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Time is of the essence if San Antonio is going to move its city elections from May to November, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones told Texas Public Radio’s 'The Source' on Monday.
Jones argued that moving San Antonio’s municipal elections from May would solve a persistent problem with the local municipal election — a clash with Fiesta. The 10-day celebration of San Antonio culture is packed with parties, special events and parades which crowds out time for campaign events and even voting. Jones said this conflict reduces voter turnout.
In addition, moving the election to November of odd-numbered years would both save money and boost participation, Jones said. She said the shift could save between $800,000 and $1 million per election and tap into voters’ habit of going to the polls in November.
But the San Antonio City Council must act fast. The State legislation passed Senate Bill 1494, authored by state Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, to allow cities to move their general city elections from May to November in odd-numbered years.
The text of the bill says a “governing body of a political subdivision, other than a county or municipal utility district, that holds its general election for officers on a date other than the November uniform election date may, not later than December 31, 2026, change the date on which it holds its general election for officers to the November uniform election date.”
The first November city election would be in 2029, on a nonpartisan ballot shared only with state constitutional amendments, she stressed.
To make the end of the year deadline, the San Antonio City Council will take up the issue during Wednesday’s B Session.
Jones said she expects council to vote on the matter on Dec 18.
Tabletop Planning
At the same time, Jones has ordered a “tabletop” planning exercise to prepare for possible cuts in federal support under President Donald Trump’s recently enacted One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which makes deep reductions to Medicaid, SNAP and other safety-net programs that flow through local governments.
Jones said tabletop exercises are “very useful in helping play out scenarios and answer questions that kind of keep us up at night.”
San Antonio currently receives about $150 million a year in federal funds, roughly half of its public-health budget, she said, and city staff will model how different cut scenarios would affect services as they confront an already-projected budget gap in FY 2027.
Mexico City Trip
Jones is also touting her first international trip as mayor, a four-day trade mission to Mexico City led with the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The delegation met with Mexican business and government leaders as the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement heads toward a scheduled review, a critical moment for San Antonio’s auto and manufacturing sectors that are tightly linked to cross-border supply chains.
Jones said the USMCA agreement is critical to the South Texas region. “Thirty percent of the world's GDP is made up by these three countries, the US, Canada, and Mexico. So I think it's really important we are shaping that conversation in a way that helps people understand the need to reduce trade barriers,” Jones said.
Free VIA?
Three council members are proposing to make VIA Metropolitan Transit bus service free for some or all riders, citing examples in Kansas City, MO and Albuquerque. Jones told 'The Source' she is open to exploring zero-fare options but emphasized the need for reliable, frequent service so “there’s not an hour wait between every bus.”
On street safety, a council committee has backed a pilot to lower neighborhood speed limits from 30 to 25 mph in parts of District 7, focusing on streets near schools, parks and libraries. The move comes after 83 pedestrian deaths citywide last year and aligns with a broader bike and pedestrian safety push, though the mayor says she wants to see more data before endorsing a citywide change.
SAPD Immigration Raid
Jones has also pressed federal agencies for answers about a Nov. 16 immigration raid near San Pedro Avenue and Basse Road, where a Homeland Security task force detained more than 140 people and said it targeted members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua.
Fifty San Antonio police officers provided perimeter and traffic support during the operation, but the mayor said she is now on her “third request” for basic information about who was detained, who was actually charged and where people are being held. Immigrant-rights groups and some local officials argue that without greater transparency, cooperation between local police and federal immigration agencies risks undermining public trust.
