OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

San Antonio City Council Meeting – May 21, 2026

City Council — Thursday, May 21, 2026
BodySan Antonio, Texas
SessionCity Council
DateThursday, May 21, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:26:01
Transcript — Verbatim
0:11

Turn it up at the heart be hit.

0:13

Everybody come aloud when the snake starts to hit by the Alamon down to the river one go.

0:18

When I play the drums, everybody say, Whoa!

0:21

Shake it!

0:22

Move it!

0:23

So San Antonio with the rhythm here we go!

0:28

Let's go!

0:29

Let's go!

1:07

sa.gov Diagonal TV S A.

1:16

Good morning, good morning.

1:17

Council members, we'll get started.

1:24

I don't think anybody else was back there anymore.

1:28

Councilman.

1:29

Okay.

1:30

We've got six.

1:31

The time is now 9 06 a.m.

1:33

on May 21st, and the meeting of the San Antonio City Council is now called to order.

1:41

Madam Clerk, please call roll.

1:43

Councilmember Corps.

1:46

Councilmember McKee Rodriguez.

1:48

Councilmember Via Gran.

1:50

Here.

1:51

Councilmember Mungia.

1:52

Present.

1:53

Councilmember Castillo.

1:54

Here.

1:55

Councilmember Galvan.

1:57

Councilmember Adarete Gavito.

1:59

Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez.

2:01

Present.

2:02

Councilmember Spears.

2:04

Councilmember White.

2:06

Mayor Jones.

2:07

Here.

2:07

Mayor, we have corn.

2:08

Great.

2:08

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

2:10

Today's invocator is Monsignor Regoberto S.

2:14

De Guzman, who comes from the Diocese of Antipolo.

2:17

Arch uh Monsignor, please.

2:19

Uh, which is situated east of the Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines.

2:22

He was ordained a priest on January 25th, 1992.

2:26

Your anniversary is coming up.

2:27

And received his lessentiante in sacred theology from the Gregor University in 1996 after studying in Rome for two years.

2:35

Monsignor Regoberto served as a seminary formator and a theology professor for at least three years before moving to the Cathedral of the Diocese of Antipolo as a rector.

2:45

He was the vicar general of that diocese for more than 19 years, serving under the administration of its past four bishops.

2:51

In the fall of 2021, after 29 years in the priesthood, uh Monsignor was allowed to attend the ministry to ministers sabbatical program at oblate school of theology.

3:02

Negotiations were done between his diocese and the Archdiocese of San Antonio for Monsignor Regoberto to serve as a formator at Assumption Seminary here in San Antonio.

3:12

He started his seminary ministry at Assumption in the fall of 2023 and was recently named Vice Rector and Dean of Men.

3:20

Monsignor, we're honored by your presence.

3:22

Over to you, sir.

3:24

Thank you.

3:25

So I come from the Philippines.

3:38

And these are difficult times for the majority of our people.

3:42

And in response, the youth of our country, like the soldiers of Christ, are praying for good governance.

3:52

As the common Filipino faces much suffering and hardship nowadays.

3:57

So may their prayers combined with ours bless all those who participate in this city council meeting.

4:06

So we settle down and make ourselves aware of God's presence and God's grace.

4:21

You led your people of Egypt out of Egypt from slavery to freedom.

4:28

In Jesus, your son, you led us from death to life, by his passion, death, resurrection, and sending of the Holy Spirit.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Youth Programs██████████████████████████████████34%
Procedural████████████12%
Procurement and Contracting███████████11%
Mental Health Awareness██████████10%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████████9%
Public Engagement██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability██████6%
Community Engagement████4%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Summary of Proceedings

