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Bexar County commissioners are weighing spending priorities as revenue from property taxes drops due to a slowdown and lower values in the local real estate market.
Those property taxes fund the lion's share of the county budget that has pushed $3 billion in recent years.
A survey of nearly 3,000 county residents on what those priorities should be was conducted by the UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research and will be presented to commissioners at their 9 a.m. Tuesday courthouse meeting.
It found commissioners should make road and bridge maintenance the top priority, followed by parks, creeks and trails, and county facilities in that order.
And if the county should face a funding gap between revenue and expenses, nearly 47% of those surveyed said commissioners should cut spending to balance the budget. More than 6% said commissioners should raise taxes and another 41% said they should do a little of both. The rest were not sure.
Bexar County has about $2.4 billion in total debt, which equals $1,651 per resident, which is the highest total debt per capita among counties in Texas.
When asked how the county should tackle that debt, 64% said reduce spending on services and use the savings to pay down debt faster. About 25% said keep both and the current debt repayment plan about the same.
Still, the survey found nearly 52% of residents prioritizing funding county services and programs more important than paying down debt, nearly 38% of residents. Maintaining strong reserve funds and "not sure" made up the rest.
Other programs the county should spend much more on included public health services, economic development, and affordable housing.
More than half-a-million residents live in the county, outside San Antonio.
Commissioners start serious county budget talks, workshops, and hearings in the fall. The county budget and property tax rate to fund it are approved in time for the next fiscal year, which starts Oct. 1 for the county.
