THE SAME TIME I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT CUTTING TAXES -- CUTTING SOME SERVICES TO DELIVER THOSE.

EVERYONE HAS THEIR PET PROJECTS -- AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

BUT WHEN WE RAISE TAXES IN SAN ANTONIO, EVERYONE PAYS THEM.

PROPERTY OWNERS AND RENTERS BECAUSE THOSE EXPENSES GET PASSED ALONG.

AND I THINK THAT -- OR I'M BEGGING YOU, REALLY, TO THINK ABOUT ANY TIME YOU HAVE A TAX INCREASE THAT YOU'RE CONFRONTED WITH MAKING A DECISION ON, PLEASE KEEP THE LEAST OF ALL OF US IN SAN ANTONIO IN THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MIND BECAUSE THEY SUFFER THE MOST. NO ONE IS EXEMPT FROM THIS PROPERTY TAX INCREASE SO PLEASE THINK ABOUT DOING THAT BECAUSE EVERYONE WILL SUFFER AND SOME WILL SUFFER MORE THAN OTHERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY. [APPLAUSE]

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. CHRISTOPHER LONGORIA. RHETT SMITH AND HOPE GARZA,

PLEASE. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR, COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I'M WITH AMERICAN PROSPERITY. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER

[01:00:03]

BEFORE YOU ASK TAXPAYERS FOR MORE MONEY, YOU MUST EXHAUST EVERY INTERNAL OPTION TO TRIM THE FAT AND RELOCATE EXISTING FUNDS. FIND A DIFFERENT PATH.

FIRST, I URGE YOU TO SUPPORT THE PROPOSAL TO SHIFT $21 MILLION OF THE UNDERENROLLED READY TO WORK PROGRAM DIRECTLY INTO THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT STEP ALONE IMMEDIATELY CLOSES A MASSIVE CHUNK OF THE DEFICIT.

SECOND, WE NEED TO FIND A PATH TO TAP INTO THE IDEA OF THE MAYOR TO CUT COSTS ACROSS THE BOARD, 1.6% FOR EVERY DEPARTMENTAL -- FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.

2% IN 2028. FINALLY, LOOK INWARD AT CITY HALL.

CANCEL HIGH-PRICED, THIRTY-PARTY CONSULTANT STUDY, AND CUT ADMINISTRATIVE TRAVEL. BEXAR COUNTY JUST APPROVED $2.6 BILLION BUDGET WHILE KEEPING THE PROPERTY TAX RATE COMPLETELY FLAT. THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO MUST SHOW THE EXACT SAME FISCAL DISCIPLINE AND PLEASE STAND WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS.

PROTECT OUR WALLETS. REJECT THIS RATE HIKE AND BALANCE THE BUDGET THROUGH INTERNAL DISCIPLINES. BUT WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT IS TO FIND A DIFFERENT PATH.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. RHETT SMITH.

FOLLOWED BY HOPE GARZA AND THEN MAY ELSBERRY. >> MY NAME IS RHETT SMITH AND I'M A VOLUNTEER WITH AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY. I'M DONATING MY TIME TO JACK

FINGER. >> MAYOR JONES: JACK FINGER, COME ON UP.

CAN YOU ADD THREE TO THIS NOW THEN? MR. FINGER, IS THERE ANYONE

ELSE THAT'S GIVING YOU THEIR TIME? >> I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. GO AHEAD. THANK YOU.

>> MADAME MAYOR, OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR ILLUSTRIOUS SAN ANTONIO CITY COUNCIL.

FOR THE RECORD, MY NAME IS JACK M. FINGER. AND THOUGH I AM A MEMBER OF AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY AND ALL THOSE GOOD PEOPLE MENTIONING GOOD FACTS TO YOU, I AM, AT THIS MOMENT, GOING TO REPRESENT MYSELF AND MY OPINIONS REGARDING WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO DO TODAY. FIRST TAX INCREASE IN 33 YEARS. YOU KNOW, THE ECONOMY HAS NOT BEEN ROBUST.

IT'S REFLECTED IN THE FACT THAT OUR REAL ESTATE SALES ARE DOWN.

THE VALUES ARE DOWN. THAT MEANS PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING MUCH FOR OUR CITY COFFERS THESE DAYS. SO WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO DO TODAY? YOU ARE GOING TO KICK THE TAXPAYER WHILE HE IS DOWN.

I DON'T SAY THOSE WORDS LIGHTLY BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO DO. 4% INCREASE IN OUR TAX RATES.

YOU COULDN'T FIND ANY PLACE TO CUT THESE CRAZY SERVICES THAT YOU OFFER HERE IN TOWN? THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT, WHICH I CALL A PLAYGROUND, YOU KEPT THE POSITIONS GOING. THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEPARTMENT.

IT'S BEING DEBUNKED ALL THE TIME YET YOU STILL KEEP THAT GOING.

THE ONE THING THAT REALLY CAUGHT MY EYE, THOUGH, THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND.

EXCUSE ME. ISN'T THAT CODE WORD FOR ABORTION SERVICES? AND ABORTION IS OUTLAWED IN THIS STATE. RIGHT? I MEAN, WHAT GIVES HERE? ARE WE GOING TO BE FUNDING ABORTION TRAVEL, ABORTION

[01:05:02]

THE GARBAGE FEE. WE, AS RESIDENTS. WE, AS RATEPAYERS RECYCLE OUR GARBAGE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR ENVIRONMENT, FOR THE SAKE OF OUR CITY WE DO THAT.

AND HOW DO YOU REWARD US FOR THAT? YOU RAISE OUR FEES.

SHOW THAT, MR. AUDIO-VISUAL MAN SO S THEY CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.

5% FOR ONE CART. 5% INCREASE FOR ANOTHER CART AND 3% FOR ONE OF THE LARGER CARTS THERE. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO. YOU THINK SO LITTLE OF US, THE PEOPLE WHO TRIED TO RECYCLE OUR ITEMS IN THE GARBAGE DISPOSAL, THIS IS WHAT YOU DO TO US.

YOU CAN RETURN THE CAMERA NOW. YEAH, WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO DO? WELL, IF YOU WANT TO DO A GARAGE SALE, YOU OBTAIN A PERMIT FOR THAT. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO REWARD US FOR -- OR RATHER PUNISH US? 25% INCREASE FROM $16 PER PERMIT TO $20 PER PERMIT.

25% INCREASE. YOU CAN RETURN THE CAMERA NOW.

THOSE OF US WHO WANT TO MAYBE MAKE A FEW EXTRA BUCKS WITH A GARAGE SALE, YOU'RE TAKING AWAY THE MONEY -- THE PROFIT WE WOULD HAVE MADE. OKAY.

LET'S SEE. YES, HERE'S ANOTHER INTERESTING ONE.

ANOTHER FEE YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE. PARKING SERVICE CHARGE FOR THE EVENTS DOWNTOWN. FROM $15 TO $30 AT TIMES THERE.

100% INCREASE. 100% INCREASE, MR. MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ.

YES. AND FINALLY, ANOTHER THING THAT CAUGHT MY EYE.

FIREWORKS. WE WANT TO DO IT RIGHT AND CRACK OFF OUR FIREWORKS AT THE PROPER TIME WITH THE PROPER PERMIT, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO COST? A 15% INCREASE TO $575. THESE ARE JUST NUMEROUS, NUMEROUS FEES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO RAISE BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE ONES THAT AFFECT US PERSONALLY.

WE DON'T LIKE THAT. WE DON'T LIKE THE FACT THAT YOU COULDN'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE TO CUT AND SO WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU KICK US WHEN WE'RE DOWN.

I'VE COME BY BEFORE WITH AN INTERESTING SLOGAN THAT THE MILITARY ONCE USED AND IT REFLECTS EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING. THE BEATINGS SHALL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES. HA, HA, HA. YEAH.

THE BEATINGS SHALL CONTINUE. YEAH. PAY UP, TAXPAYERS.

YOUR CITY JUST ABSOLUTELY NEEDS THE MONEY. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IT'S ACTUALLY THE HOGS OF THE TROUGH THAT NEED THE MONEY, THE SERVICES.

THE SO-CALLED THINGS THEY WANT FROM US. THE CULTURAL ARTS DEPARTMENT, THE CLIMATE CHANGE DEPARTMENT, THE COPS/METRO -- THE COPS/METRO SAYING WE HAVEN'T PAID ENOUGH AS TAXPAYERS. HUH? I'M REALLY ASHAMED. I'M REALLY ASHAMED OF SUCH PERSONS WHEN THEY SAY THESE THINGS. PLEASE GET SOME COMMON SENSE BEFORE THIS SESSION IS OVER AND TRY TO REMEDY A FEW THINGS BEFORE THEY -- BEFORE WE ALL HAVE TO SUFFER AGAIN.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: HOPE GARZA FOLLOWED BY MAY ELSBERRY AND

MANNY GARCIA, PLEASE. >> GREETINGS. GREETINGS TO EVERYONE.

BELOVED MAYOR JONES AND COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE WITHIN THE REACH OF MY VOICE. MY NAME IS HOPE GARZA. AS A VOLUNTEER WITH AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY, I COME TO PRESENT TO YOU A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE REGARDING THE BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE SO ARDUOUSLY BEEN WORKING ON.

I WILL NOT TAKE UP YOUR TIME WITH STATS AND PERCENTAGES BUT SEEK TO REACH DEEP DOWN TO THE CORE OF YOUR HUMANITY.

YOU TO PONDER AND MAKE YOUR DECISION ACCORDING TO YOUR CONSCIENCE.

CONSIDER PROVERBS 13::22. A GOOD MAN LEAVES AN INHERITANCE TO HIS CHILDREN'S CHILDREN. A COUPLE IN THEIR GOLDEN YEARS, LATE 70S, CURRENTLY

[01:10:02]

VETERANS ARE HURTING AND STRUGGLING TO MAINTAIN THEIR PROPERTY, HOME, HEALTH, AND EMOTIONAL WELL BEING. A RETIRED COUPLE, EDUCATORS, WERE PAYING $7,000 A YEAR IN PROPERTY TAXES. THEY'VE SOLD THEIR HOUSE NOW.

A COUPLE IN THEIR LATE 50S IS PAYING $6,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES.

MOST PEOPLE CANNOT EVEN ESTABLISH A THREE-MONTH EMERGENCY FUND TO MAINTAIN THEMSELVES SHOULD THEY ENCOUNTER HARDSHIPS SUCH AS ILLNESS, LOSS OF JOB, OR A CRIPPLING ACCIDENT. CONSIDER THESE TAX HIKES EXACERBATE THE STATE OF INFLATION ON EVERYTHING ELSE NEEDED TO SURVIVE. PURCHASE OF VEHICLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT COMES WITH MAINTENANCE AND INSURANCE, FUEL, AND REPAIRS. CONSIDER THAT IN HIKING TAXES, IT WILL EVENTUALLY AFFECT YOU, YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, AND THEIR FUTURE IN OWNING A HOME OR ANY KIND OF PROPERTY. IT WILL AFFECT YOU WHEN YOU BECOME ELDERLY. IT IS AFFECTING THE ELDERLY NOW.

THE RENTERS, BUSINESSES WHO HAVE TO PASS DOWN THE COST TO SURVIVE.

THERE CAN NOT BE AN INHERITANCE IF THIS TREND CONTINUES.

THE FINANCIAL IMPACT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR YOU AND EVERYONE ELSE AND ALL YOUR GENERATIONS TO COME, INCLUDING OURS. NO ONE IS EXEMPT.

DO WE RUN OUR HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS THE SAME WAY WHERE WE KEEP SPENDING WITHOUT THE THOUGHT OF FUTURE REPERCUSSIONS? MUST THIS MENTALITY CONTINUE WITH THE INTENTIONAL PREMEDITATED THOUGHT THAT YOU CAN REACH INTO EVERYONE ELSE'S POCKETS TO FILL THE GAP? CONSIDER ONLY THE ESSENTIAL NEEDS AND CONSIDER A NO-NEW-REVENUE RATE. TRIM FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.

STOP THE BLEED. SPEND RESPONSIBLY ON ESSENTIAL NEEDS TO ENSURE THE SECURITY AND SAFETY OF THIS, OUR GRAND CITY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION, REFLECTION, AND CONSIDERATION OF OUR THOUGHTS.

I TRUST THAT GOD WILL LEAD YOU IN MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION FOR YOU, YOUR FUTURE GENERATIONS, AND OURS, AND OUR CURRENT STRUGGLING SAN ANTONIANS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

[APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. MAY ELSBERRY.

FOLLOWED BY MANNY GARZA AND JOHN MELENDEZ, PLEASE. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR JONES, COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND CIVIC LEADERS. MY NAME IS MAY ELSBERRY, AGENT REPRESENTING RESIDENTS IN TEN CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS VOLUNTEERING WITH AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY AND TODAY RESPE RESPECTFULLY REQUESTING YOU TO REFLECT A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. THIS WOULD BE THE GREATEST TAX INCREASE WITHOUT ASKING VOTERS. STAFF ALREADY HAS ANOTHER INCREASE MODEL FOR NEXT YEAR. THIS IS NOT ONE-TIME CORRECTION.

THIS IS A HABIT. FOR SOME HOUSEHOLDS, THAT IS GROCERIES.

FOR OTHERS, IT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN KEEPING UP AND FALLING BEHIND.

ON TOP OF HIGHER FEES FOR CARTS, PARKING, AND CITY SERVICES ALREADY IN THE SAME BUDGET. A TAX THAT LOOKS SMALL ON A SLIDE IS NOT SMALL WHEN PAYCHECKS ARE NOT GROWING WITH CITY HALL. LOOK AT THE CITY'S OWN NUMBERS. EXPENSES WITH GROWTH, 4.1%. A CITY WHOSE SPENDING GREW FASTER THAN THE TAX BASE NOW WANTS HOMEOWNERS TO CLOSE THE GAP.

THAT IS A MISMANAGEMENT PROBLEM, NOT A MANDATE TO RAISE TAX.

CUT FIRST. FREEZE NON-ESSENTIAL HIRING HARDER.

STOP TREATING CAPACITY UNDER STATE LAW AS A REASON TO TAKE IT.

PUBLIC SAFETY MATTERS. DO NOT CONFUSE PROTECTING CORE SERVICES, POLICE AND FIRE, WITH PROTECTING EVERY OTHER LINE ITEM. FEE WAIVER AND PROGRAM THAT SURVIVED EASIER YEARS. TEXAS FAMILIES DO NOT GET TO RAISE THEIR OWN REVENUE CAP WHEN COSTS GO UP. THEY CUT. CITY HALL SHOULD DO THE

[01:15:06]

THANK YOU FOR THIS TIME TO SPEAK AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. MANNY GARCIA FOLLOWED BY JOHN MELENDEZ AND THEN

ALANTIS THOMPSON. >> MY NAME IS MANNY GARZA. I'M NOT ORIGINALLY FROM SAN ANTONIO BUT I LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE. MY PARENTS WERE ACTUALLY FROM MEXICO SO THEY'RE MIGRANTS. THEY BOTH PASSED AWAY AND MOVED ON TO A BETTER WORLD IN HEAVEN, HOPEFULLY. I HOPE TO MAKE IT THERE ONE DAY MYSELF. AS I SAID, MA'AM, NOT ORIGINALLY FROM SAN ANTONIO BUT I LIVED HERE MOST OF MY LIFE. I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL AT HOLMES HIGH SCHOOL IN DISTRICT 6. COUNCILMAN GALVAN, WE MET WHEN YOU WON. I TOLD YOU I'M VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE. I'M HERE. A LOT OF YOU FOLKS ON THE COUNCIL ARE ALSO FRIENDS OF MINE AS WELL. I WANT TO SAY THAT PLEASE CONSIDER VOTING FOR THE TAX INCREASE BECAUSE I THINK I SPEAK NOT JUST FOR THE OLDER FOLKS LIKE MYSELF, BUT THE YOUNGER FOLKS. PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO BUY A HOUSE, LIKE MY SON AND HIS LIFE WHO ARE LIVING WITH ME BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BUY A HOME. THEY'RE GOING TO BE STAYING WITH ME AND I'M GOING TO BE RETIRING SOON. I HOPE THAT I'M ABLE TO BE OKAY WITH MY RETIREMENT FUND. I RETIRED FROM THE NAVY RESERVES AND I CAN TELL YOU THERE'S NOTHING MORE THAN MY HEART FOR THIS COUNTRY WHEN THEY OPENED THEIR ARMS TO MY FAMILY WHEN THEY MOVED HERE. SO MY PARENTS MOVED TO ILLINOIS AND I WAS BORN THERE AND THEY GOT SMART AND MOVED TO TEXAS. SO I'M HERE IN SAN ANTONIO AND I PLAN TO LIVE HERE FOR THE REMAINING TIME OF MY LIFE.

I HOPE THAT MY KIDS AND MY GRANDKIDS EVENTUALLY WOULD ALSO STAY HERE.

AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY I HOPE THAT WE CAN KEEP SAN ANTONIO AFFORDABLE.

WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO AFFORDABILITY, THIS CITY PRIDES ITSELF IN THAT IN BEING -- WELL, AN AFFORDABLE CITY. IT'S A BEAUTIFUL CITY.

WONDERFUL CULTURE. AND I THINK THOSE OF US THAT ARE GETTING OLDER, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO STILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD OUR HOMES AND WE WANT OUR KIDS TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THEIR OWN HOMES. YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND.

WITH THAT, I HUMBLY ASK THAT YOU PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THE PROPERTY TAX.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MA'AM, SIR. GOD BLESS YOU ALL.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. JOHN MELENDEZ FOLLOWED BY ALANTHEAS THOMAS.

>> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL. MY NAME IS JOHN MELENDEZ AND I'M THE GRASSROOTS ENGAGEMENT DIRECTOR FOR AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY HERE IN SAN ANTONIO. FIRST, THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL FOR GIVING RESIDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BEFORE YOU AND SPEAK ABOUT THE ISSUES AFFECTING OUR COMMUNITY. AT AMERICANS FOR PROSPERITY, WE WORK ACROSS TEXAS TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH PUBLIC POLICY AND EMPOWER THEM TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD.

MORE RECENTLY, WE FOCUSED ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT BECAUSE WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO MAKE SAN ANTONIO MORE AFFORDABLE AND ENSURE TAXPAYER DOLLARS ARE SPENT WISELY. I'M HERE NOT ONLY AS AN ADVOCATE BUT AS A HUSBAND, A DAD, A VETERAN, AND A TAXPAYER.

MY FAMILY PAYS THE BILLS -- SAME BILLS AS EVERYBODY ELSE.

LIKE MANY FAMILIES IN SAN ANTONIO, WE FEEL THE PRESSURE.

GROCERIES COST MORE. UTILITIES AND WATER BILLS KEEP GOING UP.

INSURANCE IS MORE EXPENSIVE. WHEN THE COSTS ADD UP, EVERY DOLLAR MATTERS.

THAT'S WHY I BELIEVE THIS COUNCIL CAN HELP WORKING FAMILIES BY LOWERING THEIR PROPERTY TAX BURDEN. THE MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ISN'T SOMETHING ABSTRACT, IT'S MONEY THAT COULD STAY IN A FAMILY'S BANK ACCOUNT, BUY SCHOOL SUPPLIES, BUILD SAVINGS, OR JUST PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BREATHING ROOM.

SO TODAY I'M ASKING YOU TO VOTE AGAINST A PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASE.

I UNDERSTAND THE CITY HAS RESPONSIBILITIES AND DIFFICULT DECISIONS TO MAKE.

BUT BEFORE ASKING TAXPAYERS FOR MORE, I BELIEVE THE CITY SHOULD FIRST LOOK AT WHERE IT CAN REDUCE SPENDING AND PRIORITIZE WHAT MATTERS MOST.

I ENCOURAGE THIS COUNCIL TO CONSIDER ADOPTING A NO-NEW-REVENUE TAX RATE.

[01:20:06]

THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: ALANTHEAS THOMPSON. RODNEY KIDD FOLLOWED BY LINDA THOMAS AND CHRISTIAN

RAMIREZ. >> THANKS A LOT, COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER.

APPRECIATE IT. SO I'M HERE ON MY OWN ACCORD.

MY NAME IS RODNEY KIDD AND WHAT I WANT TO DISCUSS TODAY IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CLOSING THE BUDGET WITHOUT CUTTING THE BRAND OF SAN ANTONIO.

