Good afternoon.

The time is now 1 p.m.

on September 11th, 2025, and the meeting of the San Antonio City Council is now called to order.

Madam Clerk, please call the roll.

Councilmember Corr.

Councilmember Castillo Angiano.

Councilmember Via Gran.

Councilmember Mungia.

Present.

Councilmember Castillo.

Councilmember Galvan.

Here.

Councilmember Alderete Gavito.

Here.

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Councilmember Spears.

Here.

Councilmember White.

Mayor Jones.

Here.

Mayor, we have Quorum.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I've called this special meeting to consider resolution censoring councilwoman Mesa Gonzalez.

The councilwoman is recognized to make a statement.

Thank you, Mayor.

Throughout this process, I have been clear in my commitment to take full accountability for my actions.

And I will respect the decision of my colleagues on today's vote.

To my colleagues, thank you for respectfully listening to me.

I look forward to continuing working with you and moving our city forward.

To the residents in District 8, I am deeply sorry for the any disappointment this may have caused.

My priority as your council member remains unwavering to serve you with a strong voice, making sure our community's best interest is represented, and I will not step back from that duty or trust that you have placed in me.

Thank you so much.

We have several uh members of the public signed up to speak.

I will call individuals in order of sign up, and all the individuals have three minutes to speak, with groups of three or more having a total of um nine minutes.

Written comment may be submitted to the city clerk for distribution to the council.

The playing of recordings is not permitted.

The first person is Gregory Kiros, followed by John Kiros.

Hi there, I'm Greg Kiros.

And I'm John Quiroz.

I would like to yield my time.

Okay.

Your first name is John, and you go by Jack, right?

Say that again.

Is that your last?

We have John Kiros on here.

Is that you?

Okay, thank you.

Yes.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um good afternoon.

Um my name is Greg Kiros.

Um I'm a newly licensed nurse.

Um, and I'm also I've also been an EMT and I work at one of San Antonio's busiest emergency departments.

Um patients often wait hours to days in the waiting room just to be seen in the ER due to the high volume of EMSs that acquire physical room and time from ER staff.

Many of the EMSs that come to into the ER and occupy room, preventing critical patients from being seen are preventable accidents involving impaired drivers.

In fact, San Antonio had the highest rate of drunk driving crashes per capita among large Texas cities in 2021.

While doing write-outs to obtain my national EMT certification with the brave firefighters of the San Antonio Fire Department, I saw firsthand the impacts an impaired driving can have on unsuspecting everyday citizens.

The injuries sustained in most drunk driving cases are often on the unsuspecting parties.

I have seen children, students, and everyday people just trying to get to school or get home from work killed due to the negligent behavior of impaired drivers.

Particularly the consequences they have on overworked, understaffed healthcare workers like myself and genuinely sick people whose care becomes delayed when accidents happen.

Um of whom might live in the district in which you were elected and entrusted to serve.

These actions cannot be condoned, and representatives of the public should be held to a higher standard and be outstanding citizens, like we're expected to be.

Please don't forget who you represent.

You and I aren't all that different.

We're both trusted to serve people and advocate for them for for when they need us.

Um however, actions like this have the potential to make the already grueling job that I have that much harder and affect many of the people that you represent and that I treat.

Um so the statement I just read might sound a little familiar because I read it just last year.

Um and it it's obviously not impactful, so perhaps I need to show some images to get my point across.

Okay.

So I have an image right here.

I don't know if y'all can see it.

Um it's uh it's from a campaign.

Um, over here.

Okay.

I have an image here.

It's from the IAR driving.

Um, and it says, look at her in the eye.

Then say a quick drink never hurt anybody.

So if we analyze this picture, we have a young lady um with an obvious head injury.

Um, she's intubated, she looks like she's getting defibrillated.

Um she's probably getting resuscitated, right?

Um, these are the impacts of impaired driving.

Okay.

Um I also have another one if you want to flip that over.

Yes, there you go.

Um, so this is a young lady.

You might have seen her.

She does a lot of um, you know, advocacy work for impaired driving.

She was on Oprah.

She was a 20-year-old who got into an accident with an impaired driver in Austin in 1999.

She was a student.

The car caught on fire, and she suffered severe burns to over 60% of her body, including her face and hands.

