The San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association (SAPFA) will oppose San Antonio Proposition C on the November ballot, a measure that would overturn changes to the city manager position the fire union pushed for in 2018 — salary and term caps.
SAPFA President Joe Jones said in a statement that his union would stand by its previous efforts, despite the thawing relationship between the union and city.
“Our advocacy is rooted in the principles of progressive leadership and is not personal against any current City leadership,” Jones said in the statement. “We maintain tremendous respect for our City Manager, Erik Walsh, and Deputy City Manager, Maria Villagomez, and appreciate their dedication to our community.
Prop C would remove the city manager’s eight-year tenure limit and salary cap of 10 times the lowest paid salaried city employee. That salary cap is around $370,000.
San Antonio City Council members and those on the city’s Charter Review Commission that drafted the proposition’s language who support Prop C have said the ultimate authority over the city manager position should be the elected city council. They have said the imposition of a term limit and salary cap will make it difficult for elected leaders to hire and retain quality talent.
The city manager position in San Antonio oversees city staff and is responsible for executing policies set by the council. Walsh will term out in 2027. He was a deputy city manager before the council tapped him to replace Sculley.
Jones said union leadership unanimously voted to oppose Prop C, and that rejecting it was the right course of action for San Antonio.
“It is crucial to remember that the issue was overwhelmingly supported by the San Antonio community back in 2018,” he said. “The SAPFFA is steadfastly defending the will of the voters, honoring the democratic process and preserving the principles that were established. By opposing the referendum, we are protecting the integrity of the decisions made by our community and upholding the principles that reflect our core values.”
SAPFA fought hard for the limits in a 2018 citizen-directed charter amendment vote during a bitter collective bargaining agreement fight with Sheryl Sculley, the city manager at the time.
Sculley resigned from her post just a month after voters supported the amendment by a wide margin.
SAPFA members voted to ratify a new collective bargaining agreement with the city last month for the first time in 15 years. The new agreement comes with 20% raises over three years, a compromise between both sides’ initial offerings.
The city council adopted the contract at the end of September as part of the city’s annual budget.
Prop C is one of six charter amendments San Antonio voters will have the ability to vote on in the November election. Early voting begins on Oct. 21 and Election Day is Nov. 5.