I'M GOING TO EMBRACE WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE AND GO WITH AND SUPPORT YOU AND YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT. PARKS AND RECKING THE BRAND OF SAN ANTONIO, THE ARTS, CULTURE, HISTORY, TOURISM , PROTECT THE ARTS, THE ORGANIZATIONS, THE CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, HISTORIC ASSETS, FESTIVALS, DREAM WEEK, MUSIC, FILM, SIGNATURE EVENTS. TREAT THEM AS ECONOMIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT ATTRACTS VISITORS, CONVENTIONS, INVESTMENT, TALENT, AND SPENDING. NOT SIMPLY AS DISCRETIONARY EXPENSES.

MAKE GOVERNMENT SMARTER BEFORE CUTTING COMMUNITY INVESTMENT.

REVIEW CITYWIDE OPERATIONS FOR DUPLICATION, REDUNDANT CONTRACTS, OUTDATED PROCESSES, AND PROCUREMENT INEFFICIENCIES. USE DATA, TECHNOLOGY, AND COLLABORATION ACROSS PUBLIC WORKS, TRANSPORTATION, POLICE, FIRE, AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO REDUCE RISK, MITIGATE ACCIDENTS, IMPROVE RESPONSE, PREVENT COSTLY EMERGENCIES, AND STREAMLINE OPERATIONS WITHOUT WEAKENING PUBLIC SAFETY.

ONE OF THE QUICK EXAMPLES I'LL GIVE IS I SEE THE SAME ACCIDENT AT HEUBNER AND FREDERICKSBURG. I SEE THE ACCIDENT IN THE SAME SPOT AT LEAST THREE OR FOUR TIMES A WEEK. WE REALLY NEED TO WORK TO FIGURE THOSE THINGS OUT.

THAT'S A PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSE I FEEL THAT'S A BIG PART OF 65% OF OUR BUDGET.

WE NEED TO WORK ON THOSE THINGS. I FEEL WE NEED TO GROW REVENUE THROUGH INDUSTRY AND WORKFORCE. ALIGN READY TO WORK TO OTHER WORKFORCE PROGRAMS WITH ADVANCED MANUFACTURING, AEROSPACE, CYBERSECURITY, LOGISTICS, HEALTHCARE, CONSTRUCTION, FILM, DIGITAL MEDIA.

BUILD A ROBUST TALENT PIPELINE SO SAN ANTONIO CAN ATTRACT EMPLOYERS WHILE HELPING RESIDENTS MOVE INTO HIGHER-PAYING CAREERS. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST CAME HERE FROM AUSTIN, THE BIG COMPLAINT WAS WE HAD TO BRING EVERYBODY HERE.

BRING EVERYBODY HERE. WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A WORKFORCE SO I THINK WE TRIED TO ADDRESS THAT WITH READY TO WORK AND I THINK THERE'S PROGRESS THAT'S BEEN MADE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE CONNECT WITH THE OTHER ASSOCIATIONS THAT PUT MONEY AND RESOURCES IN D.C. AND HERE TO HELP GROW THAT.

I WOULD LIKE TO BUILD SAN ANTONIO AS A BUSINESS LOGISTICS, AND CREATIVE HUB.

EXPAND LAUNCH SA. IT HELPS BUSINESSES INCUBATE OUR SYSTEMS HERE.

INCREASE CAPACITY FOR ENTREPRENEURS, OPEN CITY OPPORTUNITIES TO MORE LOCAL AND EMERGING VENDORS. HELP BUSINESSES FRANCHISE AND EXPORT.

THAT BRINGS MONEY IN FROM OUTSIDE OF HERE. DEVELOP A FILM AND LIVESTREAM PRODUCTION HUB AND LEVERAGE SAN ANTONIO'S LOCAL BUSINESS BETWEEN

MEXICO, AUSTIN, AND MAJOR TEXAS MARKETS. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU,

SIR. >> THANK YOU. LINDA THOMAS.

LINDA THOMAS. CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ. CHRISTIAN RAMIREZ.

KATHLEEN VEIL FOLLOWED BY DEBBIE BANKE. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND

[01:25:06]

EQUAL CUTS RARELY PRODUCE EQUITABLE OUTCOMES. WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOODS STILL TODAY SUFFERING DECADES OF INTENTIONAL MARGINALIZATION, REDLINING, RACISM, SEGREGATION, AND DISINVESTMENT. DO NOT MAKE THEM WITHSTAND THE WORST OF REDUCED CITY SERVICES BECAUSE PERCENTAGE CUTS ARE EASY IN THE FINAL HOURS. DECADES OF INEQUITY CANNOT BE CORRECTED BY TREATING EVERY SINGLE NEIGHBORHOOD AS IF IT STARTED FROM THE SAME PLACE.

THE PEOPLE ARE THE HEART, SOUL, AND FABRIC OF THIS CITY.

SENIORS, WORKING FAMILIES, CHILDREN, YOUTH, UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, PROFESSIONALS, SMALL BUSINESSES, AND THE ORGANIZATIONS HOLDING TOGETHER TODAY WHAT REMAINS OF OUR TATTERED SOCIAL SAFETY NET. ACKNOWLEDGE WHO HAS HISTORICALLY RECEIVED THE LEAST. EQUITY BEGINS WHERE THE GREATEST NEEDS ARE. RESIDENTS ARE CONFUSED BY DEEP CITY SERVICE CUTS WHILE AN EXPENSIVE DOWNTOWN SPORTS STADIUM MOVES FORWARD. THAT IS HOW A TALE OF TWO CITIES DEEPENS.

OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH MONEY FOR YOUR BASIC NEEDS.

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER SAN ANTONIO MOVES FORWARD WITH A MAJOR DOWNTOWN SPORTS INVESTMENT WITH PRECIOUS PROPERTY TAXES HOW DO THESE DISSIMILAR PRIORITIES FIT TOGETHER TODAY? A CITY CANNOT CLAIM TO PRIORITIZE EQUITY WHILE SIMULTANEOUSLY CUTTING ESSENTIAL SERVICES AND ALSO ADVANCING A HIGH-PROFILE DOWNTOWN PROJECT.

MAKE THE RESPONSIBLE CUTS. REDUCE WASTE AND UNCERTAINTY.

DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY BUT PLEASE DO NOT ASK RESIDENTS TO DEEPLY SACRIFICE WHILE PUBLIC RESOURCES CONTINUE FLOWING TOWARDS PROJECTS THAT PRIMARILY HELP DOWNTOWN INTERESTS. REMEMBER YOUR DECISIONS TODAY.

DO NOT ARRIVE IN A VACUUM. SAN ANTONIO HOUSEHOLDS ARE BRACING FOR POTENTIAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASES FROM FIVE LOCAL ISDS. THE ALAMO COLLEGE DISTRICT, SAN ANTONIO RIVER AUTHORITY, A 7.7% VIA FARE INCREASE PLUS UPCOMING SAWS AND CPS RATE INCREASES. WE WANT A WELL-FUNCTIONING COUNCIL AND STAFF WORKING TOGETHER TO INSPIRE AND SOLVE PROBLEMS. PLEASE CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THE HARD CALLS. GOOD LUCK TO EACH OF YOU AND

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. DEBBIE BANKE.

LLOYD WELTY FOLLOWED BY DAN SNIDER AND OUR FINAL SPEAKER, CLEMENTE SANCHEZ.

>> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL. I'M HERE ABOUT THE PROPOSED INCREASE ON AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLERS. WE PROVIDE A VALUABLE RESOURCE FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO. PICK AND PULL INCORPORATED IS THE ONLY ONE IN THE LAST 18 YEARS TO PUT IN AN RFP FOR CODE COMPLIANCE ABATEMENT. WE WENT THROUGH A 42.25% INCREASE FOR THE 2026 LICENSE WHEN WE DID THE CODE REWRITE IN 2025. THAT WAS VOTED IN TO EFFECT IN MAY OF 2025 BY THE CITY COUNCIL. NOW WE'RE PROPOSED TO HAVE A 400% INCREASE FOR 2027 AND ONWARD. IMAGINE IF YOUR CPS BILL -- ALL OF A SUDDEN CPS TOLD YOU YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE A 400% INCREASE BECAUSE THE CITY OR CPS FORGOT TO RAISE YOUR RATES SINCE 2008. NOW YOUR AVERAGE $200 ELECTRIC BILL GOES TO $1,000 A MONTH. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE ASKING US TO DO. WE PROVIDE A VALUABLE RESOURCE BY KEEPING JUNK CARS FROM BEING LITTERED AROUND THE STREETS AND THE SUBURBS OF SAN ANTONIO.

ALONG WITH THE ECONOMY AND FUEL INCREASES, WHICH IS A TRICKLE-DOWN EFFECT TO ALL COST OF GOODS TO INCLUDE H-E-B, YOUR GROCERIES, EVERYTHING YOU DO.

ALSO THESE SAME INSPECTORS INSPECT TIRE SHOPS, DONATION CONTAINERS, AND OTHER

[01:30:01]

THE CODE REWRITE IN 2025 IDENTIFIED MORE INSPECTORS WERE NEEDED.

IT TOOK THE CITY MANAGER OVER SEVEN YEARS TO REALIZE THAT THE CITY WAS FALLING SHORT ON ITS BUDGET SO HERE ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE PROPOSING A 400% INCREASE ON BUSINESSES. ONE BUSINESS IN PARTICULAR OUT OF THAT 33-PAGE DOCUMENT OF THE PROPOSED INCREASES. I BELIEVE WE ARE THE ONLY BUSINESS THAT FACES A 400% INCREASE IN OUR LICENSE FEES. IF YOU RUN US OUT OF TOWN, WHICH IT APPEARS IS TRYING TO HAPPEN, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE YOUR STREETS WITH ABANDONED CARS. IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE THE APOCALYPSE, LIKE CALIFORNIA LOOKED, LIKE L.A. LOOKED WHEN THEY WENT THROUGH THEIR RIOTS.

I OPPOSE THIS INCREASE. I UNDERSTAND IF WE NEED TO DO AN INCREASE.

YOU NEED TO DO IT WHEN WE DO THE CODE REWRITES AND IT NEEDS TO BE A BALANCED INCREASE THROUGH THE YEARS. NOT ALL OF A SUDDEN A 400% INCREASE.

THINK ABOUT YOUR CPS BILL. WOULD YOU BE HAPPY WITH IT GOING FROM $200 A MONTH ON

AVERAGE TO $1,000 A MONTH? COULD YOU AFFORD THAT? >> MAYOR JONES: DAN SNIDER

AND THEN CLEMENTE SANCHEZ, PLEASE. >> GOOD MORNING, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS. FIRST OFF, I WOULD LIKE TO APPLAUD YOU FOR BEING LEGALLY RESPONSIBLE AND HAVING TO BALANCE YOUR BUDGET.

THAT IS FANTASTIC WHEN WE COMPARE THAT TO OUR NATIONAL BUDGET, WHICH WE ALL KNOW IS OUT OF CONTROL. MY NAME IS DAN SNIDER AND I'M THE OWNER OF SAN ANTONIO WRENCH APART, AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING FACILITIES HERE IN SAN ANTONIO .

I'M HERE ABOUT THE PROPOSED INCREASE FROM OUR LICENSE FEE TO $1,000 A YEAR.

I'M ASKING YOU TO RECONSIDER THAT. I UNDERSTAND THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO NEEDS TO COVER INSPECTION AND ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AND I DON'T DISPUTE THAT OVERSIGHT MATTERS. BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS INDUSTRY ACTUALLY DOES FOR SAN ANTONIO BEFORE YOU FINALIZE THAT NUMBER.

EVERY YEAR MY BUSINESS REMOVES BETWEEN 10 AND 15,000 END OF LIFE VEHICLES OFF THE STREETS AND OUT OF THE DRIVEWAYS OF SAN ANTONIO.

CARS THAT WOULD OTHERWISE SIT ABANDONED, LEAK FLUIDS OR BECOME EYESORES.

WE PROCESS THEM SAFELY, RESPONSIBLY, AND IN FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS. NATIONALLY THE AUTOMOTIVE RECYCLING INDUSTRY RECYCLES MILLIONS OF TONS OF STEEL, ALUMINUM, AND OTHER MATERIALS ARE RECOVERED AND REUSED INSTEAD OF MINED OR MANUFACTURED FROM SCRATCH. THAT'S A MEASURABLE, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN YOUR CITY.

THERE'S A HUMAN SIDE TO THIS TOO. THOUSANDS OF SAN ANTONIO FAMILIES, MANY OF THEM WORKING WITH PAYCHECKS THAT DON'T STRETCH AS FAR AS THEY USED TO, RELY ON RECYCLED AUTO PARTS TO KEEP THEIR CARS RUNNING.

THE USED ALTERNATOR ISN'T A LUXURY FOR THESE CUSTOMERS, IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THEM GETTING TO WORK ON TIME OR NOT GETTING TO WORK AT ALL.

THERE ARE ALSO DOZENS OF EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR OUR FACILITIES.

THOSE EMPLOYEES HAVE FAMILIES THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING.

THOSE EMPLOYEES NEED THOSE JOBS. A 400% INCREASE DOESN'T JUST WAGES, AND FEWER VEHICLES THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO PROCESS.

THESE HIGHER FEES TIGHTEN OUR MARGINS AND THAT MAKES IT HARDER TO KEEP OUR DOORS OPEN. WHEN AUTO RECYCLERS CLOSE, THOSE VEHICLES DON'T JUST DISAPPEAR, THEY BECOME THE CITY'S PROBLEM. MORE ABANDONED VEHICLES, MORE ILLEGAL DUMPING, MORE ENVIRONMENTAL CLEANUP, ALL ON THE CITY'S DIME.

I'M NOT ASKING THAT YOU ELIMINATE THE REGISTRATION FEE OR IGNORE THE CITY'S COSTS. WHAT I AM ASKING FOR ARE THREE THINGS: NUMBER ONE, LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND MAKE A PROMISE TO CUT SPENDING AS MUCH AS YOU ARE RAISING FEES. NUMBER TWO, BE SURE THAT ALL INCREASED FEES ARE SPREAD EVENLY AND FAIRLY AMONGST ALL BUSINESSES OF THE CITY --

>> MAYOR JONES: SIR, THANK YOU. YOU CAN SUBMIT THE REST OF

YOUR COMMENTS FOR THE RECORD. >> THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. [APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR JONES: OUR FINAL

SPEAKER IS CLEMENTE SANCHEZ. >> GOOD MORNING, HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF CITY COUNCIL. MY NAME IS CLEMENTE SANCHEZ AND I STAND HERE TODAY ON

[01:35:01]

OUR ASSOCIATION HAS ALWAYS SOUGHT A SEAT AT THE TABLE WHEN DECISIONS ARE MADE THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR INDUSTRY AND THE PEOPLE WE SERVE. NOT ALWAYS EXPECTING AN AGREEMENT BUT ACCESS TO THE INFORMATION SUPPORTING THOSE CHANGES AND A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE DECISION-MAKING PROCESS.

WE MET WITH CITY STAFF AND REQUESTED THE HISTORY, BUDGET ANALYSIS, AND DATA SUPPORTING THE PROPOSED INCREASE IN THE APARTMENT INSPECTIONS PROGRAM FEE FROM $100 TO $200 PER UNIT SO WE COULD RESPONSIBLY EVALUATE ITS IMPACT.

INSTEAD, WE WERE TOLD THAT SUCH INFORMATION COULD ONLY BE OBTAINED THROUGH A FORMAL OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, WHICH WE PROMPTLY SUBMITTED. WE WERE LATER INFORMED THAT THE RESPONSE WAS STILL BEING COORDINATED AND THAT FURTHER CLARIFICATION WAS NEEDED.

RESTARTING THE RESPONSE PERIOD. WE HAVE BEEN MET WITH DELAYS AND BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES WHEN WE WERE PROMISED TRANSPARENCY AND FAIRNESS.

ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF OUR COMMUNITY, THIS COUNCIL, AND OUR INDUSTRY IS AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YET AFFORDABLE RENTAL HOUSING PROVIDERS ARE LEFT IN THE COLD WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPARENCY. WE AS HOUSING STAKEHOLDERS SOUGHT TO ENGAGE CONSTRUCTIVELY. WE BELIEVED CITY STAFF WHEN THEY PROMISED THEY WOULD NOT DELAY OR OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS FOR DATA.

OTHER AFFECTED PROFESSIONAL INDUSTRIES IN OUR COMMUNITY HAVE BEEN GIVEN OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE CITY REGARDING PROPOSED FEE INCREASES AND TO PARTICIPATE IN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THEIR STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION WITHOUT THE REQUIREMENT THAT THEY FILE OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. CITY STAFF WILLINGLY OPENED THEIR BOOKS TO OTHER INDUSTRIES WITHOUT HESITATION.

WE SUPPORT THAT KIND OF ENGAGEMENT AND BELIEVE THE RENTAL INDUSTRY DESERVES THE SAME OPPORTUNITY AND TRANSPARENCY. THIS IS NOT JUST A PROCEDURAL OVERSIGHT, IT IS A FUNDAMENTAL FAILURE OF THE TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE PROCESS THAT OUR CITY CLAIMS TO UPHOLD. OTHER INDUSTRIES HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE TO ENGAGE WITH THE CITY ON SIMILAR FEE INCREASES.

TO ASK QUESTIONS AND TO HELP SHAPE THE POLICIES THAT AFFECT THEM.

WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO DECIDE TODAY THAT THE PROPOSED $200 FEE IS UNJUSTIFIED. WE HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDED THE INFORMATION NEEDED TO EVALUATE THE PROPOSAL OR TO DISCUSS WHETHER ITS STRUCTURE AND IMPLEMENTATION BEST ACCOMPLISHES THE PROGRAM'S OBJECTIVES. WE ARE NOT ASKING TO BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY, ONLY TO BE TREATED CONSISTENTLY AND FAIRLY.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO A TRANSPARENT, INCLUSIVE PROCESS THAT IS OPEN, FAIR, AND WORTHY OF SAN ANTONIO. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO TOOK THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US THIS MORNING. COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN IS

RECOGNIZED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL OF ITEM 5. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED TODAY BY THE CITY MANAGER, SAVE AND

EXCEPT FUNDING FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE. >> MAYOR JONES: IT'S MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE BALANCE OF THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER SAVE AND EXCEPT FUNDING FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE. WE WILL MOVE ON FOR COUNCIL DISCUSSION. THIS IS FOR ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10.

WE WILL VOTE ON THOSE INDIVIDUALLY, HOWEVER THIS WILL BE THE ONE DISCUSSION ROUND -- TWO, RATHER. SO PLEASE SIGN IN IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.

ITEM 5. OKAY. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ,

PLEASE. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WISH TO MAKE AMENDMENTS. I CAN WAIT UNTIL THAT IS ALL

DONE. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. ARE THERE COLLEAGUES THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS -- OKAY. ARE THERE COLLEAGUES THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE AMENDMENTS AT THIS POINT? COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN,

PLEASE. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR.

THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT BUDGET PROCESS. TODAY MARKS THE CULMINATION OF MONTHS OF HARD WORK BY CITY COUNCIL, THE CITY BUDGET OFFICE, AND ALL CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT HELPED SHAPE TODAY'S $4.4 BILLION BUDGET THAT PROTECTS OUR CORE SERVICES, INVESTS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, AND REFLECTS THE COLLECTIVE

[01:40:01]

IF YOU ARE HERE FROM THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT OR YOU ARE HERE AS A DIRECTOR, CAN YOU PLEASE STAND UP, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO EMPLOYEES? PLEASE STAND UP FOR A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. JUSTINA, STAND UP. [APPLAUSE] THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THEY WORKED VERY HARD ALL SUMMER. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALANNA REED AND THE SA SPEAKUP BUDGET TEAM FOR THEIR WORK ENGAGING RESIDENTS TO GET THE FEEDBACK AT THE BUDGET TOWN HALLS. IT WAS A LONG PROCESS.

I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO RECOGNIZE MY ENTIRE STAFF.

SAL, MELANIE, MARY, CHRIS, ANA, DEBBIE, EDDIE, AND MY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT, VERONICA. THEIR WORK OFTEN HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SETTING MY CALENDAR, FINDING CONSTITUENTS' CALLS. Y'ALL HAVE MADE IT BUSY WITH CALLS THIS SEASON AND ATTENDING NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS.

TO ENRIQUE AND MY CHIEF OF STAFF, YOUR EARLY MORNINGS AND LATE NIGHTS ALSO DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. THIS BUDGET IS A REFLECTION OF YOUR DEDICATION AS IT IS MINE. THANK YOU TO YOU BOTH. PASSING A BALANCED BUDGET IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE AS CITY COUNCIL.

TODAY'S ADOPTION OF A $4.4 BILLION BALANCED BUDGET REPRESENTS MONTHS OF COLLABORATION, TOUGH DECISION MAKING, AND A SHARED COMMITMENT TO OUR RESIDENTS. WE ARE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE KNEW -- I KNEW THAT AFTER THE PANDEMIC AND THE ARPA DOLLARS RAN OUT WE WOULD BE HERE FACING A DEFICIT.

