TOGETHER. YOUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT WILL GET THROUGH THIS. >> CAMELLIA WHAT IS KSAT?
12 NEWS.
BACK HERE AT HOME. HOW DO YOU
WANT TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO BE
SPENT? QUESTION? WE ASK A LOT
AND YOU CAN ACTUALLY HELP
DECIDE. SAN ANTONIO’S NEXT
BUDGET. THE CITY OF SAN
ANTONIO’S 8TH ANNUAL SA SPEAK
UP SURVEY ON THE BUDGET IS NOW
OPEN FOR RESIDENTS. YOU CAN
SHARE YOUR IDEAS, SHARE YOUR
OPINIONS OF FEEDBACK COLLECTED
FROM THE SURVEY HELPS THE MAYOR
AND THE CITY COUNCIL UNDERSTAND
AND PRIORITIZE NEEDS FOR THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY. SO JOINING
US IN TODAY’S LEADING SA
SEGMENT IS LAURA MAYES WITH
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HIGH
LORE. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
MAKING TIME FOR US THIS
MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, SARAH. NOT
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME ON.
>> FOR THOSE WHO DON’T KNOW
WHAT IS SA SPEAK UP.
>> NO, I THINK BECAUSE IT IS
THE EASIEST WAY TO GET INVOLVED
WITH YOUR CITY GOVERNMENT.
WE KNOW NOT. EVERYONE HAS THE
TIME TO COME ON DOWN TO CITY
COUNCIL, ATTEND A TOWN HALL
MEETING OR ANY OTHER PUBLIC
MEETING THAT WE’VE MADE IT
EASIER THAN EVER TO PARTICIPATE
WITH THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
YOU CAN VISIT OUR WEBSITE IF
YOU SEE THERE ON THE SCREEN, I
THINK BECAUSE DOT COM AND TAKE
A SURVEY SIGN UP FOR A BOARD OR
CHECK OUT WHAT PUBLIC MEETING
WE HAVE COMING UP WITH THE ONE
THING WE REALLY WANT TO
HIGHLIGHT RIGHT NOW IS THAT
BUDGET SURVEY. IT TAKES LESS
THAN 5 MINUTES TO COMPLETE AND
YOUR PRIORITIES WILL BE SHARED
WITH THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL A
BLOW TO THE STAFF OF THE
PROPHET, THE BUDGET FOR THE
NEXT YEAR.
>> SO THIS IS THE 8TH YEAR FOR
THE PROGRAM. HOW MUCH
PARTICIPATION HAVE Y’ALL SEEN
IN THE PAST FOR THE PEOPLE
ACTUALLY TAKING THE SURVEY?
>> WHAT A GREAT QUESTION.
WE’VE BEEN REALLY HAPPY TO BE
PARTICIPATION INCREASED YEAR
OVER YEAR. I’M ALREADY, BUT
THERE IS ONLY BEEN OPEN FOR
JUST THAT. WE CAN HAPPEN.
WE’VE GOT MORE THAN 4,000
RESIDENTS TO SHARE THEIR
PRIORITIES WITH US. BUT WE WANT
MORE. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM
EVERYONE FROM EVERY PART OF
TOWN. SO VISIT, I THINK,
BECAUSE DOT COM, IF YOU KNOW
SOMEONE WHO MAYBE DOESN’T HAVE
ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, YOU CAN
ALSO CALL 2 ONE TO PICK UP TO
ME. ALL RIGHT. SO BREAK IT DOWN
FOR US. WHAT IS THE PROCESS
LOOK LIKE IN TERMS OF
>> COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTUALLY
HAVING THEIR VOICES HEARD?
ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION. YOUR
INPUT MEANS A LOT TO THE
THROUGH THAT THERE MAY, EVEN
THOUGH IT JUST 3 VERY BRIEF
QUESTIONS. WE’RE ASKING YOU TO
SHARE WITH US WHAT MOST
IMPORTANT TO YOU WAS LEAST
IMPORTANT TO YOU.
>> AND THEN ALSO SHARE ANY
OTHER OPENING TO COMMENT.
JUST LOOKING AT THE RESULTS
FROM LAST YEAR, OUR RESIDENT
SHARED THE STREETS, SIDEWALKS
AND PUBLIC HEALTH FOR SOME OF
THEIR TOP PRIORITY FOR USING
PUBLIC HEALTH. AS AN EXAMPLE.
LAST YEAR, THE CITY MADE A
RECORD INVESTMENT IN PUBLIC
HEALTH CARE COMMUNITY AND THOSE
INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN
CONTINUING TO YOUR VOICE REALLY
DOES MATTER WHEN YOU SPEAK UP
YOUR PRIORITY. WELL, GET THE
ATTENTION OF CITY COUNCIL AS
WELL AS OUR STAFF.
>> SO IF YOU GO TO THE SURVEY
ON TOP A SURVEY, THERE’S AN
OPEN COMMENT SECTION WHERE SOME
RESIDENTS HAVE SAID THINGS LIKE
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION, FOR
EXAMPLE, THEY WOULD MAYBE LIKE
TO SEE A TRAIN FROM DOWNTOWN
TO SEE THE SOUTH OR NORTHWEST
PART OF THE CITY BUILDING
CONSTRUCTION OF HIGHWAYS ONLY
WORK AT A LIMIT. HOW MUCH
CONSIDERATION DO THOSE COMMENTS
ACTUALLY GET?
