Bexar County commissioners on Tuesday adopted the county and University Health (UH) budgets that weigh in at a combined $6 billion.
The UH budget is $3.2 billion, and the county budget is valued at $2.8 billion. The property tax rate is unchanged for both budgets.
About one-third of the county budget will be spent on capital projects, roads and flood control. It also beefs up staffing for the sheriff's department, constable ranks, the DA's office and the courts.
The county's 5,000 employees and elected officials will also see a 3 percent cost of living increase.
Debt management and the loss of federal COVID relief funds that paid for some programs and jobs are concerns for the next county budget cycle, according to county officials.
"I think what we've done so far is taking a more active approach in managing the debt. I think we have met the challenge and delivered a budget that we can be proud of," Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai told commissioners.
UH continues to expand along with the county's booming population with two new county hospitals planned, including UH-Retama on the Northeast Side and UH-Palo Alto on the far South Side.
UH-Palo Alto is scheduled to open in 2027 and UH-Retama in 2026.
UH plays a major role in treating medical conditions in the local indigent population — one out of four of its patients has no medical insurance.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores praised improvements in the quality of care at UH that she has observed in her lifetime. UH is now averaging 4,000 surgeries a month.
"Anyone who knows me, knows how much I'm just proud of being from here and proud that we have a hospital district that has improved so much it has become a place of choice for healthcare," said Clay-Flores.