IN MY WILDEST IMAGINATION, I DID NOT IMAGINE THAT THE DEFICIT WOULD BE THIS SEVERE. BUT THAT WAS BECAUSE I DID NOT IMAGINE THE INFLATION THAT WOULD COME AT THE EXPENSE OF WARS, TARIFFS, AND MISHANDLING FROM OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT HERE WE ARE TODAY TRYING TO BALANCE A BUDGET, TRYING TO FIND REVENUE. THE OBJECTIVE OF TODAY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PUT SOMETHING FORWARD THAT WE CAN WORK FOR. AND I APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO CAME OUT TODAY. IT HAS BEEN TOUGH CONVERSATIONS AND WE HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH ABOUT PROPERTY TAXES. BUT I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR.

THIS IS OUR TIME AND OUR OPPORTUNITY. 3.5% IS OUR LIMIT.

THE GOVERNOR HAS MADE IT CLEAR HE WANTS TO CONTINUE TO LIMIT LOCAL CONTROL AND ABILITY TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES SO WE HAVE TO TAKE THE MOMENT NOW, WHILE WE CAN AND WHILE IT IS IMPERATIVE AND NECESSARY FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO TO BUILD THEIR REVENUE. JOBS WILL COME. INDUSTRIES WILL COME.

BUT IN THIS TIME WE DO NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR SERVICES AND MAINTAIN WHAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE LEAST OF OUR COMMUNITY HERE. WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT STATS. WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE WHAT WE COULD DO, WHERE WE CAN CUT. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY -- THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TEAM HAVE BROUGHT FORTH THE BUDGET AND THE AMENDMENTS WE TALKED ABOUT AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD WITH TODAY.

I WANT TO THANK COPS/METRO FOR COMING OUT. THE CHAMBERS FOR SENDING THEIR LETTING. CENTRO SA, READY TO WORK. WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD AT THIS TIME. WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH WHAT WAS PRESENTED TODAY THIS MORNING, WHICH INCLUDES A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. I WANT TO THANK MY NONPROFITS, WHO I FELT LIKE WERE IN A TORNADO AND A WHIRLWIND AND YOU ARE HERE TODAY AND YOU'VE BEEN STALWART AND YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE HAVE MET AND HAD CONVERSATIONS THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS THAT WHAT IS PASSED TODAY, WITHOUT AMENDMENTS, WE ARE STILL GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK FORWARD AND BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION IN OCTOBER OF WHAT DOES THE NEXT BUDGET LOOK LIKE.

TO THE INDUSTRIES THAT CAME THIS MORNING THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD NOT

[01:45:03]

BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS INCRE INCREASING. THE TALK OF THE CITY SHOULDN'T RAISE TAXES BECAUSE OTHER ENTITIES ARE GOING TO RAISE T TAXES, EVERYONE LOOKS TO THE CITY. THE COLLEGE DISTRICTS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COUNTY, THEY ALL LOOK TO THE COUNCIL TO LEAD. SO I LOOK TO AMENDMENTS TO BE TRANS TRANSPARENT, TO LET YOUR YES FOR BALANCED BUDGET BE THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE WORK TODAY, TO DO AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE MANDATED TO DO BY THE STATE, WE NEED TO GET OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND ADDRESS THE NEEDS THAT WE KNOW WILL BE TIGHT AND SHORT BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL CONDITIONS WE'RE IN. THE JOBS WILL COME. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS THE WAY OUT. BUT WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.

AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THOSE WHO REACHED OUT TO ME THROUGH THIS PROCESS BECAUSE YA'LL KNOW I SPENT MY SUMMER IN SAN ANTONIO JUST LIKE THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF DID BECAUSE I WASN'T -- IS IT IDEAL? IT'S NOT IDEAL.

BUT I NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE. SO I ASK MY COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THIS TODAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO PASSING THE BUDGET, RATIFYING, SETTING ALL THE GOALS WE NEED TO AND BE BEGINNING WORK, STARTING IN OCTOBER LIKE SOMEBODY ASKED BUT WITH CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN COUNCILMEMBERS, CITY STAFF,

AND THE ORGANIZATIONS. THANK YOU. >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: LET'S START OFF WITH HAPPY NOTES, I BECAME THE SECOND LONG EGGEST SERVING COUNCILMEMBER AND I'M HONORED. I AM LED ONLY BY OUR FIRST COUNCILMEMBER, FORMER COUNCILMAN JOE WEB WHO SERVED 7 YEARS MORE THAN ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL.

TODAY IS JOE WEB DAY, AND I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE YOU TO THE PARK TO CELEBRATE.

THIS HAS BEEN A TUMULTUOUS BUDGET SEASON TO SAY THE LEAST.

WE HAVE A BUDGET WORST BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT NONE OF US ARE HAPPY WITH.

WE'VE DISAGREED ABOUT THE VALUES OF PROGRAM MANY CONSTITUENTS RELY ON, DISAGREED WHAT CUTS SHOULD BE CONSIDERED, ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SERVICES.

READY TO WORK, HOT TAX, TIRZ, DISAGREED ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAX WOULD MEAN FOR RESIDENTS AND TODAY WE DISAGREE ON MANY COMPONENTS OF THE FINAL BUDGET.

STILL WE APPRECIATE THE WORK OF CITY STAFF TO GET US HERE TODAY AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT HAS BEEN SCARY TO WATCH US PUBLICALLY DEBATE YOUR FUTURE HERE, AND I HOPE YOU KNOW WE DON'T TAKE FOR GRANTED THE ROLE YOU PLAY IN OUR CONST CONSTITUENT'S LIVES AND THE WAY YOU CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY.

YOU'RE NOT FAT TO BE TRIMMED BUT MUSCLES BEING TORN. NOT A SINGLE ONE OF YOU DESERVES TO TOOK SERIOUSLY THEIR ROLE IN BALANCING THE BUDGET WITH MINIMAL DISRUPTION TO YOUR DAY-TO-DAY. SIMILARLY MANY SERVICES YOU PROVIDE ARE THOSE THAT MY CONSTITUENTS RELY ON THE MOST, WE NEED THE SENIOR CENTERS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, PA PARKS, AND WE RELY ON PROGRAMMING THEY GOT, WITHOUT THE FACILITIES AND EMPLOYEES, MY CONSTITUENTS WOULD NOT HAVE AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMMING BECAUSE WE'RE SEEING CUTS TO PUBLIC EDUCATION ACROSS THE CITY. , THERE'S A GREAT DIGITAL DIVIDE, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE FINANCEFITNESS CLASSES BECAUSE GYMS ARE INACCESSIBLE. WE HAVE PEOPLE DOING WORK THAT YOU CAN'T SEE, THEY'RE INCREASING FOOD ACCESS, HELPING COMMUNITIES ADDRESS THE URBAN HEAT HIGHLAND EFFECT AND HELPING COMMUNITIES BECOME RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE, AND ADDRESS

[01:50:02]

REPAINTING PAVEMENT MA MARKINGS, FILLING GAPS, ASSESSING TRAFFIC SAFETY AND DRIVING THE INVESTMENTS WE'RE MAKING TO ACHIEVE SAFER EQUITABLE INFRAST INFRASTRUCTURE. WHEN I'M OUT KNOCKING DOORS, I CONSTANTLY HEAR FROM MY CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY WANT MORE AND STRONGER SERVICES, NOT LESS. SO THIS YEAR WHEN WE WERE FACED WITH REDUCED REVENUES, MY CONST CONSTITUENTS, MANY OF THOSE WHO ARE MOST NEEDY IN OUR CITY, WHO ARE MOST VULNERABLE SAID NO I DON'T WANT A TAX INCREASE BUT IF IT'S GOING TO ENSURE THAT MY NEIGHBORS DON'T LOSE THEIR SERVICES, I UNDERSTAND.

WHEN THEY ASKED HOW TAX INCREASE WOULD IMPACT SENIORS, THEY WERE RELIEVED TO KNOW THAT THEIR TAX ARE FROZEN AND WON'T BE IMPACTED BY INCREASE.

NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A TAX INCREASE BUT WE HAVE TO EVALUATE THE IMPACT OF BOTH SCENARIOS. IF WE IMPLEMENT IT, THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUES WILL COME FROM LARGEST BUSINESSES AND CORPORATIONS, THE PEOPLE WHO OWN AND MAINTAIN LARGE MULTIPLE PROPERTIES, THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LARGER HOMES.

IF WE IMPLEMENT ANY FURTHER CUTS, THE NUMBERS AND PARTICIPATION LEVELS PRESENTED SHOW THAT THE IMPACTS WILL FALL IN DISTRICTS 1 THROUGH 5, SOME OF THE MOST IMPOVERISHED IN OUR COMMUNITY. THAT IS THE DIFFICULT DECISION THAT MY CONSTITUENTS ASK ME TO MAKE, AND ALTHOUGH I KNOW WON'T BE HAPPY WITH THAT DECISION I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT NONE OF US HERE ARE, MYSELF INCLUDED. MY TEAM MEMBER, JOE LEAN GARCIA OFTEN SHARES QUOTES THAT HELPS US REFLECT ON THE CHALLENGES BEFORE US, AND YESTERDAY THERE WAS ONE THAT SAID YOU ARE NOT IN DEBT BECAUSE YOU ARE LIVE BEYOND YOUR MEANS BUT YOU'RE DES DESIGNED THE MEANS TO LIVE. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE BLAMING SERVICES THAT OUR MOST AS A RULE INITIAL RESIDENTS NEED BY DEFICIT BUT THE IDEA IS BY CUTTING THESE PROGRAMS WE WOULD BE FURTHER ECONOMIC EQUITY AND FOR THOSE THAT RELY ON SERVICES TO LIVE AND GET BY, AND ALTHOUGH WE CONTINUE TO DISAGREE ON THE DOCUMENT TODAY, I BELIEVE THAT IT IS IN OUR BEST INTEREST TO MOVE FORWARD, IN THE COMING MONTHS, WE'LL BE FINALIZING A CONTRACT WITH THE SPURS AND DEVELOPING A FULLER PICTURE OF PROJECT MARVEL, HOPEFULLY MORE GR GREATLY FORMED BY THE WILL OF OUR RESIDENTS, WE OWE IT TO THE RESIDENTS TO HEARTS AND ONE ANOTHER AND BE WILLING TO HEAR IDEAS EVEN AT FIRST THEY'RE NOT APPEALING, BE WILLING TO DISCUSS OTHER REVENUE STREAMS, DEVELOP A MORE STRATEGIC MASTER PLAN FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND NEED TO BE READY TO CONSIDER A MORE EQUITABLE PROCEDURE FOR CUTS OVER THE COMING YEAR.

IT IS NOT OVER BECAUSE WE PASS A TWO YEAR BUDGET. WE HAVE A DEFICIT OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND BEYOND AND WE OWE IT TO EACH OTHER, CONSTITUENTS AND FUTURE COUNCILS TO ADOPT A CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH AND BE RES RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER. WE'RE DULY ELECTED TO REPRESENT MORE THAN 150,000 REPRESENTATIVES AND WE SHARE THOSE CONSTITUENTS WITH OUR MAYOR WHO WAS ELECTED BY THEM. WE HAVE TO RESPECT OUR APPROACHES MAY LOOK DIFFERENT BUT THEY'RE FORMED BY THE INTERACTIONS WE HAVE ON A DAILY BASIS, WE HAVE TO COME HERE EVERY DAY IN GOOD FAITH. SO AFTER TODAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE COMPROMISE, SOME 6:5 VOTES, SOME 8:3 VOTES.

10:1 VOTES AND SOME UNANIMOUS VOTES. HOPEFULLY A LOT MORE OF THOSE, AND THAT'S JUST HOW IT IS SOMETIMES. BUT ULTIMATELY I LOOK FORWARD TO A FRESH START IF YOU ALL WILL JOIN ME THERE, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS ATT ATTENDED A BUDGET TOWN HALL, COUNCIL MEETING, PUBLIC COMMENT, AND TODAY'S MEETING FOR SHARING YOUR VOICE WITH US. MORE THAN EVER, WE CONTEMPLATED EVERY WORD YOU SAID TO MAKE TODAY'S DECISION AND I WANT TO THANK CITY EMPLOYEES WHO WORK TIRE LESLIE TO CHANGE OUR EVER CHANGING REQUESTS, AND THANK YOU TO MY TEAM IN THE BACK, SHOUTOUT TO THE GREEN FOLK TO MEET THE NEED OF OUR CONSTITUENTS. THANK YOU MY TEAM WHO PROVIDES SO MUCH SUPPORT THROUGHOUT THIS SEASON AND YEAR ROUND TO ME. I AM ABLE TO FOCUS ON THESE ISSUES AND THESE CHALLENGES BEFORE US WHILE I'M UP HERE U BECAUSE YOU'RE AT THE FIELD OFFICES HANDLING THE DAY-TO-DAY, RESPONDING TO CALLS AND HELPING SOLVE PROBLEMS EVERY DAY, AND I DON'T TAKE YOU FOR GRANTED I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH, AND LOVE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU ALL. LASTLY TO THE DISTRICT 2 RESIDENTS WHO CON CONCONTINUE TO PLACE TRUST IN ME AND HAVE YOUR BEST INTEREST IN MIND. I HOPE I DEMONSTRATE THE PROBLEM-SOLVING YOU BELIEVED I COULD WHEN YOU ELECTED ME, THIS IS A HARD DECISION TODAY BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TIRE LESLIE TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THE BEST SER SERVICES AND INVESTMENTS POSSIBLE. I DID OFFER, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR ANY AMENDMENTS AND SO NOW THAT I'VE SAID WHERE I'LL BE ON THE BUDGET, I WILL NOT BE SUPPORTING ANY AMENDMENTS TODAY.

[01:55:02]

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO, PLEASE. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU. BEFORE I GET STARTED ON MY COMMENTS ON THE BUDGET, I WAS GOING TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. I'VE BEEN SEEING STORIES ABOUT HOW COUNCIL IS FRACTURED, AND I WANT TO SHOW A DIFFERENT SIDE OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I, AND THAT IS THAT WE ARE UNIFIED, WHETHER WE LIKE IT OR NOT, WE NEED EACH OTHER. YOU KNOW, WE NEED EACH OTHER TO PUSH THINGS THROUGH FOR OUR RESIDENTS, AS COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE RODRIGUEZ NOTED WE'RE ALL ELECTED AND HAVE RESIDENTS AT THE FOREFRONT.

I WAS TALKING TO COUNCILMEMBER CASTILLO THIS MORNING, THERE ARE SO MANY GOOD THINGS HAPPENING, AND FINANCIAL STRAIN IS A STRESSFUL PROCESS, SO I THINK THE BACK AND FORTH THAT YA'LL HAVE BEEN SEEING, I MEAN, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST PART OF THE PRO PROCESS, SO I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S ANYTHING NECESSARILY WRONG. I MEAN, HEALTHY DEBATE IS A GOOD THING, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE BIG DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT WHAT'S NOT BEING REPORTED AND US ALL SITTING IN THE BACK EATING TACOS TOGETHER OR FIGHTING TO HOLD JALEN'S NEW PUPPY, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF WARM MOMENTS GOING ON BETWEEN US. SO I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO ASK A FAVOR, I'M GOING TO ASK THE BUDGET TEAM TO COME IN AND TAKE A PICTURE WITH MY COLLEAGUES AND I, WE DON'T HAVE A FUN PICTURE TODAY. THIS IS NOT A FORMAL PICTURE, THIS IS A FUN PICTURE, YOU HAVE DONE SO MUCH GREAT WORK , AND I WANT US TO SHOW A DIFFERENT SIDE OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE, SO IF WE COULD TAKE A QUICK PICTURE REAL QUICK, AND PAUSE THE CLOCK, TOO. THERE'LL BE A LOT OF AMENDMENTS GOING ON TODAY, SO ONCE AGAIN I WANTED TO ADD SOME LIGHT HEA HEARTEDNESS BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH WORK THAT THE BUDGET TEAM HAS DONE, SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO ERIC AND MARÍA AND JJUSTINA AND FREDDY, TROY, BEN, ALL OF YOUR PEOPLE ON YOUR TEAM WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH WORK TO GET US TO THIS POINT. I WANT TO SHOUT OUT MY TEAM IN BLUE BACK THERE, THEY'VE DONE AMAZING WORK, LIKE COUNCILMAN MCKEE RODRIGUEZ WAS SAYING. LISTENING TO THE FEEDBACK, SPEAKUP SESSIONS, SHOUTOUT TO THE TEAM FOR THAT. WE KNOW THIS BUDGET YEAR HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO THE HOURS AWAY FROM YOUR FAMILIES THAT YA'LL HAVE SPENT TO GET US TO THIS POINT. AND SO WHILE I WON'T BE SUPPORTING A TAX INCREASE TODAY, AND THEREFORE CANNOT SUPPORT OUR BUDGET, I DON'T WANT THAT TO BE EQUATED WITH ME DOUBTING YA'LL'S EXPERTISE.

SO IT SHALL FOR ME WHETHER WE INCREASE TAXES TODAY OR MAKE DEEP CUTS, IT'S GOING TO HURT. SOMETHING IS GOING TO -- SOMETHING IS GOING TO GIVE AND IT'S GOING TO HURT. BUT YA'LL -- THE RESIDENTS ELECTED US TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AND THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TODAY. FOR ME, WHAT I KEEP AT MY FOREFRONT IS MY BOSS, WHO ARE THE RESIDENTS, AND SO THE LESSER OF THE TWO EVILS IS TO AVOID A TAX INCREASE PLACED ON THEM. WE KNOW RESIDENTS ARE

[02:00:03]

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LOOKED AT WAS IF WE JUST TRIMMED 1.6% MORE OF OUR GENERAL FUND THIS YEAR, WE COULD HAVE AVOIDED PL PLACING THAT BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS. AND SO IT'S -- WE'RE SO CLOSE.

WE WERE SO CLOSE TO BEING ABLE TO AVOID THAT BURDEN ON OUR RESIDENTS, BUT, YOU KN KNOW, I RESPECT THE WILL OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO MAY AGREE OR DISAGREE.

I THINK -- WE ALL HAVE OPINIONS ON THAT. SO I WILL BE VOTING NO ON TODAY'S BUDGET BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE WITH PLACING MORE STRESS, FINANCIAL STRESS ON OUR RESIDENTS IN SUCH A DIFFICULT TIME. REGARDLESS OF THAT, I'M PROUD OF THE WORK OUR CITY STAFF HAS DONE AS A BODY, AGAIN, TO GET US TO THIS POINT TODAY. WE MAY NOT ALL AGREE ON THE METHODS TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, AND I DO BELIEVE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DIAS IS HERE WITH THE BEST INTENT AND THEIR RESIDENTS IN MIND AT THE FOREFRONT.

SO I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS -- I'M PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS COUNCIL AND THIS DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE YEAR AHEAD AND I'M HOLDING OUT HOPE FOR A BETTER FUTURE. AND MOVING US FORWARD TOGETHER.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN, PLEASE. >> GALVAN: THANK YOU, MAYOR, AND THANK YOU TO ALL THE STAFF FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO DOES THE FRONT LINE WORK TO THE FOLKS WHO DO THE BUDGET, TO THE FOLKS WHO DO THE SOUP VISING AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

I WANT TO THANK MY TEAM AND ALL THE FOLKS WHO DO THE BUDGET, WE KNEW THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT SINCE LAST YEAR AND BEFORE, AND WE LOOKED AT OVERLOOKING THE HORIZON WITH THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST, AND DESPITE THE ARGUMENTS HAD HERE, I KNOW EACH OF US HAVE PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT TO COME TO THE BEST CONCLUSION TO ADDRESS THE BUDGET GAP BEFORE U US. I'M GRADEFUL TO THE CITY STAFF PROVIDING US ALL THE INFORMATION POSSIBLE, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT FOR EACH OF US TO SHARE WITH RESIDENTS, IMPACTS OF INCREASES SERVICES , REVENUE, AND WHAT COULD BE USED ON VARIOUS SERVICES.

SINCE 1992 OUR CITY HAS GROAN IN POPULATION NE NEARLY 2% EVERY SINGLE YEAR ADDING NEARLY 400,000 COMMUNITY IN OUR TIME FRAME FASTER THAN ANYTIME IN OUR CITY'S HISTORY. THAT'S LED TO LARGEST GROWTH LEVEL IN OUR CITY BUT ALSO PROPERTY GROWTH VALUES AS WELL MEANING THAT PROPERTY TAX SOARED NATURALLY FOR CITY, COUNTY, STATE. WITHOUT ANY KIND OF TAX INCREASES.

