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Five San Antonio City Council members have proposed their own plan for dividing $442 million in the city's 2027 bond program, competing with a proposal from Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.
At stake is how much bond funding each council district receives and whether the package includes infrastructure improvements around the planned downtown Spurs arena.
In a memo Thursday, council members Sukh Kaur, Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Ric Galvan, Marina Alderete Gavito and Marc Whyte outlined their proposal to City Manager Erik Walsh.
Their plan would set aside $124 million for citywide projects, including housing, greenway trails, an Animal Care Services kennel facility and $35 million for infrastructure in the planned downtown sports and entertainment district.
Jones wants the city to explore other funding sources for those infrastructure improvements, including state hotel tax revenue collected through the city's Project Finance Zone, rather than using bond money.
Other proposed projects include improvements around the Medical Center and Nelson Wolff Stadium.
The remaining $318 million would be divided among the city's 10 council districts using an existing formula based on roadway mileage and street conditions. Districts could then allocate their share toward streets, parks and other community improvements.
“We believe this structure provides essential flexibility, empowering each district to allocate funding across parks, community facilities, and street infrastructure to address unique, neighborhood-level needs,” the council members wrote.
Jones' approach would instead direct more bond funding toward historically underserved districts.
Council members have also disagreed over the size of the bond. Several previously supported a larger $750 million package, despite the possibility of a future property tax increase. The mayor and other members favored the smaller amount recommended by city staff.
The council members said their proposal would stay within the city's borrowing limit, “without requiring any increase to the City’s property tax rate.”
Separately, the memo calls for $208 million in drainage improvements, compared with the $175 million previously proposed by city staff. Both proposals would fund drainage improvements through stormwater utility fees rather than bond money.
City Council is expected to revisit the bond package this coming Thursday, Oct. 29. Voters would have the final say in May 2027.