Her injuries were catastrophic, and she endured years of painful surgeries and recovery.

She's also no longer with us.

So I want you to take a second to analyze that picture of all her burns.

Honestly, that might be a little graphic.

I really want it to be more graphic because you know, as a nurse, as an EMC as a healthcare professional, I mean, it gets worse.

I mean, if you can imagine.

Moving on.

And now that I know nobody, I know nobody was injured, any of the many impaired driving cases involving San Antonio elected officials, but I need you to realize that actions have consequences, and the consequences for these actions seem to happen again and again, and they can be severe.

I honestly just don't understand it because many of you are parents.

If your child's life were impacted by an impaired driver, I'm sure you'd want them to face consequences.

When an everyday citizen like myself and those who you represent make poor decisions such as these, there are consequences, right?

Does anybody know what happens to a CDL driver if they're if they're driving impaired?

Their license gets taken away, right?

Their livelihood is in jeopardy.

What about a nurse at a local hospital?

The Texas Board of Nursing would investigate my license in a heartbeat, right?

Um what about your primary care physician, your child's kindergarten teacher?

Law enforcement officers at the sheriff's department or SAPD, right?

Their actions have consequences, people.

It's astounding to me that people entrusted you to represent them and they elected you to do just that, but they can't trust you to get behind the wheel of a car sober.

Censure obviously doesn't work, and the people of San Antonio deserve better.

Please take accountability like you said you would and either resign or not run for re-election.

I think that's taking accountability, um, and that's a consequence.

Um, this last I have a last image that I'd like to show.

So this is another campaign from the Texas Department of Transportation.

It says a DWI changes how your employers will see you.

Pretty much geared towards teens and children, right?

Trying to say that your actions might inflect job outcomes, right?

Um, but honestly, I'm seriously considering writing to the Texas Department of Transportation and amending that to a DWI changes how your employers see you, unless you work for the San Antonio City Council.

Thank you for listening.

Teresa Blocky, followed by Paula McGee.

I'm using the flashlight so I can read my small print.

Thank you.

That's fine, ma'am.

Is that okay?

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

September 11th of 2023, my school board held a specially called meeting to address a newly elected trustee arrested for DWI over Labor Day weekend.

Two years later, I stand here on September 11th.

In September 11th, 2001, I was a teacher, and a student came into my classroom to inform me what had gone on on September 11th, and I started.

This time today, I'm here because the city council person was arrested for DWI.

In the trustee case that is still ongoing.

The DA recused himself.

The case was shifted to Adascosa County, and the records were sealed.

A citizen filed a petition to remove the trustee and have a temporary trustee replaced.

At the first hearing, the judge couldn't appoint a temporary trustee because the blood alcohol content was removed from the official record as a result of what happened in Atlascosa County.

Once again, by contrast, in city council cases, blood alcohol content, video, and hearing results from the automatic license revocation hearing are public.

And here, in every case, every elected official, transparency and consistency are necessary.

This morning, the San Antonio 110 memorial climb took place in a facility that was passed by the voters at the Alamo Dome.

Because the Tower of the Americas, the functions, right?

The infrastructure, it's undergoing repair.

I come here today and think of two mayors, two former mayors.

I don't know what party they were from, but I want you to think of Phil Hardberger's land bridge, how it connects, okay?

And I want you to think of Howard Peake's trail system, right?

It connects the parks and neighborhoods.

These were visions of connection, not division.

The mayoral led, I assume, and I assume the city council supported.

It happened.

It can happen.

Okay?

There are 54 days until this election in this city.

There are 11 of you on this council.

If each of you takes 10 steps, real steps toward listening, seeking out opposite opinions and listening, not installing what you believe and building connection on common ground.

That'll equal 110 steps.

So over the next six six fifty-four days, I ask you to use and know that this council that you reflect the strength of San Antonio, that we look up to the Tower of America's, and it does not hold still if you don't come together and represent truly.

Thank you.

Paula McGee, followed by Jack Finger.

Good afternoon, Mayor, members of city council.

I'm here today to speak on behalf of the citizens who elected each of you to address the issue of leadership, accountability, and good judgment that we expect from those who represent us.

Every person who takes the oath of office as a member of this council assumes an obligation to serve with integrity, to uphold the law, to protect public trust.

That oath is not a privilege.