HOUSING COSTS FOR OUR RESIDENTS AS WELL, AND KEEPING UP PUBLIC IS ISSUES, INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, QUALITY OF LIFE NEEDS, EDUCATION NEEDS, AND EVEN TAKING ON THE ROOTS OF POVERTY. AT THE SAME TIME, THE STATE KEPT LOCAL POVERTY TAX GROWTH RATES HOLDING BACK FROM OUR LOCAL LOCALITIES, BOTH THE STATE AND CITY HAVE ENABLED HOMESTEADS TO WEALTH, MEANING THE POOREST PERSON IN OUR COMMUNITY PAYS THE SAME LEVEL OF TAXES AS OUR WEALTHIEST. RESIDENTS HAVE ASKED ME ABOUT THESE THINGS OVER THE TIME FRAME, ASKING WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BUDGET AND HOW COME OTHER CITIES ARE ABLE TO AVOID MAJOR CUTS OR TAX INCREASES AND THE ANSWER IS SIMPLY THAT OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS AS OUR CITY HAS GROWN FASTER THAN EVER BEFORE, OUR STATE'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS PUBLIC SERVICE HAS SH SHIFTED. INSTEAD OF SUPPORTING LOCAL ENTITIES AND DELIVERING QUALITY TO OUR RESIDENTS OUR STATE WOULD RATHER DISINVEST AND FORCE CITIES BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, THE SAME TRUE FOR ISDS AS WELL. ALL OF THIS HAS LED US TO THIS MOMENT.

FOR OUR PROPERTY TAX AND SALES TAX GROWTH HAS SLOWED JUST AS MAKING PROGRESS ON KEY ISSUES IN OUR COMMUNITY. ALL THE WHILE, OUR STATE SITS ON $27 BILLION ON A RAINY DAY FUND, ENOUGH TO COMPLETELY COVER THE DEFICITS OF ALL MAJOR CITYS IN TEXAS AND MAJOR ISDS TOGETHER AND STILL HAVE $26 BILLION LEFT, THE CAP, THE MAXIMUM THAT A RAIN ANY DAY FUND COULD HAVE, BUT OUR STATE WOULD RATHER LET US SIT IN THIS MOMENT WHERE WE HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS EITHER PULLING BACK ON DELIVERING LEVELS OF SERVICE OR FINDING WAYS TO GENERATE ENOUGH SERVICES FOR THE SIXTH LARGEST CITY IN AMERICA. I APPRECIATE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE LOOKED AT CUTTING INEFFICIENCIES AND NONSERVICES BEYOND WHAT'S RECOMMENDED. SOME OF THOSE FUNDS I'VE SUPPORTED BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT WE SEE IS DESPITE THE SIZE OF THE LOCAL BUDGET, ANY FURTHER CUT THAT'S PROPOSED IS WE SAW LIBRARY HOURS AND PROGRAMS, PARKS YOUTH AND PROGRAMS, PAVEMENT PARKING.

[02:05:04]

AND WITH ALL OF THAT, THIS CURRENT BUDGET BEFORE US, WE'LL BE MAKING NEARLY $90 MILLION IN CUTS TO OUR BUDGET OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.

WE WILL BE USING RES RESERVES TO CLOSE GAPS. WE'RE CUTTING DOZENS OF POSITIONS AND FREEZING HIRING. AND STILL, BUT ONLY WITH INCREASE IN REVENUES WE'LL STRENGTHEN OUR POLICE, FIRE ANIMAL CARE SERVICE BUDGET AND MAINTAIN FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, LIBRARIES, PARKS, HEALTH, EDUCATION, AND EVEN FOR THE SENIOR CENTER IN THE COMMUNITY. FOR THAT REASON I'LL BE SUPPORTING THE BUDGET TODAY.

I WANT TO THANK ALL THE DISTRICT 6 RESIDENTS WHO HAVE CONTACTEDDED THE OFFICE, JOINED US AT BUDGET TOWN HALL AND MADE CLEAR IN EACH OF THOSE PARTICIPATIONS THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF MAIN MAINTAINING CITY SER SERVICE, HOPEFULLY ALSO IMPROVING THEM AS WELL, AND I BELIEVE WE WILL B BE, AND UNDERSTANDING THE COST TO DO JUST THAT TOO. THANK YOU, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER MEZA GONZALEZ.

>> GONZALEZ: THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM. I WANT TO START OFF BY THANKING CITY STAFF FOR THE WORK THEY'VE DONE OVER THE LAST FIVE MONTHS TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET, ANSWER QUES QUESTIONS, AND PROVIDE THE INFORMATION TO GET US HERE TODAY. I SEE A LOT OF THE BABY ACCOUNTANTS HERE.

THIS IS USUALLY WHERE ERIC TELLS YOU THAT YOU WILL BE HIM ONE DAY.

SO I ALSO WANT TO -- IF WE COULD REMEMBER BACK IN MAY DURING OUR GO GOAL-SETTING SESSION, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT OUR PFM DID.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY A HELPFUL FRAMEWORK. I THOUGHT THAT WAS A VALUABLE FRAMEWORK TO CATEGORIZE THAT BUDGET WITH MANDATED PRIORITY AND OTHER SERVICES, AND I THINK IT'S SOME -- A TOOL WE COULD USE FOR GREATER TRANSPARENCY AND STRONGER DECISIO DECISION-MAKING. WHEN WE BEGAN THIS BUDGET PROCESS BACK IN MAY, WE BEGAN WITH A CLEAR MANDATE TO PROTECT THE CITY SERVICES RESIDENTS CARE MOST ABOUT, INCLUDING POLICE, FIRE, STREETS, HOMELESS SERVICES AND HOUSING. I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS, TO ALL THE RESIDENTS FROM DISTRICT 8 AND ACROSS OUR CITY WHO MADE VOICES HEARD WHETHER AT BUDGET TOWN HALLS, PUBLIC COMMENTS HERE TODAY, THROUGH LETTERS, PETITION, PHONECALLS , EMAIL, AND MORE. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS BUDGET BELONGS TO YOU.

I BELIEVE TODAY WE DO HAVE A BUDGET THAT MEETS THE RESIDENT'S NEEDS IN A MEANINGFUL WAY. IT'S NOT THE BUDGET THAT ALL OF US ARE THE HAPPIEST WITH, BUT I BELIEVE IT MEETS THE RESIDENTS NEEDS IN A MEANING FUL WAY, AND I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THOSE NEEDS THAT REFLECT DISTRICT 8 RESIDENT PRIORITY, INCLUDING MAINTAINING SUPPORT FOR OUR POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES WHILE ADDING 79 NEW POLICE OFFICERS FOR THE BUDGET, INCREASING BUDGET FOR INFRASTRUCTURE MAKING SURE STREETS DRAINAGE, SIDEWALK SYSTEMS ARE SAFE AND UP TO DATE AND WE'RE INVESTING MORE TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS CITY WIDE THROUGH SHELTER FUNDING AND MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AND I SAID THIS YESTERDAY, THAT WE REMEMBER AND -- OR WE RECOGNIZE WHAT OUR NEW NORMAL IS.

THIS IS A NORMAL WITH FOUR-YEAR TERMS. THIS IS A NORMAL WITH 3.5% CAP ON PROPERTY TAX INCREASES, BOOKENDED WITH LARGE CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE HIGHLY MANDATED SERV SERVICES. SO WE ARE TRYING TO SQUEEZE SO MUCH IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO THI THINGS, AND IF YOU CAN IMAGINE, THAT IS -- IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE. BUT I THINK THIS BUDGET ALSO HAS TRADEOFFS, REAL TRADEOFFS.

WE HAVE REDUCTIONS TO SEVERAL CITY PROGRAMS, BUT THESE CUTS REDUCE THE DAMAGE TO THE QUALITY OF OUR SERVICES, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO ME.

THESE RIGHT-SIZING INITIATIVES DO NOT CUT TO THE BONE, AND THEY MAINTAIN THE INTEGRITY OF THE ORGANIZATIONS TO FUNCTION AND DELIVER FOR OUR RESIDENTS. IF WE DO NOT VOTE FOR A PROPERTY TAX -- IF A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE WERE TO FAIL, IT WOULD FALL TO THE CITY MAN MANAGER'S OFFICE TO MAKE ALL OF THE NECESSARY CUTS TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET.

AND WHILE I T I THANK THE CITY MANAGER FOR THE WORK HE'S DONE I BELIEVE THAT OUTCOME WOULD AMOUNT TO AN ABDICATION OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TO REPRESENT THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO, AND I REALLY WANT MY COLL COLLEAGUES TO RECOGNIZE THAT DECISION. WE WERE UP HERE AND VO VOTED TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, AND THAT INCLUDES BUDGETS LIKE THIS.

AND I DO NOT THINK THAT OUR RESIDENTS VOTED FOR US TO GIVE THAT AUTHORITY TO AN

[02:10:02]

THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU, COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA

MAYOR PLEASE. >> MUNGIA: THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK THE CITY STAFF, BUDGET TEAM AND ALL THE FOLKS IN THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE.

I'VE ASKED A FEW OF YOU, HAS THIS BEEN THE TOUGHEST BUDGET YEAR IN YOUR CAREER, AND WITHOUT RELUCTANCE YOU'VE SAID YES. SO I THINK WE OWE A LOT TO YOU. YOU'VE HAD TO FOLLOW A LOT OF DIRECTIONAL CHANGE FROM THIS COUNCIL AND YOU'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF INFORMATION WE'VE ASKED QUICKLY TO MAKE OUR DECISIONS HOPEFULLY EASIER. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HARD WORK YOU DO AND FOR THE WORK THAT GOES UNRECOGNIZED. I WANT TO THANK THE D4 TEAM FOR BEING THERE FOR ME, AGAIN ALL OF THOSE LATE MEETINGS , AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION WE NEED TO GET AND COMMUNICATING WITH CITY STAFF.

SO THEY'RE NOT HERE TODAY TO TAKE A PICTURE WITH ME, THEY'RE STILL AT THE FIELD OFFICE, L LETTING THEM LEAVE TODAY SO THEY'RE STILL WORKING OUT THERE.

BUT WHAT'S BEEN SURPRISING TO ME OR MAYBE NOT AS SURPRISING, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO THE TAX INCREASE AND THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD AND THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE SEEN HAD, IT'S BEEN THE MOST HUMBLE AMONG US WHO HAVE BEEN THE FIRST TO SAY YES. THOSE THAT HAVE TO SACRIFICE THE MOST -- THOSE THAT WILL FEEL THE IMPACT THE MOST FOR THE QUALITY OF LIFE HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, IF I NEED TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THESE SERVICES, MAYBE NOT FOR ME, MAYBE I DON'T NEED THEM, BUT OUR NEIGHBORS DO, THE KIDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD NEED THAT, THE SENIORS IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEED A PLACE TO GO.

THEY HAVE BEEN THE MOST UNDERSTANDING TO SAY Y YES.

AND SO I THINK TH THAT'S A STARK CONTRAST WITH THOSE WHO HAVE HAD THE MOST.

RIGHT. WE HEARD TODAY FROM PEOPLE WHO OWN MORE THAN ONE PARCEL OF PROPERTY SAY THAT THEY CANNOT AFFORD THAT, AND THE PEOPLE WHO CAN BARELY, YOU KNOW, HANG ON TO THEIR OWN HOME SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED THIS H HAS. SO OF COURSE WE DON'T TAKE THAT LIGHTLY, AND I THINK THE FACT THAT DISTRICTS 1 THROUGH 6 ESPECIALLY, WHO HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AND HAVE A LOT OF POVERTY ISSUES OR THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR THIS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THESE SERVICES WILL AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES THE MOST.

AND ALL OF US HAVE CONSTITUENTS THAT DON'T WANT THIS, AND IT'S A TOUGH CONVERSATION TO HAVE, WHETHER YOU'RE AT THE STORE OR IN A MEETING, PEOPLE STOP YOU AND SAY WHY DID YOU RAISE TAXES, AND IT'S A HARD CONVERSATION TO HAVE, BUT IT WAS A NECESSARY CONVERSATION TO HAVE. AND THESE PROGRAMS, WHETHER THEY'RE DELIVERED BY THE CITY OR NONPROFITS ARE VITAL TO NEIGHBORS AND THEIR RESIDENTS. WE SAW THAT IF WE WERE TO SLASH THE NONPROFIT FUNDING, 70% OF THOSE PEOPLE WOULD BE DROPPED FROM THOSE PROGRAMS ARE IN DISTRICTS 1 THROUGH 5, 70%. SO, AGAIN, WHEN WE SAY THE BUDGET IS NOT ALL THINGS FOR ALL PEOPLE, AND WE DECIDE TO CUT THAT, THAT IS BASICALLY SAYING DISTRICTS 1 THROUGH 5 DON'T DESERVE TO BE IN THIS, AND THAT IS VERY HARD TO HEAR FROM SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES K KNOWING THAT THIS IMPACT IS FELT ON OUR NEIGHBORS, NEIGHBORS OF MINE WHERE I LIVE TOO. AND SLASHING FUNDING DOESN'T, AGAIN, DO HALF OF THIS CITY JUSTICE FOR THE SERVICES THAT THEY NEED. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT LEFT ALL BOATS, WHEN HALF OF THIS CITY IS CONTINUING TO DEAL WITH POVERTY, DRAINAGE IS ISSUES, INFRASTRUCTURE CONCERNS, LACK OF PROGRAMS FOR THEIR OWN FAMILIES AND KIDS, THE BOTTOM WILL FALL OUT OF THIS CITY.

AND IF YOU THINK THE BURDEN RIGHT NOW IS FELT ON THOSE WITH THE MOST, IT WILL BE TO

[02:15:03]

FOR ALL THE FOLKS THAT CAME HERE TALKING ABOUT TAXES AND NOT RAISIN STATE LEGISLATURE IS SITTING ON THAT COULD HELP YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES AND ME AND FINE. AND THEY CHOOSE TO SIT ON IT.

SO WHEN YOU COME OVER HERE AND YOU TELL US DON'T YOU DARE RAISE TAXES, HOW COULD YOU, WHY WOULD YOU THINK OF THAT, PLEASE GO AND TELL THE GOVERNOR THE SAME THING.

AND IT HAS BEEN MENTIONED THIS BUDGET HAS GROWN OVER YEARS, MOSTLY DUE TO PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH. SO WHEN THAT BUDGET CAME IN YEAR AFTER YEAR WITH MORE AND MORE MONEY, PEOPLE UP HERE, BEFORE ME, THIS IS MY SECOND BUDGET ONLY, THOSE COUNCILMEMBERS SPENT THAT MONEY. COUNCILMEMBERS WHO WERE S SITTING HERE TODAY SPENT THAT MONEY THAT CAME IN. DIDN'T WANT TO REDUCE TAXES, DIDN'T WANT TO GIVE IT BACK TO THE VOTERS, THEY SPENT I IT.

AND YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY DID GREAT THINGS WITH THAT MO MONEY.

THERE HAVE BEEN PHENOMENAL PROGRAMS STARTED AND DONE BY THESE COLLEAGUES THAT ARE SITTING UP HERE WITH ME, AND THAT'S FANTASTIC. THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY HE HELPFUL TO RESIDENTS. BUT NOW THAT WE NEED TO KEEP UP THAT GROWTH TO MAINTAIN THINGS, NOT EVEN TO EXPAND, BUT TO MAINTAIN, FOLKS WANT TO SPIKE THE BALL AT THE EXPENSE OF RESIDENTS ON THIS SIDE OF THE DIAS, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S FA FAIR. WE HAVEN'T LIVED UP TO OUR FOUR-YEAR TERM THAT VOTERS GIFTED US TO PLAN AND TO EDUCATE AND TO THINK ABOUT OUR LONG-TERM FUTURE OVER EASY DECISIONS THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A FOUR-TERM NOW. THAT'S WHY RESIDENTS DID THAT, FOR US TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT MAY NOT BE POPULAR, BUT TO GO THROUGH THAT AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ELECTION RIGHT AFTER THAT, MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS FOR THE LONG TERM FUTURE OF THE CITY. AND WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT.

LAST MINUTE DECISIONS, DIFFERENT WAYS GOING ABOUT THIS BUDGET HAVE NOT PRO PRODUCED A LONG-TERM VISION THAT THIS CITY NEEDS AND THAT IT DESERVES.

SO THIS BUDGET ISN'T PER PERFECT. NOTHING EVER IS.

NOT ALL OF US GOT EVERYTHING WE WANTED OUT OF THIS. NOBODY IS ENJOYING A TAX INCREASE. BUT IT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO, AND IT'S SOMETHING I'M WILLING TO DEFEND TO MY RESIDENTS AND SHOW THEM THE SERVICES THEY WILL GET AS A RETURN FOR THAT INVESTMENT. SO I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET TODAY.

IT'S -- THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AND WE'LL CONTINUE THAT WORK STARTING TOMORROW, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE BEEN REASONABLE AND EVEN EVEN KEELED AND OPEN MINDED ON THIS BUDGET PRO PROCESS, SO THERE'S STILL SOME TO BE DONE, BUT I APPRECIATE US MAKING THE DECISIONS AND THE CITY STAFF WAITING WITH BREATH TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO THEM WHILE WAITING TO TO DO THE SER SERVICES WE ASK THEM TO DO. SO I SUPPORT THE BUCKET TODAY AND I APPRECIATE

EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK

YOU. COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE PLEASE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR.

BEGIN BY. I THANK THE CITY STAFF FOR ALL OF THE WORK IN SUMMER, SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THAT. I WANT TO THANK MY TEAM, OF COURSE LED BY RAOL BUT MY POLICY DIRECTOR REBECCA WHO HAS WORKED TIRELESS HOURS OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS ON THIS BUDGET. I TRULY TRULY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAVE DONE. TO MY COLLEAGUES, THANK YOU ALL AS WELL. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HAVE OPEN DIALOGUE OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS AND OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, YOU HAVE ALL LISTENED, YOU'VE CONSIDERED THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN SAYING, WE'VE HAD A GOOD EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, SOMETIMES IT GETS HEATED FOR SURE BUT THAT'S THE NATURE OF WHAT WE DO, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK ON THIS, AND I DO HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT HOWEVER YOU ALL VOTE TODAY, YOU ARE DOING IT BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE IT TO BE IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO. SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE SAID EVEN THOUGH I DISAGREE WITH WHAT I BELIEVE THE MAJORITY WILL DO TODAY. LISTEN, THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO IS AT A REALLY INTERESTING POINT IN ITS HISTORY, AND I BELIEVE,

[02:20:05]

WE HAVE WARM, SMART, HARD WORKING CITIZENS IN SAN ANTONIO THAT CANNOT BE MATCHED IN ANY OTHER CITY IN AMERICA. AND NUMBER 2, WE HAVE A UNIQUE CULTURE OF OUR VERY OWN HERE, WHICH IS MADE UP OF PEOPLE, A BLEND OF DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE ALL COME TOGETHER TO MAKE US WHAT WE ARE AS SAN ANTONIO. AND OUR PEOPLE, AND OUR CULTURE DESERVE A CITY GOVERNMENT THAT GOES TO WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY AND FIGHTS FOR THEM TO MAKE THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE THE VERY BEST IT COULD BE. IN THIS CITY, IT'S READY TO GO. NOW IS THE TIME. BUT WE ARE NEVER -- WE ARE NEVER GOING TO GET WHERE WE WANT TO GO AND WHERE WE CAN GO, WHERE WE CAN LIFT EVERYBODY UP IN THIS CITY UNLESS OUR CITY GOVERNMENT GETS ITS PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. NOW, LONG TERM IT IS ABSOLUTELY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN STATED, THAT IS TRULY THE ONLY WAY OUT.

IF WE'RE GOING TO LIFT EVERYBODY UP, WE NEED MORE JOBS, BETTER PAYING JOBS HERE IN OUR CITY. THE DIFFERENCE IN APPROACHES BETWEEN SOME OF US HERE TODAY IS THE BELIEF THAT IN SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WHERE YOU GIVE DIRECTLY AND YOU SEE IMMEDIATE IMPACT NOW, A LOT OF WHICH I BELIEVE ARE BAND-AIDS VERSUS A FOCUS ON THE LONGER TERM APPROACH, WHICH REALLY COULD INSTITUTE CHANGE.

