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The San Antonio City Council approved a $4 billion 2026 total budget on Thursday.
$1.69 billion makes up the 2026 general fund budget, the source of funding for most core services like policing, the health department, the arts department, and more.
The city took steps to cut expenses and boost revenues to balance the budget in light of a $20 million deficit — driven by stagnating tax revenues and federal funding cuts — it faced when budget discussions began earlier this year.
The 2026 budget includes the creation of two new departments, major budget increases for the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) and San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD), and a slate of new fees.
The city did not raise the property tax rate for the 33rd consecutive year.
Over the last six months of budget talks, city council members and city staff have openly discussed that the 2027 budget will be far more difficult to balance and require far greater cuts and impacts on city services. The city will face a roughly $150 million deficit in 2027.
Here’s what’s in the budget this year.
Infrastructure
The city’s new Capital Delivery Department (CDD) has a $250 million 2026 budget, all from the city’s capital fund.
The funds were previously used in the consolidated Public Works Department.
CDD was created by splitting up the Public Works Department, which City Manager Erik Walsh said had “inconsistent processes” as it related to completing infrastructure projects.
This new department, Walsh said, will be solely focused on completing major city infrastructure bond projects, and is being led by former Development Services Department Director Mike Shannon.
The Public Works Department (PWD) has a $303 million 2026 budget. It will now be focused primarily on basic infrastructure improvements rather than large projects.
$122 million will be used to support nearly 1,500 street projects across 416 miles and $17 million for 21 new miles of sidewalks and 11 miles of repaired sidewalks.
Another $11.4 million will go towards infrastructure improvements along Beitel Creek, the site of deadly flooding in June that killed 13 people.
Police and Fire
The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) has a nearly $630 million 2026 budget.
SAPD continues to be the largest single department in the city, and accounts for more than a third of the city’s entire general fund spending.
Its 2026 budget is more than $20 million higher than 2025 and has grown by nearly $180 million since 2019.
More than half of this year’s budget increase comes from raises for officers mandated by the collective bargaining agreement between the city and the San Antonio Police Officers Association.
Following months of debate, the city council voted down two separate last-minute efforts on Thursday to add 65 new patrol officers to the department’s staff, instead settling on 40 new patrol officers in 2026.
The four North Side council members in Districts 7, 8, 9, and 10 all called to hire 65 new patrol officers, and Councilmember Marc Whyte called the council’s decision on Thursday “malpractice.”
The city is three years into a five-year plan — approved by a former city council and mayor — to add 360 new patrol officers to the police department so that patrol officers are spending a majority of their time policing proactively.
North Side council members complained that hiring fewer than 65 officers in 2026 would slow their progress to achieving their goal; other council members who voted for a lower number said their decision was based on a tight budget, and some suggested the five-year hiring plan should be reconsidered.
The San Antonio Fire Department (SAFD) has a $428.8 million 2026 budget.
It is the city’s second largest department and, combined with SAPD, accounts for 64% of San Antonio’s general fund.
Its 2026 budget is $21 million larger than 2025, largely due to salary increases negotiated in the most recent collective bargaining agreement between the city and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association.
The department will spend $1.4 million next year on a needs assessment to determine what support SAFD will need in the coming years to meet the needs of San Antonio’s growing population.
Housing and Homelessness
The city’s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD) has a $91 million 2026 budget.
NHSD is expecting 3,400 new affordable homes to be completed, under construction, or in the construction pipeline over the next year. That would get the city to 47% of the 28,000 affordable homes it has targeted to build or preserve by 2031 in its Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP), which guides the city’s housing goals.
The city initially proposed a $1 million cut to NHSD’s major home repair program, but following council conversations over the past few days that funding was added back into the department’s minor home repair program.
The city's new Homeless Services and Strategy Department (HSSD) has a $26 million 2026 budget and is led by Chief Housing Officer Mark Carmona.
It was set up as a separate department from the Department of Human Services (DHS), where most of its responsibilities were formerly located.
Two of HSSD’s major responsibilities will be to fund the lease extension for the city’s downtown low-barrier shelter and to take over DHS’ role in homeless encampment sweeps, or abatements.
Animal Care Services
San Antonio Animal Care Services (ACS) has a $33.6 million 2026 budget, in line with the 2025 budget, but still nearly double the department’s budget in 2019.
That increased budget capacity has ACS on track to respond to 100% of critical calls in 2026 and support the operations of two new spay and neuter clinics opened on the East Side and West Side in 2025.
Metro Health
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District has a $80 million 2026 budget, a reduction of more than $10 million from 2025.
Metro Health has faced multi-million-dollar cuts from the federal government to its vaccine program and is anticipating further federal cuts in 2026.
Other Budget Highlights
- San Antonio Public Library: $58 million.
- Department of Human Services: $96 million.
- Airport: $170 million.
- Arts & Culture Department: $13.5 million.
- Visit San Antonio: $31 million.
- Parks & Recreation Department: $111 million.
- Solid Waste Department: $193 million.
- Civilian Compensation: All civilian city employees will receive a 2% raise and a $750 increase to their base pay at a yearly cost of $3.4 million.
- Increased fees and fines: Vacant building registration fees; parks environmental fees; food establishment fees; alarm permits and renewal fees; traffic and parking fines; air pollution permits; ACS fines; Code Enforcement citations; City Clerk fees; and EMS fees are expected to generate $12 million in new revenue over the next two years.
