FIRED. STAY FIRED. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. WE’RE 25 SECONDS AWAY.
>> FROM THE SPURS, JUICY BONDS
TAXES. YES, MY FRIENDS, A LOT
IS HAPPENING IN THE ALAMO CITY
AND WE’RE TALKING ALL ABOUT
IT WITH THE SAN ANTONIO MAYOR,
MAYOR RON NIRENBERG JOINING
US FOR KSAT Q AND A LIKE WILLIE
NELSON. HE IS ON THE ROAD
AGAIN.
>> IN IN THE TAHOE. YEAH.
GOING FROM PLACE TO PLACE.
MISTER MAYOR, THANK YOU FOR
JOINING US. WE’LL START WITH
THE BOND PACKAGE IS THAT THAT
PASSED THIS WEEKEND. BIG
VICTORY FOR YOU. YOU ARE
SOLIDLY BEHIND THEM.
>> WHEN WILL PEOPLE START
SEEING? BUT WILL THE FIRST
SIGNS OF THIS BOND PACKAGE TO
BE, I GUESS, FOR THE AVERAGE
SAN ANTONIA?
>> WELL, AND I WOULD SAY IT’S A
BIG VICTORY FOR OUR ENTIRE
COMMUNITY. I YOU KNOW, THESE
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAMS
ARE DONE EVERY 5 YEARS. AND
THEY ARE REALLY OUR COMMUNITIES
WAY OF PRIORITIZING THE PUBLIC
IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO THE
APPROVAL MEANS THAT WE CAN DO
THOSE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT
WORK INDICATED ACROSS THE CITY
ARE IMPORTANT STREETS,
SIDEWALKS, DRAINAGE PARKS,
WHICH COMPRISE 76%.
THE BOND PROGRAM AS WELL AS
PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITIES AND
HOUSING. OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS A
FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT
PROGRAM. SO IT STARTS WITH
DESIGN, WORK AND ENGINEERING.
AND THEN WE MOVE INTO
CONSTRUCTION. THOSE SMALLER
PROJECTS WILL BEGIN ALMOST
IMMEDIATELY. I THINK YOU’RE
GOING TO START TO SEE THAT WHEN
YOU’RE CREEKWAY TRAILS UNDER
DEVELOPMENT VERY SOON. SOME OF
THE PROJECTS ARE A LITTLE BIT
MORE COMPREHENSIVE AND TAKE
LONGER. BUT THE IMPROVEMENTS
ARE ONGOING. 5 YEARS AGO, THE
PUBLIC APPROVED IMPROVE THE 5
YEAR PROGRAM IN 2017. THOSE ARE
FINISHING UP. SO IT’S AN
ONGOING PROCESS OF MAKING SURE
THAT WE MAINTAIN OUR
INFRASTRUCTURE AND KEEP UP WITH
GROWTH AND QUALITY OF LIFE
ABOUT HOUSING.
>> IF YOU TALK SPECIFICS ON
THAT AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE GOING
TO SEE A DETOUR.
>> ABSOLUTELY. SO THE FIGHT
THAT HOUSING PROPOSITION, WHICH
IS KNEW WHAT WAS APPROVED AND
IT’S 150 MILLION DOLLARS BROKEN
UP INTO 5 DIFFERENT CATEGORIES.
ONE OF THEM IS A BIG ONE.
IS REPAIR PROGRAMS TO PRESERVE
AND REHABILITATE HOUSING FOR
SOME OF OUR FIXED INCOME
SENIORS, LOWER-INCOME
COMMUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT
WE DON’T LOSE THAT HOUSING
STOCK. THOSE PROGRAMS LARGELY
EXIST. THEY’RE GOING TO BE PLUS
STUFFED WITH MORE RESOURCES SO
PEOPLE CAN BEGIN APPLYING FOR
THOSE FUNDS IMMEDIATELY.
OTHER ANOTHER AREA THAT FUNDING
IS GOING TOWARDS PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, WHICH WE
KNOW IS A GREAT NEED HERE TO
GET FOLKS OFF THE STREET INTO
REHABILITATIVE SERVICES SO THEY
CAN FIND PERMANENT HOUSING AND
NOT RELY ON, YOU KNOW, THE
STREETS AND THAT AGAIN IS AN
ONGOING PROCESS WHERE WE WILL
BEGIN WORKING TO IDENTIFY
PROPERTIES THAT CAN BE
DEVELOPED.