SOMEBODY SAID WE'RE THE 150TH RANKED BIG CITY IN SUCCESS OR WHATEVER IT WAS, NOTHING IS CHANGING HERE. WE'VE BEEN DOING THE SAME THINGS FOR THE LAST DECADE, AND WE STILL HAVE A VERY, VERY POOR CITY AND A CITY THAT COULD BE DOING MUCH BETTER. BUT IF WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING, IT WILL NOT GET BETTER. WE NEED TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND I HOPE THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON THAT OVER THE REMAINING THREE YEARS IN OUR TERM.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE CANNOT IGNORE THAT THE SPENDING OF OUR CITY GOVERNMENT IS OUT OF CONTROL. AND I LOOKED TEN YEARS AGO, A DECADE AGO, AND HOW OUR GENERAL FUND HAS GROWN BY $600 MILLION, AND BEFORE MY COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT 2 SAYS IT, BECAUSE I KNOW HE WILL, YES, A LOT OF THAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY MONEY, BUT PER THE CITY'S OWN DOCUMENTS, IN 2016, PUBLIC SAFETY MADE UP 66.5% OF THE BUDGET, AND THIS YEAR, IT'S PROPOSED TO MAKE UP 65% OF THE BUDGET, A 1.5% DECREASE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF SPENDING GOING ON OTHER PLACES BESIDE PUBLIC SAFETY THAT HAS LED US TO WHERE WE ARE HERE TODAY.

OUR POPULATION HAS DROWN AS WE'VE HEARD FROM 2016 TO TODAY, SURE, BUT NONPUBLIC SAFETY PERSONNEL SPENDING IN OUR CITY IS THREE TIMES THE AMOUNT OF POPULATION GROWTH IN SAN ANTONIO. 5.5% GROWTH IN THE CITY, 18.5% NON-POLICE AND FIRE PERSONNEL ADDITIONS. IT'S NOT JUST SPENDING ON ALL THE NICE TO HAVES, IT'S NOT JUST SPENDING WASTE WASTEFULLY, IT'S ALSO A GROWTH IN THE CITY GOVERNMENT AND NOT JUST ON THE STAFF SIDE, ON THE COUNCIL SIDE AS WELL, AND WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP, IT PRODUCES A $158 MILLION DEFICIT.

AND COUNCILMAN MUNGIA IS RIGHT. FOR THE LAST DECADE, WHOEVER HAS BEEN SITTING IN THESE CHAIRS HAS SPENT EVERY DAMN DOLLAR THAT'S COME IN.

[02:25:07]

BUT ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE IS WHY? WHY DO WE HAVE TO SPEND EACH AND EVERY CENT THAT COMES INTO THIS CITY? IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO HAVE SOME OF THAT MONEY HERE TODAY SO WE WOULDN'T BE LOOKING AT RAISING PROPERTY TAXES ON THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHERE MONEY SHOULD BE SPENT IN THIS BUDGET, WE HEAR IT EVERY DAY FROM OUR COMMUNITIES AT THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS. IT'S ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY.

IT'S ABOUT CRITICAL INFRASTRUCKTURE, AND YES IN THIS BUDGET THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDE, BUT ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY SIDE, NO DOLLAR IS IN HERE FOR ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS ON THE STREETS OF SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT BOTHERS ME. AS COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN STATED AT ONE OF OUR EARLIER BUDGET MEETINGS, I THINK IT WAS RELATED TO ART OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHERE SHE SAID IF WE DON'T PUT IT IN THE GENERAL FUND, IT DOESN'T SHOW THAT WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THAT AS A CITY GOVERNMENT.

WELL, THE SAME CAN BE TRUE WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC SAFETY.

WE NEED TO SHOW OUR CITIZENS WE ARE COMMITTING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS THAT THEY EXPERIENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY, THE THEFT OF THE VEHICLES, ROBBERIES OF THE HOMES, THE HOMICIDES THAT WE SEE ALL OVER THE CITY. AND SO TODAY, MAYOR, I MOVE -- I'M GOING TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT HERE TO THE BUD BUDGET, AND I'VE PUT IT ON EACH OF YOUR DESKS THAT I AM MOVING FOR THE FOLLOWING FEE ADJUSTMENTS, THE ALARM PERMITS LATE FEE FROM $30 TO $78. THE ROBBERY ALARM FEE FR FROM -- TO $772. THE CLEARANCE LETTER FEE FROM $50 TO $75.

AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, MAKING CUTS. $200,000 FROM THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROGRAM FOR THE PLANNING THERE, AND THEN FROM THE PLANNING OF SA TOMORROW, $947,354, SO THOSE FEE INCREASES, THOSE CUTS, AND REPLACING THEM WITH THE $1.6 MILLION THAT THAT PROVIDES FOR TEN SAN ANTONIO

SAFE OFFICERS, ONE FOR EACH DISTRICT. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR AN AMENDMENT AS READ.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO COUNCIL DISCUSSION ON THE AMENDMENT. AT THIS POINT, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT ON THE AMENDMENT. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR? NOTHING? OKAY. JUST GOING TO GO AROUND.

NO? COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE GAVITO.

>> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU. QUICK CLARIFICATION.

SO WITH THE CUTS WITH THE -- WELL, FIRST OFF, THANK YOU FOR -- I DO APPRECIATE THE EFFORT IN THINKING CREATIVE LY ON HOW TO OOPED TEN SAFE OFFICERS.

I AGREE. I THINK WE KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS SAY PUBLIC SAFETY IS TOP PRIORITY, SO I APPRECIATE THE CREATIVITY IN DOING TH THIS.

FOR THE SA TOMORROW SUB AREA PLANNING, IS THAT THE 947, IS THAT JOBS, AND IF SO, HOW

MANY? COUNCILMEM BER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: YEAH.

I WOULD HAVE TO DEFER TO CITY STAFF, THE TOTAL PROGRAM IS $1.6 MILLION OVER THE TWO YEARS, SO THIS CUTS 947,000, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD RESULT IN ANYBODY

-- A JOB TRANSFER OR MOVING OR WHAT. >> WALSH: NO.

AND I'M GOING TO LOOK FOR BRIDGET WHYTE TO COME UP. THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS BEING SPENT ON OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE FOR THAT WO WORK.

THE 1 POINT -- THE ALLOCATION WE HAVE FOR SA TOMORROW.

>> WHAT'S CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET WAS INITIALLY 1.7, TEN POSITIONS, SO THE 947

[02:30:02]

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: SORRY, IT WAS A LITTLE MUFFLED. SO IT'S A MANDATED PROGRAM,

AND COULD YOU SAY THE LAST PART AGAIN PLEASE. >> INITIALLY THE ALTERNATIVE PUT FORWARD WAS 1.7, THAT WAS TEN POSITIONS, SO ANY CUT WOULD INVOLVE PEOPLE, THERE ARE CURRENTLY 7 DEDICATED STAFF MEMBERS FOR SA TOMORROW WHO WORK ON THE

PROGRAM, AND IT IS A MANDATED PROGRAM. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

TO BE VERY CLEAR, 947, DOES THAT ELIMINATE A FIELD POSITION?

>> YES. OF THE 7, THREE ARE VACANT INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATOR, BUT FOUR ARE FILLED, SO BE A MATTER OF LOOKING AT WHAT'S FILLED BUT IT WOULD INVOLVE

PEOPLE. >> ALDERETE GAVITO: THANK YOU.

AND ANOTHER QUICK CLARIFYING QUESTION. MANDATED...?

>> PER STATE LAW, CHAPTER 211 AND 213, ZONING REGULATIONS NEED TO COMPLY WITH THE PLAN, SO CREATION OF THE SUB AREA PLANS IS OUR COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, OUR MASTER PLAN, SO WHEN WE ZONE, THAT HAS TO ALIGN WITH THAT.

>> ALDERETE GAVITO: GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.

SO THIS DOES EQUAL -- THERE WAS SOME VACA VACANCIES, SO THIS WOULD

EQUAL FOUR PEOPLE'S POSITION? >> IT WOULD EQUAL SOME POSITIONS, YES.

>> ALDERETE GAVITO: OKAY. AROUND THREE OR FOUR. PROBABLY.

>> WALSH: GIVE US 45 SECONDS TO DO THE VALUE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE THREE VACANT POSITIONS, AND WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU, LIKE SHORTLY, WITHIN THE MINUTE.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE AMENDMENT? COUNCILMEMBER GALVAN, PLEASE.

>> GALVAN: QUICK TO CLARIFY, I DON'T KNOW IF MARÍA COULD HELP ANSWER OR ANYBODY, HOW MANY POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS HAVE WE ADDED OVER THE LAST THREE TO FIVE

YEARS? >> FOR THE STAFFING PL PLAN, WE'VE ADDED 200 POSITIONS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, NOT INCLUDING FISCAL YEAR 27, AND THEN DONE TRANSFERS FROM PARKS, POLICE, TO SAPD THE POSITIONS FOR THE FLOOR, THE POLICE STATION, SO IF MEMORY SERVES ME RIGHT ABOUT 370 POSI POSITIONS SINCE

FISCAL YEAR 23. >> GALVAN: GREAT. I'M SORRY.

REALLY QUICK, WE'RE ALSO ADDING -- ALSO FOR THE CBA LAST WEEK, SO ANOTHER $102 MILLION FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS WE'RE APPROVING FOR POLICE RESOURCES THROUGH PAY AND THEN HOW MANY ARE WE ADDING FOR THIS BUDGET FOR POLICE RESOURCES OR SAPDS

BUDGET. >> SO THE GROWTH IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS ABOUT

$40 MILLION, A GROWTH OF ABOUT 6%. >> GALVAN: OKAY.

AND THEN ALSO NINE FIRE POSITIONS THIS YEAR. >> WE ARE.

>> GALVAN: OKAY. I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. AS OTHER BUDGETS AREN'T SEEING ANY INCREASES AND ARE SEE ING DECREASES AS WELL. THANK YOU MARÍA.

THANK YOU MAYOR. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN WHYTE TO CLARIFY, THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR VITALLYIZATION, THAT PROGRAM IS CUT BY 250K IN THE BUDGET , AND THERE WAS ONLY 250K LE LEFT, SO THIS 200 WOULD

LEAVE THAT PROGRAM AT 50K; IS THAT CORRECT? >> WHYTE: THEY HAVE

THE BASE BUDGET. THE BASE BUDGET IS 250. >> WHYTE: THE BASE, THIS IS

THE PLANNING. >> WALSH: YEAH. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THE

NORTHEAST CORRIDOR REVITALIZATION PROGRAM. >> WHYTE: IT SHOULD HAVE

SAID PLANNING ON THERE. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: GOT IT. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN WHYTE IS THAT A FIELD POSITION OR. >> WHYTE: NO POSITION.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: NO POSITION WITH THAT. OKAY.

THANK YOU. >> WHYTE: AND LISTEN THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR IS OBVIOUSLY MY AREA, WE HAVE A GOOD HANDLE ON WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REVITALIZE THAT CORRIDOR. THIS IS REALLY AN ATTEMPT JUST TO NOT GRAB MONEY, AGAIN, FOR MY OWN DISTRICT, BUT TO SAY HERE, I THINK, A BALANCED AND FAIR WAY TO GET EACH OF OUR DIST DISTRICTS ANOTHER SAFE OFFICER, WHICH I KNOW THAT OUR RESIDENTS APPRECIATE AND THAT I THINK OUR DISTRICTS ALL NEED.

>> WHAT CHAPTER OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE DID YOU REFERENCE?

211? >> IT'S THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE THAT CALLED FOR ALL

CITIES TO HAVE A PLAN, TO HAVE A ZONING. >> SPEARS: 211 SAYS WE MAY

HAVE ROADWAY ZONING COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. >> 211 AND 213.

SO ZONING REGULATIONS NEEDS TO COMPLY WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, WHICH IS

[02:35:04]

THE SA TOMORROW COMPREHENSIVE PLAN. >> SPEARS: AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE A DEPARTMENT TO ENACT THE PLAN?

>> WELL, WE'RE ALSO REQUIRED WITH THE CITY CHARTER TO HAVE A MASTER PLAN AND A PLANNING DIRECTOR. SO TO DO THE PLANS, WE NEED TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF CREATING -- SO WE NEED A DEPARTMENT OR STAFF TO WORK ON THEM.

>> SPEARS: BUT THAT'S NOT REQUIRED, THE DEPARTMENT. >> WELL, THE CITY CHARTER

REQUIRES A PL PLANNING DIRECTOR. >> SPEARS: A PLANNING DIRECTOR TO CREATE THE PLAN. YOU NEED STAFF TO DO THE PLANS.

I JUST NEED CLARITY BECAUSE HOW THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE READS IT DOESN'T SAY SPECIFICALLY WE NEED A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT TO ENACT THE PLAN.

>> WELL, I THINK PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, WE'VE DONE PLANS, SO WE HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD PLANS, BUT OUR PLANS ARE OV OVER -- SOME ARE 20 OR 30 YEARS OLD. SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GROWING AND DEVELOPING AS A CITY AND ZONING REGULATIONS, THOSE ARE IN LINE WITH OLD PLANS, SO THAT'S WHY WE MAY HAVE A LOT OF PLAN AMENDMENTS IN ZONING. SO SA TOMORROW WAS DONE IN 2016 AND OUR SUB AREA PLANS ARE A COMPONENT OF SA TOMORROW, THE COMP PLAN TO HAVE LAND USE, AND SO LAND USE GUIDES ZONING AND ZONING GUIDES DEVELOPMENT.

>> SPEARS: I JUST WONDER IF IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT COULD BE TAKEN ON BY ANOTHER AREA THAT WE ALREADY HAVE PRE-EXISTING DEPARTMENT. ANOTHER DEPARTMENT, OR IF WE

NEED A SPECIFIC DEPARTMENT FOR ENACTING THIS PLAN. >> WELL .

>> IF THERE IS NOT ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT COULD DO THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE A PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO MANAGE THE PLANNING COMMISSION, THE ZONING REQUIREMENTS, AND IF WE CONSOLIDATED WITH SOMEBODY ELSE, I'M NOT SURE THAT THAT WOULD NECESSARILY SAVE ANY MONEY, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE THOSE FUNCTIONS STILL HAVE TO BE PROVIDED. YOU GUYS DEAL WITH THOSE CASES EVERY TWO WEEKS. I DON'T THINK IT -- NOW, COULD WE BE MORE EFFICIENT? PROBABLY. MAYBE. WE COULD GO THROUGH THAT AS PART OF THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS, BUT THERE ISN'T ANYBODY ELSE TO DO

THAT WORK. >> COUNCILWOMAN, IF IT HE HELPS, WE'LL PROVIDE YOU ALSO THE SECTIONS FROM THE CITY CHARTER THAT DO REQUIRE US TO HAVE A MASTER PLAN AND A DIRECTOR, SO I'M SURE THAT ALTHOUGH NOT STATED EXPL EXPLICITLY, IF YOU HAVE A DIRECTOR, IT DOES CONTEMPLATE EITHER A DEPARTMENT OR A GROUP THAT CARRIES OUT THE REQUIRED OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE CITY CHARTER.

>> WALSH: OKAY. MAYOR, COULD I JUMP IN TO ANSWER THE QUESTION? SO BASED ON WHAT BRIDGET SHARED, MINUS THOSE THREE POSITIONS AND SOME CONTRACTUAL DOLLARS, THE -- WITHOUT IMPACTING FILLED POSITIONS, THAT NUMBER WOULD

BE $620,000, NOT $947,000 AS PROPOSED BY THE COUNCILMAN. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: THANKS, ERIC, COUNCILMAN WHYTE DOES THAT MODIFY YOUR AMENDMENT AT ALL?

IT'S SHORT $327,000. >> WALSH: THE QUESTION, DON'T IMPACT FILLED POSITION

AND THEN SUBSTITUTE YOUR 952 -- 947 WITH THE 620. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: SO --

>> WHYTE: WE'RE STICKING WITH WHAT I HAVE ON HERE. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY.

SO THEN ERIC, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU GET TO 620 I -- JUST ACTUALLY, JUST TO RECAP WHAT THE ENTIRE CUT LOOKS LIKE FROM -- IN ORDER TO GET TO 947, PLEASE.

I THINK HE WANTS TO KEEP IT AS, SO AS IS 1.6. >> WALSH: THEN WE'LL

ELIMINATE 7 POSITIONS, FOUR FILLED, THREE VACANT. >> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: AND ANDY, WOULD WE STILL BE IN COMP COMPLIANCE WITH CITY CHARTER?

>> AS LONG AS WE CARRY OUT OBLIGATIONS WITH CITY CHARTER, I'M SURE THAT WORKING WITH THE MANAGER WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO BE IN COMPLIANCE.

>> MAYOR ORTIZ JONES: OKAY. DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, ERIC?

[02:40:02]

THAT IS THE AMENDMENT AS READ. OKAY.

ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS AMENDMENT AS READ? OKAY.

THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. PLEASE VOTE.

OKAY. THE MOTION FAILS. OKAY.

SO WE'LL GO TO THE MAIN MOTION. COUNCILMEMBER KAUR, PLEASE.

>> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN HERE ALL MORNING WITH US AND THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS AS WE'VE GONE THROUGH SOME REALLY TOUGH CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE WE ARE PUTTING OUR VALUES AS A CITY, AS A COMMUNITY.

WE ALWAYS SAY THAT YOUR BUDGET REALLY SHOWS WHAT YOU TRULY CARE ABOUT, AND THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF DISCUSSION THAT JUST HAPPENED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, PUBLIC SAFETY WILL AND FOREVER BE THE BIGGEST PART OF OUR BUDGET. SO THERE IS NO DOUBT, I THINK, IN ANY OF OUR MIND THAT PUBLIC SAFETY IS A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE DO, AND IT'LL CONTINUE TO BE THAT WAY. AND AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT HAVE COME OUT AND SPOKE IN SUPPORT OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING THAT'S HELPING OUR MOST VULNERABLE, OUR PEOPLE AS WAS SHARED, THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE PUTTING IN HARD WORKDAY IN AND DAY OUT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE WANT THEM TO AS A RESIDENT OF OUR AMAZING CITY THAT WE ALL LOVE SO MUCH. SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT DID WE -- WHY ARE WE JUST INCREASING THE TAX RATE WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING ANY BUDGET CUTS, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CHECK IN ON THE WORK THAT CITY STAFF, THE TOUGH WORK THAT CITY STAFF DID THIS SUMMER. OUT OF $158 MILLION DEFICIT, THEY ACTUALLY MADE $90 MILLION IN CU CUTS. THAT WASN'T DONE EASILY.

THOSE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR IF YOUR POSITION WAS CUT AND YOU ARE BEING ASKED TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT POSITION, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. I KNOW THAT'S NOT EASY, AND IT'S A HARD THING TO DO WHEN YOU SIGNED UP FOR A JOB WORKING AT POTENTIALLY THE LIBRARY OR NOW BEING ASKED TO GO TO DHS OR A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM, BUT REALLY, WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT WORK FOR THE CITY , AND WE COULD NOT DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT YOU ALL. AND AT THE SAME TIME AS MAKING THOSE CUTS, THEY ALSO INCREASED REVENUES, SO WE KNOW WE HEARD FROM SOME OF THE INDUSTRY FOLKS TODAY, BUT ALSO WE'RE THANKING YOU GUYS FOR TAKING ON THOSE ADDITIONAL REVENUES TO HELP YOUR NEIGHBOR BECAUSE THOSE REVENUES ARE GOING TO SUPPORT ALL OF THE FOLKS THAT REALLY NEED IT BUT I HAD A DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT -- AND I DIDN'T QUITE UNDERSTAND THE REAL IMPACT OF PROPERTY TAXES OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS. SO AS WAS MENTIONED BY SOME OF OUR COLLEAGUES, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY SINCE 2021.

SO I WENT BACK AND I JUST CLICKED AROUND FOR SEVERAL HOMES IN DISTRICT 1.

MANY OF YOU KNOW DISTRICT 1 VERY CLEARLY DEMONSTRATES THE ECONOMIC DIVIDE THAT EXISTS IN OUR CITY BECAUSE WE HAVE VERY LOW-INCOME VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES AND AT THE SAME TIME SOME OF OUR MOST WEALTHIEST HOMES IN THE DISTRICT AS WELL.

SO I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT --Y COUNCILMEMBER MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ'S MATH EQUATION YESTERDAY, WHAT SOMEONE WAS PAYING IN PROPERTY TAXES IN 2021 FOR AN AVERAGE -- FOR A MEDIAN HOMESTEAD IN DISTRICT 1. SO MEDIAN HOMESTEAD IN DISTRICT 1 THAT WAS AROUND 235, THEY PAID ABOUT $4,000 IN TAXES IN 2021.