It is a responsibility, and it demands the highest ethical standards, not just in public decisions, but also in personal conduct.

These are not abstract ideals.

They're the foundation of the trust residents place on their leaders, a trust that actually makes democracy possible.

When that trust is violated, especially through unlawful or morally compromising actions, it can't be restored by a simple apology or procedural remedies.

Driving while intoxicated at nearly twice the legal limit is not a private mistake.

Censure may be the most severe action this council can take against one of your own, but true leadership is measured not by our achievements, by but by what we are willing to surrender for the greater good.

For the one whose reckless conduct and poor judgment puts them behind the wheel of a car while excessively intoxicated.

The question now is integrity.

Will they accept responsibility and do the right thing?

What is honorable and surrender their office and resign so that we'll have council representatives we can rely upon without hesitation, without doubt, and without a cloud of misconduct.

As a former member of the ethics review board, I urge you to let your constituents know today that this city will no longer compromise on the standards of conduct we demand from our leaders.

The people of San Antonio are watching.

They deserve to see this council united in the conviction that integrity still matters in public office.

Thank you.

Jack Finger, followed by Nikolai Zabowski.

Well, Madam Mayor, another members of our illustrious San Antonio City Council.

For the record, my name is Jack M.

Finger, and I did notice this uh headline of the newspaper not long ago.

What is it?

Headlines say that uh council member phases censure vote after DWI arrest.

Mr.

Audiovisual man, if you could highlight that one off to the right there, what does it say?

Um enlarge it a bit.

It says, no real penalties.

It says censures and votes of no confidence carry no real penalties, but our ways for the councilman express their their uh their you're being upset with the the person in contention here.

Well I as your equal opportunity critic here.

I I see uh you've got a a few problems here.

Um yes, her blood alcohol content has been publicized in the media, but it still has yet to be presented in court.

So is she Miss Gonzalez still has yet to be convicted of such.

No, uh and you can say you you're you're upset with her.

She can just say, fine, you're upset with me.

My voters are upset with me.

Whoopee.

Um the uh you can say, well, we're gonna take you off some committees, and she'll say, Whoopee.

I I have just one vote in those committees anyway, and I'll be there at the those meetings in our front seats seats as you just observing you guys, sir.

Yeah, and the audience.

No, if you you are going to have to somewhere along the way pass a uh an ordinance that really puts teeth into stuff.

I don't know whether it be uh accusations of drunken driving, uh larceny, prostitution.

You to pick one.

Take anything you want.

But it's gonna have to be something a little bit more serious than this.

Um if you really want to get get get to them, you what you do is you you pass an order so that that that shackles a per person somewhere and what forces them to watch a thousand plus videos of that gadfly jack finger at the city council meetings.

I guarantee you, after just a few, they'll be clamoring cruel and cruel and unusual punishment and pleading for the death penalty.

But uh in a little more serious note, uh the any person could also play the victim card, they could play the race card.

Uh I I'm just alerting you to what is possible here.

I'm sorry that yeah, it all turned out this way for Ms.

Gonzalez, but uh these are the realities here.

Um it just it this doesn't work that that way.

Thank you.

Nicolai Zabowski Good afternoon.

My name is Nikolai Spikowski.

I am a citizen of Texas and a citizen of the United States.

Today I come to you to present facts and evidence based on governmental records I have in my possession that are available to the public, meaning anyone in this uh council chamber can go look it up for themselves.

Uh first and foremost, I would like to bring to the attention of the council that council member Gonzalez was arrested by the San Antonio Police Department uh without a warrant, and was then later booked in Bear County at jail or Bear County Adult Detention Center without a warrant.

Um the person accusing council member Gonzalez of having a blood alcohol concentration of 0.15 or greater is someone named Christina Rodriguez.

However, um the person stating that there is a blood content level or alcohol concentration of 0.15 or more is assistant criminal district attorney Andrea something.

Here you are, sir.

As mentioned earlier, San Antonio Police Department arrested uh council member Gonzalez, and it appears that the officer who arrested her is Matthew Quiroga, badge number 1697, and the reporting officer who signed off on this document is someone named Carl Carly Monita.

I have a copy of uh Miss uh Councilmember Gonzalez's uh San Antonio DWI traffic case report.

