San Antonio Budget Work Session: Human Services, Metro Health, and Library Departments – August 26, 2025
San Antonio Budget Work Session: Human Services, Metro Health, and Library Departments – August 26, 2025
The City of San Antonio held a budget work session on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, from 9:01 AM to 12:13 PM, to discuss proposed fiscal year 2026 budgets for the Department of Human Services (DHS), Metro Health, and the San Antonio Public Library. Presentations covered programmatic overviews, proposed efficiencies from the Comprehensive Budget Review (CBR), and changes to funding processes. Council members raised concerns about public safety, delegate agency funding, senior services, and the impact of federal grant reductions. No formal votes were taken; the session served as a forum for discussion and direction.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Benny Price, CEO of Big Mama Safe House – Requested that the nonprofit be included as a line item in the city budget for its Gang Rehabilitation Ending Affiliation Ties (GREAT) program and youth employment initiatives. Emphasized the organization's role in violence intervention and wraparound services for unhoused youth and former foster youth aged 17–24.
Discussion Items
- Department of Human Services (Melody Woosley, Director) – Proposed FY26 budget of $95.9 million ($42.4M general fund, $52.4M grants) with 350 FTEs. Key changes: $683,000 in efficiencies through right-sizing, transition of Project Worth from Metro Health to DHS youth services, and restructuring of delegate agency funding. Recommended 12-month designated contracts for eight agencies and 8-month extensions for 40 agencies, with a future move to 4-year competitive cycles. Also proposed expanding CPS utility assistance eligibility to 150% of federal poverty level. Council members requested data by district and expressed mixed views on contract length (2 vs 4 years).
- Metro Health (Dr. Claude Jacob, Director) – Proposed FY26 budget of $79.2 million ($46.5M general fund, $32.7M grants) with 593 positions. CBR reductions total $4.4 million and 22 positions, including elimination of the Unlock program, Pa’l Vita, and community health worker hub (transitioned to San Antonio Area Foundation). New fee schedule for food establishments implemented to comply with SB 1008. Council discussed impacts to SA Forward plan (year 5), the pending expiration of the 1115 Medicaid waiver (Oct 2026, affecting 80+ staff), and requested a 20% budget plus-up exercise and district-level data on domestic violence, immunizations, and air quality.
- San Antonio Public Library (Sukret Goswami, Director) – Proposed FY26 budget of $58 million ($55.4M general fund, $1.4M grants/private gifts, $1.2M capital) with 554 positions. Highlights: $1.3M one-time for intrusion alarm upgrades, $710K for technology replacement, and $1.2M for HVAC at Collins Garden and Cody branches and roof at Forest Hills. Efficiency savings of $180K and reduction of 8 positions through realignment. Library Board Chair Jaspreet Kore shared a story of a book returned after 82 years, highlighting community trust. Council members expressed strong support for the San Antonio Book Festival (proposed $50K cut, from $150K) and urged alternative funding via hotel occupancy tax.
Key Outcomes
- Directives for follow-up: Staff will provide district-level breakdowns of services (senior centers, domestic violence, immunizations, air quality), a written assessment of the community health worker hub transition, an impact analysis of the Book Festival, and a 20% budget plus-up exercise for Metro Health.
- Council positions: Several members (White, Spears, Aldrete-Gavito) supported reducing the unrestricted delegate agency pool by $1 million to fund additional police officers. Others (Castillo, Castillo-Anguiano) advocated for maintaining or increasing funding for American Gateways and Big Mama Safe House. Mayor Jones and multiple council members supported a cost-of-living adjustment for city employees.
- Next steps: Staff will return in October for policy direction on the delegate agency process and fee schedule ordinance (effective Dec 1, 2025). Community engagement sessions are planned for November, with a new competitive RFP issued December 1, 2025. The FY26 budget adoption is anticipated in September 2025.
Meeting Transcript
Good morning. The time is now 9 01 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26th, and the City of San Antonio budget work session has called to order. Madam Clerk, please call the roll. Councilmember Corps. Councilmember Castillo Anguiano. Present. Councilmember Via Gran. Here. Councilmember Mungia. President. Councilmember Castillo. Councilmember Galvan. Councilmember Aldereta Gavito. Here. Councilmember Meza Gonzalez. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember White. Mayor Jones. Here. Thank you. Mayor, we have quorum. Thank you, Madam Clerk. This meeting is to hear about budgets for human services, health, and library departments. Eric, are you ready to begin the staff presentations? Yes, ma'am. Good morning, Mayor and Council. We'll start with a Melody, transition to Claude, and then Sukrete will wrap us up this morning. Just a reminder this is the morning session. We do have a session this afternoon with three other departments. No. Ma'am, would you lean into the mic? Thanks. There it is. Better. Thank you. Okay. All right. All right. So I look forward to your questions after the presentations. But before I get started, I want to introduce Jessica Dovellina, Deputy Human Services Director. Patrick Steck, Assistant Human Services Director for 34 more days until he transitions to the Homeless Services and Strategy Department as assistant director there. And Rebecca Flores, Human Services Education Program Administrator. So this morning, I will share an overview of the department and the fiscal year 26 proposed budget by program services. I'll also provide recommendations from the comprehensive budget review, a preview of our priorities for fiscal year 26, and a briefing and next steps for an updated delegate agency process. And so human services focus for FY 2026 is working upstream and beyond to prevent the kind of negative outcomes that we know leads to homelessness, justice involvement, family violence, and other adverse events. To do this, we provide a wide range of programs and services supporting vulnerable populations, shown here by Course Strategy Area. We get to work with 3,700 children and their families each year through our head start and early head start programs. Our youth success programs include next level youth opportunity center, ambassador internship program, and youth commissions to help strengthen low-income families. We provide emergency utility assistance, volunteer income tax assistance, and one-on-one financial counseling.
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