IN 2025, THAT SAME HOME PAID $3200 IN TAXES BECAUSE OF THE HELP THAT HOMESTEAD HAS PRESENTED FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL. SO THIS NEXT YEAR THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY $36 MORE. SO THEY WOULD BE AT ABOUT $32.36 FOR THAT SAME HOME. STILL A HUGE SAVINGS FROM WHERE THEY WERE FIVE YEARS AGO. LET'S LOOK AT TO THE POINT THAT COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA MADE. SOME OF THE MOST HUMBLE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE WILLING TO MAKE THAT SACRIFICE, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S GOING TO MEAN WAY MORE TO ANOTHER HOME IN THE DISTRICT THAT'S A $1.5 MILLION HOME.

THAT $1.5 MILLION HOME IN 2021 PAID $40,000 IN TAXES. IN 2025, THAT SAME HOME PAID

[02:45:04]

SO THAT BEING SAID, SOME OF THE PURPLE LINING FROM THIS BUDGET -- I KNOW IT'S TOUGH BUT HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS. SAPD AND SAFD DID FIND SIGNIFICANT EFFICIENCIES IN THEIR BUDGET. THAT HELPED US APPROVE A CBA THAT I THINK IS SHOWING OUR OFFICERS THAT WE REALLY DO CARE ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING. APPRECIATE HOW HARD IT IS AND THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE DOING THAT. ACS IS ACTUALLY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT'S GROWN BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT SPAY AND NEUTER IS TO OUR COMMUNITY, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT OUR STRAY AND LOOSE DOG POPULATION IS TO ADDRESS.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO A LOT MORE WITH THIS BUDGET AS WELL.

NHSD IS ACTUALLY CONTINUING TO PRESERVE OUR MAJOR/MINOR HOME REHAB PROGRAM, WHICH IS ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL FOR THOSE LOWER HOMESTEAD VALUE HOMES THAT WE HAVE.

THEY'RE SUPPORTING A MISSING MIDDLE PROGRAM THAT'S GOING TO BE A PILOT TO SEE HOW WE CAN BUILD MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN THE DISTRICT. DHS IS GETTING THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF OUR SENIOR CENTERS. AND CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR DELEGATE AGENCIES, MANY OF WHOM ARE HERE TODAY. PUBLIC WORKS -- CAN NEVER FORGET ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS -- IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO REVAMP OUR SIDEWALK AND IMP PROGRAM. THEY ARE SUPPORTING THE QUICK-BUILD PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE KIDS CAN WALK SAFELY TO SCHOOL. DSD IS GETTING TO ENHANCE THE PROACTIVE APARTMENT INSPECTION PROGRAM THAT HELPS OUR APARTMENTS MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE COMPLYING FOR ALL OF OUR RENTING RESIDENTS.

AND THEY'RE ALSO SUPPORTING INCREASING AND SUPPORT IN DANGEROUS PROPERTY AND DANGEROUS PREMISES. THEY'RE GETTING THE SAVE FOR OUR OHP PROGRAM.

THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO HELP OUR AREAS THAT REALLY WANT TO SUPPORT PLACEMAKING AND WHEN IT COMES TO CULTURAL HERITAGE. WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE THE RESILIENCY PROGRAM FOR CLIMATE READY IN OUR RESILIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY PROGRAM . AND LAST BUT SURELY NOT LEAST, METRO HEALTH IS GETTING OUR REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND COMING FROM MEDICAID WAIVERS.

THERE ARE SO MANY MORE DEPARTMENTS I HAVE NOT HIGHLIGHTED.

OUR LIBRARIES ARE CONTINUING. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A TOUGH DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR LIBRARIES BUT THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS. AND OF COURSE SOME OF OUR OTHER SMALLER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE REALLY MAKING AN IMPACT. WE REALLY THANK YOU, GUYS FOR THE WORK YOU ARE DOING. SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE TO MY COLLEAGUES -- AND I KNOW A LOT OF US HAVE ALREADY SAID -- BUT THIS INCREMENTAL TAX RATE THAT WE ARE PUTTING WAS NOT TAKEN LIGHTLY.

AND I DO NOT THINK WE SHOULD BE MAKING AMENDMENTS OR ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL STAFF, NOT WILLING TO MAKE THE BASE CALL TO ACTION ON SUPPORTING OUR INCREMENTAL TAX RATE.

SO THAT IS WHAT I AM GOING TO BE VOTING TO SUPPORT TODAY.

I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS FOR YOUR RESIDENTS.

AND IF YOUR RESIDENTS WOULD BE COMPASSIONATE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT THE VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS NEXT DOOR THAT REALLY NEED IT. THANKS, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN CASTILLO, PLEASE.

>> CASTILLO: THANK YOU, JUSTINA AND THE BUDGET AND FINANCE TEAM FOR ALL YOUR CONTINUED DUE DILIGENCE LEADING UP TO TODAY. REALLY VALUE YOUR WORK AND THE TIME YOU HAVE PUT IN TO RESPONDING TO OUR VARIOUS QUESTIONS AND OF COURSE NAVIGATING THE TEN PERSPECTIVES IN TERMS OF DIRECTION WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL CONVERSATION THAT, AS FOLKS HAVE SHARED, NONE OF US TAKE LIGHTLY. I'M JUST A BIT HUMORED BY THE BUFFOONERY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CITY'S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE THAT WOULD PUT SOME FOLKS IN THE CROWD WITHOUT WORK, ALL TO SUPPORT AN AMENDMENT THAT LACKS STRATEGY . WHEN I SAY THAT, I MEAN I VALUE THE WORK OF OUR SAFFE OFFICERS BUT AN AMENDMENT TO ASSIGN TEN SAFFE OFFICERS, WHAT IS THE STRATEGY, THE METHOD ON TO DETERMINE THAT WE DO NEED SAFFE OFFICER PER DISTRICT, PARTICULARLY WHEN SAFFE OFFICERS DON'T OPERATE BASED OFF OF DISTRICT, THEY OPERATE BASED OFF OF SUBSTATIONS, WHICH WE DO NOT HAVE TEN. FOR EXAMPLE, I SHARE SAFFE

[02:50:03]

JUST HIGHLIGHTING THAT THAT'S IRRESPONSIBLE PLANNING AND FORESIGHT TO JUST PUT FORTH AN AMENDMENT TO GIVE US EQUAL TEN -- WHETHER IT'S CODE OFFICERS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. THERE'S NO STRATEGY AND THAT'S FISCALLY IRRESPONSIBLE. BUT MOVING AWAY FROM THAT, I DID WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, WHAT I'VE SAID THROUGHOUT THIS CONVERSATION THAT WHEN WE SEE AN AUSTERITY BUDGET, AUSTERITY BUDGET OFTEN MEANS UNEMPLOYMENT.

WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS AND THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO WAS A SIMILAR SENTIMENT IN UNDERSTANDING THAT CONTRIBUTING A BIT MORE OF THAT MEANS THAT OUR MOST VULNERABLE AND WORKING FAMILIES CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMMING, SHADED PARKS, EXTENDED POOL HOURS, AND A COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR CITY EMPLOYEES, THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THEY WERE COMFORTABLE AND WILLING TO SUPPORT. IN ADDITION TO THAT, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THANK THE CITY EMPLOYEES OUT IN THE FIELD AND IN THE OFFICES, ENSURING THAT OUR POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS COME TO FRUITION AND THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING DO COME TO FRUITION AS WELL.

I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR OUR DISTRICT 5 TEAM MEMBERS WHO ARE ALSO OUT IN THE FIELD BECAUSE THE CONSTITUENT SERVICES WORK NEVER STOPS.

BUT THAT CONSTITUENT SERVICES WORK DRIVES OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES, ENSURING THAT WHAT I ADVOCATE AND COME HERE FOR EACH BUDGET ITEM AND BRIEFING REFLECTS THE NEEDS OF DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS. SO EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR OUR CONSTITUENT SERVICES TEAM WHO WORKS TIRELESSLY, WERE OUT IN THE FIELD TODAY WITH THE FOOD DISTRIBUTION. AND OF COURSE CONNECTING CONSTITUENTS TO MUCH-NEEDED SERVICES AND FINDING RESOLUTION. A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET THAT I WILL BE SUPPORTING IS AN INCREASE TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING BUDGET BY $6 MILLION, RESTORING FUNDING FOR CIP.

THIS IS WHERE WE MAKE THOSE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS THAT OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS EXPECT OF US. THE $1 MILLION FOR THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE FUND.

EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE COALITION FOR CONTINUING TO ADVOCATE AND SECURING THIS FUNDING , AS WELL AS THE CITY'S CONTRIBUTION FOR DIVERSION AND RECOVERY. IT ALSO EXPANDS EFFORTS FOR PREVENTION FOR FRAUD AND ABUSE FOR SENIORS. THE 3% COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES. ADDING NINE UNIFORMED POSITIONS TO THE SAN ANTONIO FIRE DEPARTMENT, RETAINING THE METRO HEALTH STAFF, SUSTAINABILITY STAFFER WHO WORKS ON NEIGHBORHOOD SUSTAINABILITY. AND OF COURSE THE RECOMMENDATION WITHIN THE PUBLIC WORKS PRESENTATION TO SUPPORT THE TRAFFIC-CALMING PROGRAM. THERE ARE ALSO FEES THAT I KNOW DISTRICT 5 RESIDENTS HAVE BEEN CALLING FOR. I'M REMINDED OF -- PRIOR TO BEING IN OFFICE, BLOCK WALKING, HEARING FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHAT THEIR EXPECTATION WAS FOR THE NEXT ELECTED OFFICIAL. ON HARLAN STREET, I HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH NEIGHBOR AFTER NEIGHBOR AND THEIR PRIORITY WAS THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF AUTO AND METAL RECYCLERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY. THEIR CONCERN WAS THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING THERE'S ONLY ONE CODE ENFORCEMENT TO GO OUT AND INSPECT THOSE FACILITIES ON THE BASIS THAT THE NEIGHBORS EXPECT WAS JUST -- THERE'S NOT ENOUGH STAFF IN TERMS OF CODE TO GO OUT AND INSPECT THOSE FACILITIES. I'M GRATEFUL THIS BUDGET REFLECTS THE NEED FOR COST RECOVERY FOR AUTO AND METAL RECYCLERS. AGAIN, WHAT THE NEIGHBORS ON HARLAN SHARED WITH ME WERE NOT JUST THE STORIES OF CONTINUED GENERATIONS OF CANCER BECAUSE OF CONTAMINATED SOIL AND POLLUTANTS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD BUT THEY SHARED THAT NOTHING WOULD BE DONE. I'M GRATEFUL BECAUSE OF THE LEADERSHIP OF THE QUINTANA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION AND ACTIVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS WITH PUBLIC CITIZEN THAT THEY HAVE INCREASED THE REGULATIONS FOR THIS INDUSTRY. AND TODAY WE'LL BE INCREASING THE FEES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT INDUSTRY AS WELL. I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS PROPOSED BUDGET BUT GRATEFUL FOR CITY LEADERSHIP.

ERIK, OF COURSE, ALWAYS PRESENTING A BALANCED BUDGET FOR US TO CONSIDER.

AND GRATEFUL FOR MY COLLEAGUES. WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, NONE OF US ARE 100% SATISFIED WITH BUT THIS IS A BODY AND A WORK OF CONSENSUS AND COALITION BUILDING AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS,

PLEASE. >> SPEARS: THANK YOU, MAYOR.

YES, I ALSO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO CITY STAFF FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK AND YOUR LATE NIGHTS. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A REALLY ROUGH TIME AND I KNOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS TRYING TO DO THIS IN THE LEAST IMPACTFUL WAY TO ALL OF US.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I ALSO APPRECIATE HOW HARD MY TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING AS WELL. AND MY COLLEAGUES. I KNOW ALL OF YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD TO TRY TO FIND THE BEST PATH FORWARD FOR YOUR DISTRICT.

[02:55:05]

YESTERDAY OUR MAYOR PRESENTED A VERY STRONG LEGITIMATE OPTION.

COUNCILMAN WHYTE ALSO PRESENTED A STRONG, LEGITIMATE OPTION TO -- IN SEPARATE PLANS. COUNCILMAN WHYTE'S DIDN'T CUT ANY PERSONNEL AT ALL AND THE MAYOR'S CUT WAS 1.6%, WHICH IS A TINY PERCENTAGE THAT COULD EASILY BE LOOKED AT BY THE EXPERTS AND THE DIRECTORS IN EACH DEPARTMENT WHO KNOW BEST.

AND IT COULD BE A FLUID PROCESS WHERE THEY ARE ABLE TO SAY, HEY, I CAN DO THIS THROUGH THE YEAR. AND THEN I KNOW NEXT YEAR IT'S 2% SO I CAN PREPARE FOR THAT. WE SEE THIS ALL THE TIME OUT IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY.

I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THERE'S THE STAUNCH UNWILLINGNESS TO LOOK AT THAT WHEN YOU'RE ASKING US TO LOOK AT A HUGE TAX INCREASE THAT WOULD GREATLY IMPACT SO MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY. BECAUSE, YEAH.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TAX INCREASE. BUT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAWS INCREASE. NOVEMBER 1ST, THE EMISSIONS TESTING FEE GOES IN PLACE. IF YOU PASS IT, IT'S $28.

BUT IF YOU DON'T, YOU GET TO FIX YOUR CAR AND THAT CAN BE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.

THE SOLID WASTE IS GOING UP. THERE'S OTHER FEES GOING UP ACROSS THE BOARD.

WE HAVE FEES GOING UP WITHIN THIS BUDGET ITSELF. AND THEN YOU THROW IN COST OF LIVING. I MEAN, THIS IS JUST HOW YOU CAN'T SEE THAT POINT OF VIEW, IT'S SHOCKING TO ME THAT YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN'T CONTINUE TO SQUEEZE THE MIDDLE CLASS LIKE THAT. YOU'RE GOING TO SQUEEZE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES, INCLUDING RENTALS, WHICH IS WHAT COUNCILMAN WHYTE HAS STATED AS WELL. THAT INCREASE WILL BE PASSED ON TO THEM.

ON TOP OF THESE REGULAR FEES THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKETS TOO.

I JUST, YOU KNOW, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT YOU CAN'T SEE THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN CUT MINIMALLY THAT WON'T THE PROGRAM. YOU'RE CUTTING IT BACK A LITTLE BIT . ALSO, WE CAN BRING BACK THINGS IF WE DECIDE WE NEED THEM. WE'VE GOT TO FOCUS ON CORE SERVICES.

CORE SERVICES. THINGS THAT WE MUST DO. AND AGAIN, THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY AND INFRASTRUCTURE. I ASKED FOR ONE THING BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO MY DISTRICT. I WAS JUST TOLD NO. AND I ASKED FOR CORE SERVICES. I MEAN, THIS IS THE ONLY THING THEY'VE ASKED ME FOR.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I GO BACK TO MY CONSTITUENTS AND SAY THAT I'M GOING TO VOTE FOR A BUDGET THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT THEY ASKED FOR IN IT.

AND I DON'T HAVE A TIRZ. I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER METHOD HERE TO GET THESE THINGS THAT I NEED IN MY DISTRICT. AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST HAVE TO FIGHT FOR THEM. I REPRESENT THEM. THEY SENT ME HERE TO FIGHT FOR THEM. A FINAL BUDGET THAT DOESN'T REFLECT OUR PRIORITIES IN DISTRICT 9 IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I CAN STAND BY AND I WILL STAND WITH MY RESIDENTS ON THAT AND VOTE ACCORDINGLY. WE DO AGREE THAT THE PATH FORWARD IS ECONOMIC GROWTH AND GOOD JOBS AND SAFE COMMUNITIES.

AND WE KNOW IN RECRUITING BIG COMPANIES, MEDIUM-SIZED COMPANIES, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR SAFE COMMUNITIES. EVERYONE'S LOOKING FOR THAT. THEY SEND SCOUTS OUT WHO LIVE HERE FOR MONTHS TO SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO.

SO THE MESSAGES THAT WE SEND, THE WAY WE TALK ABOUT OUR CITY, HOW SAFE IT IS, HOW ARE THEY MEETING THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING THIS CITY, THEN WE'VE GOT TO GET SERIOUS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

BECAUSE I WANT THOSE THAT ARE VULNERABLE TO BE MAKING MORE MONEY SO THAT THEY HAVE A BETTER LIFESTYLE. A BETTER, YOU KNOW, EVERYDAY LIFE.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT. AND I DON'T KNOW THAT -- I MEAN, PROGRAMMING IS VERY IMPORTANT BUT THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT CUTTING WOULDN'T DESTROY ALL THESE PROGRAMS. IT JUST DOESN'T. IT'S ALMOST IMMATERIAL WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM ACCOUNTING. AND I JUST -- THE FRUSTRATION I FEEL IS JUST -- IT'S VERY HARD TO EXPRESS BECAUSE I HAVE TRIED VERY HARD TO SAY HOW IMPORTANT THIS IS TO MY DISTRICT AND IT'S FALLEN ON

[03:00:03]

I MOVE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR TEN ADDITIONAL PATROL OFFICERS AT A COST OF $1,157,618 IN FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND $1,493,586 IN FISCAL YEAR '28. I PROPOSE THAT WE FUND THESE POSITIONS THROUGH THE FOLLOWING: REDUCTION IN THE ADULT PROGRAMMING BY $750,000.

AND A REDUCTION IN THE SAWS PLUMBERS TO PEOPLE PROGRAM BY $407,618 IN 2027.

AN ADDITIONAL REDUCTION IN EACH PROGRAM BY $167,984 IN 2028.

>> WHYTE: SECOND. >> MAYOR JONES: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR THE AMENDMENT AS READ. I'LL JUST GO AROUND TO SEE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS. COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ, PLEASE.

>> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: THANK YOU. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE CUTS THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED, I WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS AMENDMENT TODAY. IF INSTEAD, COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE AND COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE AN FTE FROM YOUR OFFICE BUDGET AND TRANSFER THOSE OVER TO SAPD AND CONSIDER USING ANY AMOUNT OF YOUR CARRY FORWARD TO MAKE UP THE BALANCE, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO SUPPORT THAT AMENDMENT.

THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: ONE SECOND.

COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS OR COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ANSWER THAT?

JUST SO FOLKS KNOW AS THEY'RE PROVIDING FEEDBACK. >> WHYTE: ERIK, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DECIDED UPON TODAY? WE SORT OF BROUGHT IT UP FOR THE FIRST TIME YESTERDAY AND PREVIOUSLY I THINK WE WEREN'T CLEAR ON IF THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN DO OR NOT. IF IT IS, DO WE HAVE TO DO IT TODAY OR CAN WE WORK WITH

YOU TO MAKE THAT CHANGE WITHIN OUR OFFICE? >> WALSH: TO DO WHAT,

SPECIFICALLY, COUNCILMAN? >> WHYTE: TO ADD ANOTHER SAFFE OFFICER OR POLICE OFFICER FOR OUR DISTRICTS IN LIEU OF SOME OF OUR OWN DISTRICT BUDGET MONEY, IS

WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. >> MAYOR JONES: IF I UNDERSTAND, THE AMENDMENT WAS NOT FUNDING FOR YOUR DISTRICT BUT RATHER FUNDING -- WHAT YOU JUST

PROPOSED -- OUT OF YOUR BUDGET, CORRECT? >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE FULL TEN. IT'S WHATEVER NUMBER THEY

WOULD BE ABLE TO DO. >> WALSH: MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO GIVE US THE DIRECTION TO DO IT TODAY SO THAT WE'RE NOT COMING BACK AND AMENDING THE BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.

IF YOU'RE CONSIDERING THAT, I THINK WE COULD DRAFT UP SOME SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT GIVES US THE ABILITY -- AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU CHOOSE TO DO THAT, SOME ABILITY TO WORK THROUGH THAT AND MAKE IT EFFECTIVE ON OCTOBER 15TH.

I THINK IT OUGHT TO BE PART OF THE ENTIRE BUDGET ORDINANCE.

>> WHYTE: AGAIN, SO WE'RE CLEAR. IT WOULD BE MONEY COMING

FROM 9 AND 10 TO ADD OFFICERS TO 9 AND 10? >> WALSH: WE DON'T

DISTRIBUTE -- >> MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ: TO THE NORTH SIDE SUBSTATION.

>> WALSH: WE DO NOT DISTRIBUTE POLICE OFFICERS. SO IT WOULD LIKELY BE THE

NORTH SIDE SUBSTATION. YEAH. >> MAYOR JONES: ERIK, DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ADDING ADDITIONAL OFFICERS TO A SUBSTATION

DOES IN TERMS OF O&M? >> WALSH: NO. GENERALLY, THOSE COSTS ARE INCLUDED IN THE COST OF A POLICE OFFICER. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO COST US

ANY MORE TO POWER THE BUILDING OR WHAT HAVE YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: CERTAINLY NOT THE ELECTRICITY BILL BUT OTHER THINGS. THANKS FOR CLARIFYING.

