Dozens of residents packed Bexar County Commissioners Court on Tuesday to passionately ask them to not cut polling locations for the Nov. 8 elections — a measure proposed to save money.
They told commissioners that upholding democracy and easy voter access should be top concerns. Some shouted, some cried, and one speaker sang "I'm Gonna Shine" before speaking. There were voting rights advocates, civil rights activists, veterans, and college students filling the inside of the historic Commissioner's Court on the second floor of the county courthouse.
Bexar County Commissioners approved 259-Election Day locations submitted by Elections Administrator Jacque Callanen. But they also told her to return to them with a list that pushes that number to 302, just like the November 2020 elections.
Commissioners also boosted her suggested number of early voting sites from 46 to 51. Commissioner Tommy Calvert told the speakers they made it clear saving money is not the issue.
"I think the most important thing we are going to do today is acknowledge the fact that Democracy is number one on the ballot."
The election administrator told the court fewer polling locations are needed because residents can vote anywhere. She said 42% of people in the last major election did not vote in their own precinct.
In other action, several local residents urged Bexar County Commissioners to spend more on beefing up the sheriff's office as urban sprawl grows outside of the city limits of San Antonio. Their comments come as county budget discussions begin for the next fiscal year.
Several residents told commissioners deputy patrols are stretched too thin and they worry about response times to calls for help.
Sheriff's investigator Derrick Easter directly questioned County Manager David Smith's methodology for shoring up the sheriff's office. Easter said despite the population boom not a single new investigator has been added to the department in three years.
The widow of Deputy Timothy De La Fuente — Pauline — told commissioners her husband was working mandated double shifts and extra jobs before he died of complications from COVID-19 at age 53 in April 2020. She said deputies need to be paid more.
"I'm here to ask you to please provide the appropriate funding for Sheriff Salazar to be able to hire more deputies. I know first-hand the understaffing that they experience," she said.
The county manager's office and sheriff's office have both accused each other miscommunication as budget talks approach.
Commissioners also:
- Allocated American Rescue Plan Act funds for housing, small businesses, non-profits, and the arts. Housing received $20 million, small business and non-profits $10 million each, and $5 million was directed towards the arts. Businesses, non-profits, and arts organizations will have to show COVID-related losses and several other restrictions will be applied.
- Local arts organizations reported losses north of $75 million dollars during the first year of the pandemic. County officials said the Lift Fund may be used to distribute some of the money and the Witte Museum may head-up dispersals to local arts organizations.
- Approved the issuance of half-a-billion dollars in certificates of obligation to generate some of the funding needed to build two new county hospitals. One of the University Health facilities will be constructed near Retama Park in the far Northeast Side and near Texas A&M University-San Antonio on the far South Side.
- Approved a 5% cost of living increase for county retirees.
Nominated Marathon Oil for the Texas Enterprise Zone to create jobs in economically challenged areas. If approved by the Texas Governor's Office, the company could receive sales and use tax refunds.