>> THEY DO GET A LOT OF
CONSIDERATION. I’M GLAD YOU
SHARED YOUR ON THE SCREEN HOW
THEY COME AND LOOK ONLINE.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A
CONVERSATION WITH YOUR
NEIGHBORS AS WELL. IF YOU AGREE
WITH THE COMMENTER, MAYBE
DISAGREE WITH THE COMMENT.
YOU CAN SHARE THAT THERE AS
WELL. BUT WHILE WE LOOK AT ALL
THE CITYWIDE RESULT, YOUR
COUNCIL MEMBER WILL RECEIVE
AN INDIVIDUAL REPORT THAT SHOWS
WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS IS
THEIR PRIORITIES. IF YOU’RE
LOOKING TO GET YOUR TO, FOR
EXAMPLE, AND YOU’VE SPOKEN UP
ABOUT MAYBE POLICE OR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING STREET AND
SIDEWALK INVESTMENTS UP THOSE
COMMENTS BROKEN DOWN AND THOSE
WILL BE SHARED WITH YOUR
COUNCIL MEMBER AND THAT GOES
FOR EVERY DISTRICT IN OUR
COMMUNITY. WELL.
>> SO AFTER OVER THE LAST 8
YEARS, WHAT HAVE YOU SEEN HAS
BEEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST RESULTS
TO COME OUT OF THIS SURVEY.
I THINK IT WAS REALLY.
>> YEAH, FOR SURE. THERE’S BEEN
A LOT OF REALLY GREAT IDEAS
COME FROM OUR PRESIDENT.
WHEN WE LOOK AT IT FROM THE
DISTRICT LEVEL IS WHERE YOU
REALLY SEE WHAT THE NEEDS ARE
IN THE COMMUNITY OVERALL ACROSS
THE BOARD STREET SIDEWALK AND
TO BE ONE OF THE HIGHEST
PRIORITY. BUT THEN YOU LOOK AT
THAT AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL,
YOU’LL START TO SEE THAT MAYBE
SENIOR SERVICES REVIEW EVERY
WEEK OR FOR DOUBLE. HOW DID YOU
COME UP WITH A TOP PRIORITY?
WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE
INVESTMENTS, CITYWIDE, WE’RE
LOOKING AT THINK WHAT WE CALL
AN EQUITY LENS, MAKING SURE
THAT SERVICES ARE REACHING
RESIDENT WHO NEED THEM THE MOST
IN THIS DISTRICT WHERE THEY
OFFER MORE RESOURCES TO AREAS.
THOSE INVESTMENTS ARE MADE
AGAIN LOOKING AT LAST YEAR’S
WERE SOME DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTED.
SENIOR SERVICES IS A TOP
PRIORITY. SOME MORE INVESTMENTS
MADE FOR SENIORS PROGRAM TO
CONNECT THEM TO THE INTERNET
AND GET THEM ENGAGED. AND THEN
YOU ALSO THOUGHT REOPENING THE
SENIOR CENTERS AS WELL. POST
PANDEMIC, PROVIDING THEM WITH
RESOURCES WITH MEAL WITH THAT
SOCIAL ACTIVITY THAT THEY NEED
TO STAY ENGAGED AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, YOUR COMMENT REALLY
MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND WE
HOPE YOU’LL SHARE THEM WITH US.
ALL RIGHT. LAST QUESTION FOR
YOU ARE REAL QUICK.
>> WHAT IS THE TIMETABLE LOOK
LIKE? HOW LONG DO PEOPLE HAVE
TO ANSWER THE SURVEY? AND THEN
WHEN IS IT FINALIZED?
>> ANOTHER GREAT QUESTION.
THIS SURVEY WILL BE OPEN
THROUGH JUNE 30TH AND AGAIN,
YOU CAN VISIT SA SPEAK UP DOT
COM OR CALL 2, 1, 1, TO TAKE
THAT THEIR DAY. THOSE RESULTS
WILL BE COMPILED OVER THE MONTH
OF JULY AND THEN WE’LL BE
SHARING THOSE WITH COUNCIL AND
WITH CITY STAFF OF THE CROSS,
THAT BUDGET, THE CITY MANAGER
WILL PROPOSE A BUDGET IN AUGUST
AND THEN WE’LL BE BACK OUT TO
THE COMMUNITY AND WANT TO HEAR
FROM YOU AGAIN. THERE ARE
THEORIES THAT TOWN HALL MEETING
AND THEN COUNCIL ULTIMATELY
VOTE ON A BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER
OF THIS YEAR. AND THEN WE’LL
START OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR IN
OCTOBER TO GET THE BUDGET IS
REALLY A ROAD MAP FOR CITY
SERVICES FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
IT’S HARD TO GET INVOLVED.
>> ALL RIGHT, LAURA MAYES WITH
THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, THANK
YOU SO MUCH. ALWAYS GOOD TO
SEE YOU, LAURA. AND WE CAN HAVE