>> WALSH: THAT WOULD BE PART OF THE TOTAL COST OF THE OFFICER, MAYOR.

I WILL ALSO POINT OUT THAT THE USE OF CARRY FORWARD IS A ONE-TIME SOURCE.

THAT'S NOT A RECURRING SOURCE. >> SPEARS: CAN WE VOTE ON THIS ONE AND GIVE US ON THE SECOND ROUND TO FIGURE THAT OUT ON THE COST?

>> MAYOR JONES: SO WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT RIGHT NOW.

CORRECT. IN ORDER FOR US TO VOTE ON IT -- UNLESS FOLKS DON'T NEED THE INFORMATION TO VOTE ON IT. OKAY.

I THINK FOLKS ARE READY TO VOTE. GO AHEAD, COUNCILWOMAN.

>> VIAGRAN: TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT AS STATED.

>> MAYOR JONES: AS STATED, CORRECT. >> VIAGRAN: WHICH IS

[03:05:01]

>> MAYOR JONES: THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. >> VIAGRAN: THERE'S NO

FRIENDLY AMENDMENT. >> MAYOR JONES: HOLD ON. WE'RE VOTING ON THE AMENDMENT, THEN, WHICH IS TEN PATROL OFFICERS. OKAY.

CAN YOU PLEASE RESTATE IT, COUNCILWOMAN? >> SPEARS: IT'S WORDY, I KNOW. I MOVE TO AMEND THE FISCAL YEAR 2 2027 BUDGET TO PROVIDE FOR TEN ADDITIONAL PATROL OFFICERS AT A TOTAL COST OF $1,157,618,000 IN FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND $1,493,586 IN 2028. THESE POSITIONS WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THE BUDGET REDUCTIONS. $750,000 REDUCTION IN ADULT PROGRAMMING AND $407,618 REDUCTION IN THE SAWS PLUMBERS TO PEOPLE PROGRAM IN 2027. AN ADDITIONAL REDUCTION IN EACH OF THOSE TWO PROGRAMS

BY $167,984 IN 2028 . >> MAYOR JONES: I WANT TO WAIT UNTIL THE CITY MANAGER AND ATTORNEY ARE FINISHED AND THEN WE'LL VOTE.

ANDY, OVER TO YOU, PLEASE. >> SEGOVIA: I'M SORRY, MAYOR.

IS THIS THE SECOND MOTION? >> MAYOR JONES: THIS IS THE AMENDMENT -- READING THE

AMENDMENT AS COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS HAS LAID OUT. >> SEGOVIA: AS I UNDERSTOOD IT -- I'M SORRY. I WAS DISTRACTED, MAYOR. I THOUGHT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A VOTE ON THE AMENDMENT AS STATED BY THE COUNCILWOMAN.

>> MAYOR JONES: THAT'S RIGHT. SO YOU HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO THAT? I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO READ SOMETHING.

>> SEGOVIA: IT WILL BE A SECOND MOTION. >> MAYOR JONES: SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE AMENDMENT AS READ BY COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS.

PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION FAILS. NOW WE ARE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. OKAY. ON THE SECOND ROUND.

COUNCILMEMBER WHYTE. >> WHYTE: THANKS, MAYOR. AGAIN, THE POINT OF THE TEN OFFICERS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT SUBSTATION THEY'RE IN, IS IT WOULD HELP PROVIDE ADDITIONAL POLICE EFFORTS AROUND OUR CITY. WHAT I FIND COMICAL IS REALLY THE HYPOCRISY TO TALK ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING WHEN WE'RE HERE TODAY TO MAKE HOUSING MORE EXPENSIVE. THE COST OF LIVING IS ALREADY SO HIGH IN THE CITY, EVERYBODY UP HERE TALKS ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING. YET TODAY WE ARE GOING TO RAISE THE COST OF LIVING FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN HOMES. AS WAS STATED BY ONE OF THE PEOPLE IN PUBLIC COMMENT, AGAIN, TO THINK THIS WON'T AFFECT RENTERS DOWN THE ROAD, I THINK IS FOOLISH AS WELL. THIS IS GOING TO HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON EVERYBODY. LET'S REMEMBER WHAT THIS PLAN IS.

IT'S TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES THIS YEAR AND THEN IT'S TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES NEXT YEAR AS WELL. IT'S NOT JUST GOING TO BE THE $35 A YEAR OR WHATEVER WAS SAID EARLIER, IT'S TAX HIKE UPON TAX HIKE. AND STILL EVEN BY DOING THAT, AS OUR OWN CITY STAFF HAS SAID, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW WE WILL STILL HAVE OVER A $100 MILLION DEFICIT. IS THE PLAN THEN AGAIN TO RAISE TAXES AT THAT POINT? THREE PROPERTY TAX HIKES IN THE PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS. IS THAT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DO TO THE PEOPLE OF SAN ANTONIO? AS MY COLLEAGUE IN DISTRICT 7 STATED EARLIER. 1.6%. THAT'S ALL THAT WE HAD TO DO AS A CITY GOVERNMENT. IS FIND 1.6% IN CUTS. AND WE COULDN'T DO IT.

[03:10:06]

SO MANY FAMILIES ARE HURTING. SO MANY FOLKS HAVE SAID IT TODAY, THE COST OF LIVING IS SO HIGH AND YET OUR SOLUTION IS TO THROW AN INCREASED TAX UPON THEM. IT'S WRONG. IT'S JUST WRONG TO DO IT.

THE MAYOR MADE A PROPOSAL YESTERDAY THAT IS SIMILAR TO MY PROPOSAL OF ACROSS THE BOARD DEPARTMENTAL CUTS. SPEAKING OF ACROSS THE BOARD, THIS YEAR, MARIA, WE FOUND $12.8 MILLION WHEN WE DID THE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS? RIGHT? 12.8. HOW MANY DEPARTMENTS WAS

THAT? >> FIVE OUT OF OUR 40-SOMETHING DEPARTMENTS IS ALL WE DID FOR THESE COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET REVIEWS. IF THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT, WOULD WE HAVE FOUND THAT 1.6% AND THEN NOT BEEN IN A POSITION TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES? HOW CAN WE ASK THE CITIZENS OF SAN ANTONIO TO PAY MORE WHEN WE HAVEN'T EVEN DONE THAT? SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE -- AND MANY COUNCIL MEMBERS SAID IT YESTERDAY -- IS IN RESPONSE TO THE MAYOR'S PLAN THEY SAID, WELL, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT ACROSS THE BOARD WOULD LOOK LIKE.

WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE FOR EACH DEPARTMENT? I THINK THOSE ARE FAIR QUESTIONS. ERIK, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS A DELAY TODAY.

A B SESSION NEXT THURSDAY ON WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE WITHIN A ACROSS THE BOARD CUT, AS HAS BEEN SUGGESTED. AND THEN A VOTE ON THE BUDGET NEXT FRIDAY.

SO WITH THAT SAID, I MOVE TO CONTINUE THE VOTE ON ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10 TO NEXT FRIDAY.

[APPLAUSE] >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. IS THERE A SECOND? THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CONTINUE ITEMS 5 THROUGH 10 AS DESCRIBED -- B SESSION NEXT WEEK FOLLOWED BY A VOTE NEXT WEEK. DISCUSSION ON THAT AMENDMENT OR THE MOTION TO CONTINUE. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS, GO

AHEAD. >> SPEARS: YEAH, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PLAN BECAUSE I THINK WHAT WE'LL FIND IS THAT THIS IS EVEN LESS IMPACTFUL THAN YOU CAN POSSIBLY IMAGINE TO ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE SO WORRIED ABOUT -- AND THAT I'M WORRIED ABOUT. DON'T MISUNDERSTAND. I'M WORRIED ABOUT ALL THESE PROGRAMS. I SEE VALUE AS WELL IN ALL OF THEM.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY PRAGMATIC, SMART APPROACH AND TO NOT ALLOW ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK AT THIS AND TO SAY, WELL, WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS THE WHOLE TIME. WE HAVE BEEN ALL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO DO SOMETHING HERE TO ALLEVIATE THE DEFICIT. AND I THINK WE OWE IT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS AND DELVE INTO IT. AND THE DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD AND I THINK THEY CAN ACTUALLY END UP IMPACTING THEIR OWN DEPARTMENTS EVEN LESS, IN SOME CASES. YOU KNOW, THROWING AROUND A BIG NUMBER BUT WHEN YOU SPREAD IT OUT OVER A YEAR, IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT THAN WHEN YOU JUST HEAR THIS BIG NUMBER, POTENTIALLY $12 MILLION IN PUBLIC SAFETY. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THAT BEING A MILLION A MONTH, IT'S LESS IMPACTFUL. I THINK WE OWE IT TO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO REALLY LOOK AT THIS. A LOT OF THIS WORK HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE AND, IN FACT, IT WILL BE LESS IMPACTFUL IN MANY CASES. I AM CERTAIN OF THAT.

I TRUST THE DIRECTORS OF THESE DEPARTMENTS BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY CAN DO, WHERE THEY'RE IMPACTED THE MOST. BETTER THAN WE DO, FOR SURE.

AND I JUST WANT TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY AND I THINK IT'S A STRONG PLAN, A STRONG APPROACH AND FISCALLY-SMART APPROACH TO REALLY ALLEVIATE WHAT THE IMPACT THIS WILL

HAVE ON OUR TAXPAYERS. THANK YOU. >> MAYOR JONES: ERIK, IN CASE IT INFORMS ANYONE ELSE'S COMMENTS, CAN YOU SPEAK TO WHAT THAT MEANS?

[03:15:01]

WE UNDERSTAND THE DEADLINE IS THE 27TH OF SEPTEMBER. >> WALSH: THE 27TH IS THE FOLLOWING SUNDAY SO THE SPECIAL MEETING WOULD BE ON THE 25TH.

AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A B SESSION THE DAY BEFORE.

AS LONG AS IT'S DONE BY THE CHARTER REQUIREMENT OF SEPTEMBER 27TH.

>> MAYOR JONES: JUST A REMINDER, IF THAT FAILS, THEN YOU WOULD HAVE THAT AMOUNT OF TIME -- I'M SURE YOU ARE ALREADY DOING SOME OF THE WORK THAT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WOULD COME UP WITH $165 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS.

JUST TO REMINDER EVERYBODY, THAT WOULD BE THE AMOUNT OF TIME YOU HAVE TO COME UP

WITH WITH WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. >> WALSH: YES, MA'AM.

THAT GOES BACK TO SCENARIO A MINUS -- I THINK IT'S THE ADDITIONAL CRITICAL REVIEW WE WOULD NEED TO DO ON THOSE HANDFUL OF ITEMS THAT WE SHARED IN YESTERDAY'S

PRESENTATION. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. COUNCILMEMBER ALDERETE

GAVITO, PLEASE. >> GAVITO: A COUPLE OF CLARIFYING QUESTIONS.

SO I APPRECIATE THE INTENT OF TRYING TO FIND MORE TO NOT PASS THE BURDEN OF A TAX RATE INCREASE ON TO OUR RESIDENTS. ALSO THE PROJECT MANAGER AND ME KNOWS THE DEADLINE AND WE STICK TO DEADLINES AND WE KNEW THIS DEADLINE WAS TODAY AND OUR BUDGET TEAM KNEW THIS DEADLINE WAS TODAY. I'M NOT SURE -- WHAT IS THE ADDITIONAL TIME GOING TO BUY US? IS IT GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT

THE 1.6% AND 2% CUT IS GOING TO DO? >> WHYTE: EXACTLY.

SO MANY PEOPLE YESTERDAY, AT LEAST FOUR, SAID WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IF WE DO THE ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS IN EACH DEPARTMENT. I THINK IF CITY HAS HAS ANOTHER WEEK TO LOOK AT THAT, MAYBE WE CAN GET ANSWERS ON THAT AND MAYBE THEY WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENT DECISION NEXT FRIDAY.

>> GAVITO: WHAT I HEARD YESTERDAY -- ERIK, I'LL LEAD LEAVE TO THIS TO YOU.

PEOPLE WEREN'T IN FAVOR OF THE 1.6 OR 2% ACROSS THE BOARD.

ERIK IS SHAKING HIS HEAD SO I THINK YOU'RE IN AGREEMENT. THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.

IS THIS GOING TO BE AN EXERCISE WHERE WE'RE PLACING UNDUE STRESS ON OUR BUDGET TEAM JUST TO PLACE UNDUE STRESS ON OUR BUDGET TEAM? IF A MAJORITY OF OUR COLLEAGUES ARE SAYING THEY'RE NOT OKAY WITH THE ACROSS THE BOARD CUTS, EITHER 1.6 OR 2%, THEN -- I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING.

ARE WE JUST SPINNING OUR WHEELS? >> MAYOR JONES: I THINK COUNCILMAN MARC WHYTE HAD IT CORRECT IN THAT MANY FOLKS YESTERDAY WERE UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IT BASED ON NOT UNDERSTANDING WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

WHILE WE HAVE SPENT SEVERAL WEEKS WORKING ON THIS, I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD DO A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE. SO NOW IF THERE IS AN ACTUAL INTEREST IN UNDERSTANDING HOW TO AVOID IT AND IT'S ONLY 1.6% AND CONTINUING THE ITEM AND HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT SO WE CAN ALL EXPLAIN IT TO FOLKS, I THINK THAT'S FAIR. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND TO CONTINUE THE ITEM.

>> VIAGRAN: CALL THE QUESTION. >> MAYOR JONES: WE WERE ALREADY THERE. PLEASE VOTE. I SAID THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. PLEASE VOTE. THANK YOU.

THE MOTION FAILS. OKAY. WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE -- NOW WE'RE ON THE MAIN MOTION. OKAY.

WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE SECOND ROUND ON THE MAIN MOTION?

COUNCILWOMAN SPEARS. THIS IS YOUR SECOND ROUND. >> SPEARS: ALL RIGHT.

I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE BUDGET TO IMPLEMENT MOVING DISTRICT 9 AND 10 STAFF POSITIONS AND ANY NECESSARY DISTRICT BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS TO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUDGET FOR TWO SAFFE OFFICERS FOR THE NORTH SUBSTATION.

>> WHYTE: SECOND. >> MAYOR JONES: THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND AS READ.

I JUST HEARD A WHISPER. IS THAT IN PERPETUITY? IS THAT A PERMANENT THING, ERIK? IS THAT HOW WE SHOULD UNDERSTAND THAT?

>> WALSH: YES, MA'AM. >> MAYOR JONES: IN THEORY, IF THERE ARE DIFFERENT COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE FUTURE AND THEY WANT TO BRING THOSE POSITIONS BACK,

THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO THAT VIA THE BUDGET AS WELL? >> WALSH: BRING THEM BACK

WHERE? >> MAYOR JONES: IF THEY WANTED TO ADD STAFF.

IF ANOTHER DISTRICT 9 OR 10 PERSON IN THE FUTURE WANTED TO ADD PERSONNEL BACK TO

THEIR OFFICE -- >> J >> WALSH: THAT HAS TO BE APPROVED BY THE FUTURE COUNCIL. AND THE COST OF THAT WOULD

BE ROUGHLY $320,000 FOR TWO SAFFE OFFICERS PER YEAR. >> SEGOVIA: MAYOR, I JUST

[03:20:11]

RESOURCES WILL BE DEPLOYED. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU, ANDY, FOR THAT

CLARIFICATION. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILWOMAN VIAGRAN.

>> VIAGRAN: DO WE NEED TO ADJUST OUR POLICING? YES, WE DO.

AGAIN, AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE THESE LAST THREE DAYS, WE HAVE OVER 5,000 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN THE AREA. I HAVE TALKED WITH CHIEF SALAME. HE CAN COME UP HERE. I HAVE ASKED HIM TO COORDINATE WITH THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. BEFORE YOU SPEAK, I AM NOT FOR -- UNLESS THERE IS A VACANCY IN YOUR FIELD OFFICES, THIS IS THE LGC STAFF, WHICH IS MANAGED BY THE ENTIRE COUNCIL AND I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE JOBS LOSING THEIR JOBS FOR JOBS THAT WE DON'T HAVE.

CHIEF SALAME, CAN YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT COULD WE SEE THAT WE MAY NEED LESS PATROL AND MAYBE MORE TRAFFIC? OR DIFFERENT OFFICERS, ONCE WE DO THAT SHIFT? I KNOW THIS ISN'T SOMETHING SAPOA HAS ASKED FOR. I FEEL LIKE THEY WOULD HAVE ASKED FOR IT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS. COULD WE SEE A POSSIBLE SHIFT? IS THAT NEEDED NOW OR IS IT SOMETHING WE COULD LOOK AT

IN 2028, 2029? >> CHIEF: WHAT I'M LOOKING AT NOW IS THE ORIGINAL POINT IS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE ALAMO AREA CHIEFS AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICE CHIEFS TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ALL COORDINATED AND WORKING TOGETHER IN AREAS WHERE WE CAN. WE OBVIOUSLY SUPPORT A LOT OF WHAT THEY DO AND THEY BACK US UP WHEN THEY'RE AVAILABLE TOO. I CAN TELL YOU THAT RIGHT NOW PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES, AS THE NEW CHIEF, IS LOOKING AT AREAS WHERE WE CAN BE EFFICIENT, SHIFTING RESOURCES. THAT'S PART OF THE OPERATIONAL CONTROL THAT I'M EXERCISING AS I GO THROUGH MY FIRST WEEK.

YEAH. IT'S TRAFFIC. IT'S ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

OF COURSE, I'VE GOT DESIGNATED SAFFE OFFICERS. WE'RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE SAFFE OFFICERS. BUT ADDING THE DIFFERENT UNITS LIKE THE TRAFFIC UNIT, LOOKING AT WAYS TO ADD ADDITIONAL INVESTIGATORS,

THAT'S ALL ON MY PLATE AND SOMETHING I'M WORKING ON. >> VIAGRAN: THANK YOU.

MY QUESTION TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS 9 AND 10, DO Y'ALL HAVE VACANT POSITIONS?

>> SPEARS: I DO AND I'M FLEXIBLE ON WHETHER IT'S PATROL OR TRAFFIC OR SAFFE.

>> VIAGRAN: COUNCILMAN WHYTE, DO YOU HAVE A VACANT POSITION?

>> WHYTE: THANK YOU FOR -- >> VIAGRAN: YES OR NO. DO YOU HAVE A VACANT

POSITION IN YOUR OFFICE? >> MAYOR JONES: HOLD ON. >> VIAGRAN: I JUST WANT A YES OR NO. THIS IS MY EXTRA TIME. THIS IS MY TIME TO SPEAK.

>> MAYOR JONES: I'M THE CHAIR AND THAT'S THE DECORUM HERE IS THAT YOU DIRECT THOSE TO THE CHAIR. COUNCILMAN WHYTE, PLEASE ANSWER THE QUESTION.

>> WHYTE: THANK YOU FOR TAKING AN INTEREST IN HOW WE RUN OUR DISTRICT 10 OFFICE.

WHAT WE HAVE NOW IS COUPLE OF PART-TIME FOLKS AND THE REST OF THE STAFF IS FILLED BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO POTENTIALLY MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT MAY BE LEAVING AND SO I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SAY THAT OUR DISTRICT 10 OFFICE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MANAGE ITSELF HOW WE

WANT. >> VIAGRAN: I WOULD RESPECTFULLY SAY WE ARE AN LGC AND SO THIS IS AN LGC DECISION I FEEL. I CAN'T SUPPORT THIS BECAUSE IT WOULD POSSIBLY TAKE A JOB AWAY. AND I DO FEEL LIKE CHIEF SALAME NEEDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENT AS IT'S RUN AND TELL US WHAT HE NEEDS. WE NOT TELL HIM WHAT HE NEEDS.

THANK YOU, MAYOR. >> MAYOR JONES: THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN KAUR, PLEASE.

>> KAUR: JUST ASKING A CLARIFYING QUESTION. SO THE POSITION WOULD BE FROM THEIR OFFICES AND ANY ADDITIONAL FEES? FOR $320,000, SO IT WOULD BE 160 FROM BOTH. IT WOULD JUST COME FROM ONE POSITION AND ADDITIONAL

FUNDS FROM THEIR OFFICES? >> WALSH: THE WAY I UNDERSTOOD THE AMENDMENT IS THAT IT WOULD COME FROM POSITIONS AND/OR OPERATIONS OF THE DISTRICT BUDGETS.

>> KAUR: IN PERPETUITY? >> WALSH: YES, MA'AM. >> KAUR: THANKS.

>> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMAN MUNGIA. >> MUNGIA: JUST SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS. DO THEY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COVER THE OFFICERS' SALARY AND IS IT COVERING JUST THE SALARY OR IS IT COVERING ALL THE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS AND

[03:25:06]

>> VILLAGOMEZ: SO THE $160,000 INCLUDES THE SALARY, THE EQUIPMENT, THE BENEFITS. THE WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND THE AMENDMENT, THAT AMOUNT WILL COME FROM THE DISTRICT'S BUDGET. SO THEY HAVE SUFFICIENT BUDGET IN FISCAL YEAR '27. THEY WOULD HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THEIR

BUDGETS TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE IT BY $160,000. >> MUNGIA: THEY WOULD ALSO BE ON THE HOOK IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL BUDGETS FOR THE INCREASES IN PAY THAT WE ALL JUST -- MOST OF US JUST PASSED LAST WEEK. BECAUSE THERE'S A 5% INCREASE ON OFFICER PAY.

BE FOR DISCUSSION. THE WAY THE AMENDMENT READS RIGHT NOW IS ONLY THE VALUE OF ONE POSITION, WHICH IS THE 160. BUT DOES NOT INCLUDE

INCREASES IN THE OUTER YEARS. >> MUNGIA: IF THOSE OFFICERS THAT ARE HIRED, IF THEY HAVE TO DO OVERTIME WORK, ARE DISTRICTS 9 AND 10

ALSO GOING TO PAY FOR THE OVERTIME WORK? >> VILLAGOMEZ: THAT'S NOT

THE WAY THE AMENDMENT READS. >> MUNGIA: IT'S NOT A STATIC EMPLOYEE 9:00 TO 5:00. MY CONCERN IS THAT THE OFFICERS ARE GOING TO HAVE NON-TRADITIONAL HOURS AND INCLUDE OVERTIME SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE WHOLLY PAID FOR BY THEIR BUDGET. UNLESS THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT THAT THEY'RE ON THE HOOK NO MATTER WHAT AND THEY CAN DECREASE THEIR STAFF AS TIME GOES ON, THAT'S ONE THING. ERIK'S POINT, THESE OFFICERS WILL NOT BE OFFICIALLY ASSIGNED TO NORTH SIDE, THEY WILL BE ADDED TO THE POLICE FORCE AND THE POLICE CHIEF WILL MAKE A DECISION ON STAFFING LEVELS BASED ON -- WHAT IS THE POLICE CHIEF

BASING THESE UNITS ON? >> VILLAGOMEZ: IT'S BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE DEPARTMENT. OPERATIONAL NEEDS. HE WILL MAKE THOSE

DECISIONS. >> MUNGIA: IS IT THE CHIEF'S OPINION THAT THE NORTH SIDE SUBSTATION NEEDS TWO MORE OFFICERS OVER EAST CENTRAL, SOUTHWEST PATROL?

>> CHIEF: WE'RE CONSTANTLY SHIFTING RESOURCES BASED ON CALL VOLUME, POPULATION GROWTH, THINGS LIKE THAT. I HAVE NOT DONE AN ASSESSMENT LIKE THAT TO TELL

YOU WHERE THEY ARE NEEDED THE MOST. >> MUNGIA: I WOULD HATE FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO PAY FOR OFFICERS THAT WILL SERVE OUR DISTRICTS OR SOMETHING.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS REMAINING ON THAT. THANK YOU.

>> MAYOR JONES: OKAY. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE AMENDMENT AS READ. COUNCILWOMAN MEZA GONZALEZ, PLEASE.

>> GONZALEZ: JUST WANT TO MAKE A POINT. I THINK THIS REALLY SETS A BAD PRECEDENT FOR OUR FORM OF GOVERNMENT. THE LGC, OUR EMPLOYEES.

ESPECIALLY AT THIS TIME, AT THIS HOUR. THIS IS YOUR THIRD OR FOURTH

AMENDMENT AND I'M JUST NOT COMFORTABLE VOTING. >> MAYOR JONES:

COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS. >> SPEARS: CAN YOU CLARIFY IF WE WERE TO MAKE THIS

PATROL OFFICERS -- IS JESSE STILL HERE? >> WALSH: I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION. IF IT'S PATROL OFFICERS, THE COST?

>> SPEARS: THE COST AND THEN CLARIFY HOW WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY'RE SERVING

OUR AREA -- NORTH STATION. >> WALSH: LET ME TAKE A SWIPE AT THIS.

CHIEF, YOU CAN BACK ME UP. THE DEPLOYMENT OF OFFICERS IS THE CHIEF'S RESPONSIBILITY. YOU AT THE COUNCIL LEVEL DO NOT DICTATE WHERE THOSE GO.

NOW, IF YOU WANT TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO TAKE DISTRICT BUDGETS FOR THE NORTH SIDE SUBSTATION, IT HAS TO COME WITH IF WE RELOOK AT STAFFING OR PATROL DISTRICT CHANGES THEN THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT THOSE TWO POSITIONS ARE GOING TO STAY THERE EVERMORE. THEY WILL BE EVERMORE FUNDED BY YOUR DISTRICT BUDGETS BUT IF THINGS HAPPEN, IT'S UNDER HIS CONTROL TO BE ABLE TO MOVE. THE FIRST QUESTION IS A PATROL OFFICER IS A BIT LESS EXPENSIVE. THAT WOULD BE $220,000 IN THE FIRST YEAR FOR TWO OFFICERS. AND 298 IN THE SECOND YEAR. $518,000 OVER THE NEXT TWO

BUDGETS. CHIEF, GO AHEAD. >> CHIEF: I CANNOT PROMISE

YOU THAT THEY COULD STAY THERE. >> SPEARS: I'M GOING TO WITHDRAW THE AMENDMENT THEN. BUT I WILL SAY THIS. THIS IS THE ELEVENTH HOUR.

WE HAVE BEEN ASKING THIS. I HAVE ASKED FOR THIS SINCE THE DAY I TOOK OFFICE.

SO AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO GET CREATIVE HERE ON HOW I CAN GET THE NEEDS MET IN MY

[03:30:06]

YOU KNOW, AGAIN. I HAVE JUST ASKED FOR IT OVER AND OVER AND EVERYONE IGNORES ME AND DOESN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENS IN DISTRICTS 9, 10, 8, OR 7.

THAT'S FINE. THAT'S FINE. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMAN

WHYTE. >> WHYTE: I WANT TO THANK COUNCILMAN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ FOR THROWING THAT OUT THERE TO SEE IF WE CAN DO IT. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE ON THIS ISSUE BUT YOU KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT TO US SO APPRECIATE YOU SUGGESTING

IT. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER KAUR, PLEASE.

>> KAUR: THANK YOU, MAYOR. CHIEF, WOULD YOU COME UP REAL QUICK? I SPOKE TO COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HER DISTRICT WITH SAPD AND THE CHALLENGE WITH PATROL. I LEARNED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW DISTRICTS ARE SET UP AND HOW SUBSTATIONS AND DISTRICTS FOR POLICE ARE DIFFERENT THAN COUNCIL DISTRICTS. CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF COLOR REGARDING WHAT'S GOING ON WITH PATROL IN THE NORTH SIDE DISTRICTS AND HOW THAT IS OR IS NOT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OTHER AREAS?

JUST WANT TO CLEAR UP ANY MISCOMMUNICATION. >> CHIEF: SURE.

THERE'S CRIME TRENDS AND THEY'RE DIFFERENT IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE DEALING WITH INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES, INCREASE IN CAR BURGLARIES AND I'LL CALL IT MORE ORGANIZED THEFTS IN DISTRICTS 9 AND 10 AND THE BOUNDARIES THAT YOU SHARE. TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S SAFFE, WHETHER IT'S THE PATROL DISTRICTS, LIKE CENTRAL AND DOWNTOWN SERVICE NOT JUST DISTRICT 1, THEY SERVICE A LITTLE BIT OF DISTRICT 5, A LITTLE BIT OF DISTRICT 2.

OUR SERVICE AREAS AND OUR SUBSTATIONS OFTEN OVERLAP WITH MULTIPLE COUNCIL

DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY. >> KAUR: SO COUNCILMEMBER SPEARS MENTIONED TRAFFIC IN FRONT OF SCHOOLS AND SOME OF HER PATROL OFFICERS IN THE NORTH SUBSTATION HAVE BEEN OUT FOR VARIOUS ISSUES. CAN YOU COMMIT TO WORKING WITH COUNCILMEMBERS SPEARS AND WHYTE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE THE APPROPRIATE COVERAGE?

>> CHIEF: ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S SOMETHING I'M WORKING ON IN DISTRICT 1, PARTICULARLY WITH A COUPLE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THERE. WE'LL GET A LIST AND CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE ON THOSE SPECIFIC NEIGHBORHOODS AND WE'LL COME UP WITH A TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT PLAN AND WORKING WITH OUR FOLKS IN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO SEE IF THERE'S CALMING MEASURES THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN.

>> KAUR: THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHIEF. THANK YOU, MAYOR.

>> MAYOR JONES: AS THE AMENDMENT HAS BEEN WITHDRAWN, WE'RE BACK TO THE MAIN MOTION. OKAY. ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SIGN UP ON THE SECOND ROUND ON THE MAIN MOTION? OKAY.

THANK YOU TO THE CITY STAFF THAT WORKED SO HARD TO GET US TO THIS MOMENT.

A VERY DIFFICULT BUDGET DISCUSSION. I FIRMLY BELIEVE A BUDGET SHOULD REFLECT OUR VALUES. SHOULD REFLECT AN APPROACH THAT BEST MEETS THE NEEDS OF OUR PEOPLE. AND MINIMIZE THE ECONOMIC BURDEN ON OUR NEIGHBORS DURING THIS TIME. I DON'T BELIEVE THE BUDGET BEFORE US DOES THAT.

FOR MONTHS I HAVE WORKED TO FIND ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF REVENUE FROM COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS TO REVIEWING BUCKETS OF MONEY THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED VERY LITTLE SCRUTINY FROM CITY-INITIATED TIRZ, THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX, READY TO WORK, AND THE MEDICAID 1115 WAIVER. IF WE'RE BEING ASKED TO CONSIDER SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T DONE IN 30 YEARS WE OWE IT TO THE PEOPLE TO EXHAUST ALL OPTIONS. I HAVE SAID THAT RAISING PROPERTY TAXES IS MY LAST RESORT. THE REVIEWS I HAVE ASKED FOR SHOWED US WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE SPENDING BY AT LEAST $18 MILLION OVER TWO YEARS AND SPEND IN A SMARTER WAY TO BREAK THE SPENDING HABITS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS $158 MILLION DEFICIT. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HELP OURSELVES.

FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD HAVE SAVED $3.4 MILLION OR $6.8 MILLION ACROSS TWO YEARS FROM THE GENERAL FUND IF WE TRANSFERRED ELIGIBLE EXPENSES TO READY TO WORK, A MOVE THAT WOULD NOT HAVE IMPACTED ONE READY TO WORK PARTICIPANT AND WOULD HAVE HELPED PEOPLE TODAY, OPPORTUNITY YOUTH, SINGLE MOMS, JUSTICE-INVOLVED FOLKS. THAT $3.4 MILLION COULD BE GOING TO INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS IN COUNCIL DISTRICTS BUT NOW WE'RE HAVING TO ISSUE DEBT FOR THOSE PROJECTS, A MOVE THAT FURTHER DECREASES OUR BOND CAPACITY TO $442 MILLION.

WE OWED IT TO OUR NEIGHBORS TO MAKE THE TOUGH CUTS AND UNFORTUNATELY THIS BUDGET SHOWS WE PUNTED. WITH WHAT'S LEFT IN THIS BUDGET, OUR NEIGHBORS ARE LEFT WONDERING IF THIS TAX INCREASE WAS NECESSARY OR WHETHER WE CAN SAY IT'S THE LOWEST IT COULD BE. I THINK THE ANSWER TO BOTH QUESTIONS IS NO.

IT IS HARD TO EXPLAIN WHY WE DIDN'T TRANSFER ELIGIBLE EXPENSES FROM THE GENERAL FUND TO OTHER POTS OF MONEY TO REDUCE THE STRESS ON THE GENERAL FUND.

AND I THINK IT WILL BE HARD TO CONVINCE OUR NEIGHBORS A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE ISN'T

[03:35:02]

THIS BUDGET STILL SUBSIDIZES FIESTA BY $700,000. STILL GIVES U.T. PUBLIC HEALTH $2 MILLION. U.T. SAN ANTONIO'S ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET IS $975 MILLION. THEY DID NOT NEED THE CITY'S $2 MILLION.

STILL GIVES THE BOTANICAL GARDENS, WHICH CHARGES A TICKET FEE TO ENTER, STILL GIVES THEM $1 MILLION. STILL FUNDS THE WORLD HERITAGE OFFICE FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR $3 MILLION A YEAR, WHEN IT WAS CLEAR WE COULD HAVE SAVED THAT MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND IF WE DECREASED THE VISIT SAN ANTONIO BUDGET.

WE COULDN'T EVEN CUT 80K FROM A BIKE FESTIVAL. ALL OF THAT WHILE FAILING TO RESTORE THE STAFF'S PROPOSED CUTS TO TUITION ASSISTANCE TO OUR COSA EMPLOYEES.

FAILING TO REALLOCATE $1.5 MILLION FOR EVICTION PREVENTION FROM DOWN PAYMENT ASSISTANCE. FAILING TO REALLOCATE MONEY TO HELP PEOPLE APPLY FOR A HOMESTEAD AT THE TIME WE ARE CONSIDERING A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

THIS IS A BUSINESS AS USUAL BUDGET BUT THIS TIME BUSINESS AS USUAL COMES WITH A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE ON OUR NEIGHBORS DURING AN AFFORDABILITY CRISIS.

WITH THE STAFF'S PROPOSED CUTS PLUS AN ADDITIONAL 1.6 ACROSS THE BOARD CUT IN SPENDING THAT I PROPOSED YESTERDAY IN FY27 AND A 2% CUT IN FY28, WE COULD HAVE TOLD OUR NEIGHBORS THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR TWO YEARS.

THAT'S LIKE SAYING IF YOU HAD ONE DOLLAR, I'M ASKING FOR A PENNY AND A HALF AND THEN PLAN ON ANOTHER TWO PENNIES IN FY28. WE MIGHT NOT NEED THE FULL TWO PENNIES IN FY28. BUT IF WE PLAN FOR THAT AND ACT ACCORDINGLY, WE CAN AVOID A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR TWO YEARS. INSTEAD WE PUNTED.

SAID WE'LL LOOK AT THAT NEXT YEAR. ULTIMATELY, THAT MEANS OUR NEIGHBORS WILL HAVE TO PAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONVERSATIONS WE'LL HAVE SOON AFTER THIS BUDGET SEASON TO HOPEFULLY CAPITALIZE ON THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE LEFT ON THE TABLE THIS YEAR. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND ON ITEM 5. MADAME CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION.

[5. Ordinance adopting the Annual Consolidated Operating and Capital Budgets for the City of San Antonio Fiscal Year 2027 that begins October 1; approving projects included in the FY 2027 to FY 2031 Five-Year Infrastructure Management Plan; approving the FY 2027 to FY 2032 Six-Year Capital Improvements Program for the City of San Antonio; approving certain contracts; providing for a one-time annuity increase for retirees and their beneficiaries and a revision to the City’s contribution rate in connection with the Texas Municipal Retirement System; authorizing personnel complements; appropriating funds; amending related ordinances; and authorizing the City Manager to further amend the Budget and make any necessary adjustments to maintain a balanced budget. [Justina Tate, Assistant City Manager, Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO MAINTAIN A BALANCED BUDGET. >> SEGOVIA: THE MOTION IS

TO APPROVE THE BUDGET EXCEPT FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE. >> MAYOR JONES: PLEASE VOTE.

THE MOTION CARRIES. NOW THAT THE BALANCE OF THE BUDGET HAS BEEN APPROVED, WE WILL TAKE UP FUNDING INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET WHERE COUNCIL MEMBERS WISH TO RECUSE. THE NEXT IS FUNDING FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE AND

COUNCILMEMBER MUNGIA WILL BE RECUSING. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE TO

APPROVE THE FUNDING IN THE BUDGET FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE. >> MAYOR JONES: IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE FUNDING FOR GUARDIAN HOUSE.

PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES. MADAME CLERK, PLEASE READ

[6. Ordinance ratifying the adoption of the FY2027 Budget that will raise more revenue from property taxes than in the FY2026 Budget. [Justina Tate, Assistant City Manager, Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

[03:40:13]

THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 6. >> CLERK: ITEM NO. 6. ORDINANCE RATIFYING THE ADOPTION OF THE FY2027 BUDGET THAT WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES

THAN IN THE FY2026 BUDGET. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN IS

RECOGNIZED TO MAKE A MOTION. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE TO APPROVE ITEM 6.

>> MAYOR JONES: IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM 6.

PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES. MADAME CLERK, PLEASE READ

[7. Ordinance setting the Ad Valorem Tax Rate for Maintenance and Operation of the City of San Antonio at 35.138 cents per $100 of taxable valuation for the Tax Year beginning on January 1, 2026 and ending on December 31, 2026. [Justina Tate, Assistant City Manager; Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

ITEM 7. >> CLERK: ITEM NO. 7. ORDINANCE SETTING THE AD VALOREM TAX RATE FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT 35.138 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR BEGINNING ON

JANUARY 1, 2026 AND ENDING ON DECEMBER 31, 2026. >> MAYOR JONES:

COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN IS RECOGNIZED TO MAKE A MOTION. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE THAT THE PROPERTY TAX RATE BE INCREASED BY THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 35.138 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION, WHICH IS A 2.2 INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE.

>> MAYOR JONES: $100. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND.

.>> SEGOVIA: MAYOR AND CLERK, IF WE COULD GET A VISUAL ON THE VOTE ON THIS ONE. IF WE CAN. WELL, CAN SOMEBODY STATE THE NUMBER? WE NEED TO STATE -- WE NEED TO KNOW THE VOTE -- THE

NUMBERS. >> MAYOR JONES: SO ON ITEM 7, WE WILL DO A VOICE VOTE.

[8. Ordinance setting the Ad Valorem City Property Tax Rate to pay the principal and interest on the funded debt of the City of San Antonio at 21.150 cents per $100 of taxable valuation for the tax year beginning on January 1, 2026 and ending on December 31, 2026. [Justina Tate, Assistant City Manager; Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

>> MAYOR JONES: THE MOTION CARRIES. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ

ITEM 8. >> ITEM NUMBER 8 IS AN ORDINANCE SETTING THE AD VALOREM CITY PROPERTY TAX RATE TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST ON THE FUNDED DEBT OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AT 21.150 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION FOR THE TAX YEAR BEGINNING ON JANUARY 1, 2026 AND ENDING ON DECEMBER 31ST,

2026. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN IS

RECOGNIZED. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE FOR ADOPTION OF THE DEBT SERVICE TAX RATE OF 21.150 CENTS PER $100 OF TAXABLE VALUATION, WHICH IS AN INCREASE IN THE

TAX RATE. >> MAYOR JONES: IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM 8. PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES.

[9. Ordinance amending fees as included within the fiscal year 2027 budget within the General Fund and certain restricted funds and amending the City Code of San Antonio, Texas to reflect such changes. [Justina Tate, Director, Assistant City Manager; Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

ON ITEM 9, MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION. >> ITEM 9 IS AN ORDINANCE AMENDING FEES AS INCLUDED WITHIN THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET BEEN THE GENERAL FUND AND CERTAIN RESTRICTED FUNDS AND AMENDING THE CITY CODE OF SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS TO

REFLECT SUCH CHANGES. >> MAYOR JONES: COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN YOU'RE

RECOGNIZED, PLEASE. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE TO APPROVE THE FEE ORDINANCE

ITEM 9. >> MAYOR JONES: IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM 9. PLEASE VOTE. THE MOTION CARRIES.

[10. Ordinance carrying forward certain FY 2026 Funds; amending prior appropriations; appropriating Funds for requirements in City projects, initiatives, and departments. [Justina Tate, Assistant City Manager, Alfredo Martinez, Director, Office of Management & Budget]]

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THE CAPTION FOR ITEM 10. >> ITEM NUMBER 10 IS AN

[03:45:05]

PROJECTS, INITIATIVES AND DEPARTMENTS. >> MAYOR JONES: OKAY.

COUNCILMEMBER VIAGRAN IS RECOGNIZED. >> VIAGRAN: I MOVE TO

APPROVE THE CLOSING ORDINANCE ITEM 10. >> MAYOR JONES: IT IS MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE ITEM 10. PLEASE VOTE.

OKAY. THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE HARD WORK. THAT IS THE CONCLUSION OF OUR BUSINESS AND THE TIME IS NOW 1:00 P.M. AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.