San Antonio City Council Meeting – May 7, 2026

The San Antonio City Council convened at 9:14 AM on May 7, 2026, under Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. The meeting opened with roll call (all members present), an invocation by Pastor Rick Godwin for the National Day of Prayer, and the Pledge of Allegiance. The council then adopted proclamations for Municipal Clerks Week (May 3–9), Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and Jewish American Heritage Month. Points of personal privilege recognized Miss United States Texas 2026 Portland Tidwell and honored the late Kendra Meadows for her neighborhood advocacy. The meeting lasted approximately seven hours, adjourning at 4:16 PM.

Consent Calendar

• Items 5–16 were considered as a group after items 9, 10, and 16 were pulled for individual discussion. The remaining consent items were approved unanimously.
• Highlights from the consent agenda: Item 7 (Ceiling Drainage Phase 4 project in Donaldson Terrace), Item 12 (appointment of Art Velis to the Ethics Review Board), and Item 14 (MOA with Velocity Texas for military medical innovation) were noted by council members.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Items 5 & 6 (Sports District Contracts): Jessica Palacios (San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce) urged strengthening small business participation goals (14% SBE) and veteran-owned business preferences. Antonio Diaz and Diana Uriegas Flores criticized the transparency of the process, arguing the public had not been adequately informed. Diaz expressed concern that the district would not benefit residents and would raise property taxes.
• Item 9 (Veterans VASH Voucher Ordinance): Over 30 speakers testified, with the majority supporting the original ordinance without exemptions. Veterans, their families, and advocates (including Irene White, Brandon Tryon, Sebastian Gallegos, Charlene Hernandez, Robert Trevino, and others) described discrimination, the difficulty of using vouchers, and the concentration of voucher holders in high-vulnerability areas. Several noted that 70% of VASH holders live in high-social-vulnerability census tracts and only 8% of rental listings accept vouchers. The San Antonio Apartment Association (Alan Ross) opposed the ordinance, arguing that the system works and that the industry was not consulted, instead supporting a council consideration request for further study. Small landlord Karen Fisher (a veteran) opposed the mandate, citing payment delays and financial hardship.
• Item 10 (Crypto Kiosk Signage): Lisa Rodriguez and Usman Arana (AARP) spoke in favor, noting that 60+ adults lost $333 million to kiosk fraud in 2025 and that signage acts as a critical intervention.
• Item 16 (Ready-to-Work Budget): Jack Finger criticized the program's placement rate (~33% of applicants placed) and suggested letting voters decide on a tax cut.

Discussion Items

• Item 4 – Downtown Sports & Entertainment District Briefing: A motion to delay the briefing to a June B session passed 10–1 (Mayor Jones dissenting), after debate about timing and transparency. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez summarized the status of the project (ITC property acquisition, Spurs arena terms, convention center study, etc.). The brief was ultimately postponed.
• Items 5 & 6 – District Study (Municap) and Executive Program Manager (Accenture): City Manager Eric Walsh presented both contracts. Item 5: a $350,000 study with Municap (10-week project) to model cost of services, revenue forecasting, and new revenue opportunities. Item 6: a phase-one contract with Accenture for up to $6 million through March 2027, with a five-year base and five one-year renewals, for program management, governance, dashboards, and coordination with the Spurs. Council members expressed support, noting Accenture’s high score (73 points) and experience. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez raised concerns about the lack of local competition if Accenture were terminated. Both items passed unanimously.
• Item 9 – Source of Income Protections for Veterans: The PCDC committee had recommended amendments exempting owners of four or fewer units and imposing escalating penalties. Mayor Jones moved to strike those amendments. After a roll call vote, the amendment failed (3–8). The council then approved the original PCDC version, which applies to housing providers renting five or more units, with penalties: first offense (written warning), second (mandatory training), third ($500 fine and referral to city attorney). The ordinance will be reviewed after six months. Councilmembers noted enforcement challenges in tracking ownership but pledged to investigate complaints on a case-by-case basis.
• Item 10 – Virtual Currency Kiosk Signage: Unanimously approved. An amendment to replace “customer” with “user” was accepted. The ordinance requires fraud prevention signage in direct line of sight at all kiosks.
• Item 16 – SA Ready-to-Work FY2027 Budget: Approved. The $42.8 million budget includes 6,730 new applicants, 3,825 training completions, and 2,410 job placements. Staff discussed efforts to align with employer needs, integrate AI pathways, and improve marketing to construction trades. The mayor requested an ROI analysis comparing Ready-to-Work with Pre-K 4 SA.

Key Outcomes

• Item 4 – Delayed to June B session (10–1).
• Item 5 – Approved (unanimous). Contract with Municap Inc. for $350,000 (base $316,350 + $33,650 contingency) for district study.
• Item 6 – Approved (unanimous). Contract with Accenture Infrastructure and Capital Projects LLC for up to $6 million (phase one) for executive program management.
• Item 9 – Approved (majority, no roll call needed). Ordinance creating source of income protections for veterans using VASH vouchers, applying to owners of five or more units, with escalating penalties. Effective immediately; to be reviewed in six months.
• Item 10 – Approved (unanimous). Ordinance requiring fraud prevention signage at all virtual currency kiosks, with “user” substituted for “customer.”
• Item 16 – Approved (unanimous). FY2027 budget for SA Ready-to-Work ($42,797,898) and amendment to increase funding for Restore Education intake/case management from $5.3M to $11.6M.