TO PERMANENT SUPPORT. HOUSING
WILL BEGIN WORKING WITH THE SAN
ANTONIO OR THE SOUTH ALAMO
REGIONAL ALLIANCE FOR THE BOND,
WHICH WAS NEW IS AN IMPORTANT
ELEMENT OF MAKING SURE THAT
WE’RE TAKING CARE OF THE ENTIRE
HOUSING SYSTEM AND STAND IN
FRONT OF THIS HOUSING CRISIS,
WHICH WHICH MANIFESTS AND
AFFORDABILITY ISSUES FOR
VIRTUALLY EVERY RESIDENT IN
OUR COMMUNITY AND WE SEE VERY
CLEARLY AND THE HOMELESSNESS
ISSUES THAT ARE FACING THE
NATION.
>> IT LETS YOU CLEAR YOUR
THROAT TALK ABOUT WHEN YOU TALK
ABOUT AFFORDABILITY, PROPERTY
TAXES CERTAINLY PLAY A FACTOR
IN THAT. I KNOW THAT WAS A BIG
PART OF THE DEBATE FIGURE OUT
WAYS TO LOWER PROPERTY TAXES
WHAT THE CITY CAN AND CAN’T DO.
I KNOW THAT YOU DID WAS TALK
ABOUT A 10% TO INCREASE.
WILL THAT THE WIND WILL THAT
TAKE PLACE? AND WHEN WILL WE
SEE IT ON OUR BILLS? IF IT’S
PASSED?
>> OBVIOUSLY WE’RE TALKING
ABOUT THE CITY PORTION OF THE
BILL, WHICH IS THE ONLY THING
WE CAN CONTROL. IS THAT
ONE-FIFTH THAT GOES TO THE
CITY. SO WE DID A LOOK AT THIS
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS AND
THAT INCLUDED 10% HOMESTEAD
TAX EXEMPTION, WHICH IS A HUGE
INCREASE, AN EXEMPTION FROM THE
0, 0 ONE PERCENT. WE HAVE NOW.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT INCREASING
THE SENIOR EXEMPTION THE OVER
65 EXEMPTION FROM 65 1000 TO 85
$1000 OF OF THE VALUE OF THE
HOME BEING EXEMPTED AS WELL AS
DISABLED FROM 12,585 1000.
AND THEN OF COURSE, A ONE CENT
TAX RATE DECREASE AS WELL.
ALL OF THOSE WERE PART OF THE
CITY STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE TO BE SENT TO
THE COMPTROLLER FOR APPROVAL
AFTER A CITY COUNCIL VOTE IN
MID-JUNE, WHICH WE WILL TAKE
AND THEN THEY WILL TAKE EFFECT
AT THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR
FOR THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO,
WHICH IS IN OCTOBER.
>> HOW DO YOU GET THE MESSAGE
ACROSS THAT? YOU KNOW, SO WE
HAVE SEEN RECORD GROWTH HERE
IN SAN ANTONIO. SO YOU’VE GOT
TO OUR PEOPLE COMING IN.
YOU NEED MORE MONEY TO KEEP UP
WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND THINGS
LIKE THAT. BUT THEN WE’RE ALSO
TALKING ABOUT A PROPERTY TAX
CUT.
>> THAT’S RIGHT. AND IT’S A
IT’S A IT’S A DELICATE
BALANCING ACT. AND AGAIN, WE
CAN ONLY AFFECTS ONE 5TH OF THE
TAX BILL AND THEN LARGELY WHAT
PEOPLE ARE FEELING IS THE
RISING ASSESSMENTS. THE VALUES
GOING UP AS WELL AS THE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, WHICH WHICH COMPRISE
HALF OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL.