Um the main thing I want to draw your attention to is that there's a portion that is considerably blank.

If you could scoot that up a little so you can see the blank part.

Why do I bring this to your attention?

I have yet another San Antonio DWI traffic case report in which a blood warrant or blood sample was obtained that contains barcodes.

You can scoot that up a little bit so they can see the barcodes.

Uh that contains barcodes of the evidence that was collected of the blood sample that was drawn of that person.

To my understanding, based on the previous document, it looks like there was no blood sample drawn on council member Gonzalez.

The only other time I've seen a document like this is uh from another council member that's currently sitting here, Councilmember White.

On his DWI traffic case report, there is also a blank space similar to uh councilmember Gonzalez.

Can you scoot it up so they can see the blank part?

So it would appear to me that council member White also did not have a blood sample drawn when he purportedly had a DWI um charge.

I only bring him up as well because it would appear that council member white was also arrested by San Antonio Police Department without a warrant and then uh placed in jail without a warrant uh in the Bear County jail.

I bring this all to your attention to help you make your decision today.

Uh I give no opinion as to uh whether or not you should publicly censor council member Gonzalez, but I do believe that every citizen of Texas and the United States has a right to have their rights protected.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you to everyone who came to speak today.

May I get a motion and a second to approve this item so the council may begin discussion.

There is a motion and second to approve the resolution.

We want to move on to city council discussion.

Chair Galvan.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um keep my comments short.

I just want to say that uh we'll be supporting uh this vote.

Uh, I think you know, our residents are asking for accountability, and it's part of what Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez uh is going to do.

Um, but I want to leave it that where that is, and to say I know Councilmember Gonzalez um is gonna continue doing the hard work that she's been doing while on this council.

And this the censure vote, of course, makes it clear where uh members of this body um feel on this issue.

Um but I know her to continue to do the hard work for her constituents.

Hasn't stopped for her, won't stop for her, and I am eager to continue working with her as my colleague.

Um she is someone who works Dr.

Cross from me at City Hall.

She's someone I talk with very frequently, early in the morning, late in the evening, about policy, about the budget, about the pieces that go on within her district as well as mine.

And I I just want to make clear to the general public, to my constituents that absolutely we can have these conversations about accountability, but understand that Council Mr.

Gonzalez is going to continue doing hard work.

She's gonna continue to be a great council person, and we will continue to work together uh for all of our communities.

Thank you.

Have all members who wish to speak spoken?

Oh, yeah.

Um, okay.

Can you update the sheet then?

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to thank everybody uh who took the time to show up and uh speak on this item.

Um as a colleague, I just want to say I'm thankful for your safety, uh, councilwoman and that of your family and also thankful for your love for your community.

Um I've gotten to know you through our council dialogue and your actions on the dais, although for only one and a half months.

However, we know that as council members and community leaders, our actions and our personal lives are under a spotlight.

And this comes at a cost of privacy, but it is also a bargain that we understood when stepping into this form of leadership.

We are called to elevate the best of our communities and fight hard for their success.

And unfortunately, distractions like this one make it hard for us to do our job because it takes away from the other important issues our residents expect us to address.

As a council, we need to show consistency and respect for the leadership role we play out in our city.

And unfortunately, this incident did not reflect our council at its best.

And as a body, we cannot normalize allegations of drinking and driving, just as we cannot ignore it when it happens.

We are called to take this um decisive and thoughtful action, and we understand that with our actions, we send a message to our community.

And I think that our message should be one that evokes trust in our local government, trust that we as city leaders are responsible with the power and leadership role that we hold.

And our message should also demonstrate personal and professional accountability.

And so with my vote, I support a message to our community that although each of us as council members are human, we are also held to a higher standard.

And when we break that trust, we are held accountable through a public censure and other penalties.

Just two months ago, I was a regular member of the public, an outstanding leader, but I wasn't serving on this council.

And as a member of the public, I need to know that council members are not above the law, and that if any one of our city employees or any one of our constituents were to be in this situation, we would expect no special treatment based on our status.

And for these reasons, I'll support the resolution.

Thank you, Mayor.

Confirming all members who wish to speak have spoken.

There is a motion and a second to approve the resolution to censure Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

Please vote the motion carries.

There being no further discussion, the time is now one twenty five PM and the meeting is adjourned.