AND THE REASON WHY THEY’RE
SEEING THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT
TAXES BECOME A BURDEN IS
BECAUSE THE STATE, WHICH SAYS
IN THE PAST FUNDED HALF OF
SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAS SLOWLY
BACKED AWAY OVER THE LAST 20
YEARS OF TAKING CARE OF THEIR
SHARE OF PUBLIC SCHOOL
DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
SO THEY PUSH ALL THAT BURDEN
ON TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND THAT’S WHAT’S BEEN
OCCURRING. SO WHEN IT COMES
TO TRYING TO PROVIDE RELIEF
WITH THE HORSE THAT WE CAN OF
THE CITY LEVEL WE HAVE TO.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE ENOUGH REVENUE TO TAKE
CARE OF POLI FIRE AND POLICE
SERVICES, FIRE SERVICES PAVED
THE STREETS. MAKE SURE THAT
WE’RE ACCOMMODATING GROWTH, ET
CETERA. SO IT’S A DIFFICULT
BALANCING ACT. I WILL SAY THE
REASON WHY WE’RE ABLE TO STRIKE
THIS BALANCE THIS YEAR IS
BECAUSE OUR ECONOMY IS COMING
BACK STRONG. AND WHILE FAMILIES
ARE STILL STRUGGLING, WE CAN
USE ECONOMIC THAT WE’RE
STARTING TO SEE AND PUSH SOME
OF THAT RELEASE BACK TO
RESIDENTS IN OUR CITY THAT
YOU’RE REALLY IT’S BEING
GENERATED FROM PUSH THAT THAT
BENEFIT ON TO THE RESIDENTS
WHO ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO
GET OUR ECONOMY BACK ON TRACK.
THE OTHER THING THAT THAT IS
BENEFIT US IS THE FACT THAT
THIS CITY HAS BEEN FISCALLY
DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE
PANDEMIC RATHER THAN CONTINUING
TO TRY TO DO EVERYTHING.
DESPITE THE CHANGING NEEDS IN
OUR COMMUNITY, WE SCALE BACK.
WE REDUCED EXPENSES AND WE
DIDN’T HAVE THE BURDEN COMING
OUT OF THE PANDEMIC THAT MANY
OTHER CITIES ARE FACING.
FISCAL DISCIPLINE IS ONE OF
THOSE REASONS WHY WE’RE ABLE TO
DO THAT THIS YEAR. IT QUICKLY
BEFORE WE LET YOU GO, YOUR YOUR
QUICK REACTION TO PETER J HOLT
AND THE OWNERSHIP GROUP PUTTING
OUT A LETTER BASICALLY SAYING.
>> WE’RE HERE IN SAN ANTONIO
TO STAY.
>> YOU KNOW, I I THINK IT VERY
HEARTFELT LETTER AND I COULD
WANT TO TALK TO PETER IS
FRUSTRATION ABOUT HOW WHAT THEY
WERE TRYING TO DO IS BEING
PERCEIVED. LOOK, WE ALL WANT
THE SPURS TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN
ORDER FOR THEM TO BE
SUCCESSFUL. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE
TO GROW THEIR FAN BASE AND
MEXICO HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF
THOSE AREAS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN
EXPLORING TO EXPAND TO. AND
FRANKLY, THIS IS THE FASTEST
GROWING CORRIDOR AND THE
NATION. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE FOR
THEM TO TRY TO APPEAL TO FANS
UP AND DOWN THE CORRIDOR.
BUT TO KEEP IN MIND, THE REASON
WHY THE WHOLE FAMILY GOT INTO
THE SPURS IN THE FIRST PLACE IS
BECAUSE THEY DIDN’T WANT THEM
TO LEAVE. SAN ANTONIO. AND THAT
IS THE REASON WHY THE WHOLE
FAMILY IS STILL INVOLVED IN
THE SPURS. SO IN ORDER FOR US
TO TO AND JOIN THE SPURS AND
SAN ANTONIO FOR YEARS TO COME.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY’RE
SUCCESSFUL. AND I SUPPORTING
THEM AND AND SUPPORTING THE
HOLDS IN PURSUIT OF A GREAT
FRANCHISE AND BRING SOME MORE
TITLES HOME IS EXACTLY WHAT WE
OUGHT TO BE DOING. SO I WAS
GLAD TO SEE THE LETTER AND
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME
SPURS GAME SPURS GAMES OVER
THE YEARS TO COME.
>> THOSE FIRST. ALL RIGHT.
MISTER MAYOR, THANK YOU SO MUCH