San Antonio City Council Meeting – May 21, 2026

The San Antonio City Council met on May 21, 2026, at 9:06 a.m. at City Hall. The meeting began with an invocation, pledge of allegiance, and approval of minutes. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones presided. Key actions included a proclamation for YMCA Uniting Generations Month, recognition of National Public Works Week, approval of consent agenda items, and a vote on $19.3 million in consolidated human services funding for delegate agencies.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Ellen Clark spoke on consent agenda items (topic not specified). No other speakers for the general consent agenda.
  • On Item 18, multiple speakers supported funding for their organizations:
    • Kayla Carter (ForHER) described trauma-informed services for women survivors of violence, citing 91% improved mental health and 34% improved economic status among clients. She requested continued funding.
    • Bethany Anderson read a testimony from May Zarniki, a ForHER client, emphasizing the long-term reliability of services.
    • John Bustamante (District 5 resident) supported ForHER, noting its high scoring in the city's evaluation.
    • Stephanie Finleon Cortez and Rachel Sherman (Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas) highlighted the program's impact on youth development and leadership.
    • Fatima Espinoza (Avance San Antonio) described the parent-child education program, noting 97% family satisfaction and partnerships with school districts.
    • Jessica Smith Perry (Boys & Girls Clubs of San Antonio) shared stories of children whose lives were transformed, noting a $12 return per dollar invested.
    • Gabrielle Guzman (Boys & Girls Clubs) spoke as a former club participant now staff member, emphasizing safe spaces and mentorship.
    • Diana Flores (constituent) urged more funding for homeless services and housing, citing fears among homeless residents.
    • Jeremy Maginell (SA Youth) discussed re-engaging opportunity youth, noting 36,000 disconnected youth in the city and the economic cost of high school dropouts.

Proclamations & Recognitions

  • YMCA Uniting Generations Month: Mayor Jones proclaimed June 2026 as YMCA Uniting Generations Month, celebrating 150 years of service. Luis Lopez (YMCA CEO) accepted, noting over 3.3 million individuals impacted. Councilmembers thanked the YMCA for its programs and future Gordon Hartman Family YMCA (opening 2027).
  • National Public Works Week: Councilmember Castillo recognized the Public Works Department for maintaining streets, drainage, and infrastructure. Public Works representatives highlighted the department's 700 employees and their role as first responders.
  • City Manager’s Report: A video spotlighted two Parks & Recreation maintenance workers, Crystal and Israel, who maintain over 250 city parks.

Discussion Items

  • Consent Agenda: Items 5–18 were approved as a group except Item 18 (pulled for recusal). Councilmember Alderte Gabito highlighted Item 5 (pedestrian improvements on Calibra Road from Bandera to General McMullen, noting its inclusion in the Vision Zero report). Councilmember Castillo highlighted Item 12 (appointment of Cassandra Tyson to Small Business Advisory Commission).
  • Item 18 – Consolidated Funding for Delegate Agencies: The ordinance authorized up to $19,274,266 in consolidated funding for human services and homeless services delegate agencies for a 16-month term (June 1, 2026 – September 30, 2027) with an option to renew through September 30, 2028. Councilmember Mungia recused himself from voting on funds for Guardian House (a sub-item).
    • Amendment: Councilmember Alderte Gavito moved to remove the option to extend contracts through fiscal year 2028, requiring a strategy session before FY2028 contracts. The amendment was seconded by Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. After discussion, the amendment passed unanimously (all present voting yes). Councilmember Viegran requested a timeline for the session; Alderte Gavito indicated a target in fall 2026.
    • Main Motion (as amended): Approved with Councilmember White voting no, citing budget constraints and the need for cuts across city departments. The motion carried.
    • Guardian House: A separate motion to approve funding for Guardian House was approved, with Councilmember Mungia recused and White voting no. The motion carried.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Agenda: Approved (minus Item 18).
  • Item 18 (Consolidated Funding): Approved as amended – contracts run through FY2027 only; the option to extend to FY2028 is removed. A strategy session on delegate agency funding reform will be held in fall 2026, led by Councilmembers Alderte Gavito and Mesa Gonzalez.
  • Guardian House: Funding approved separately.
  • Meeting Adjourned: 10:31 a.m.

Meeting Transcript

Turn it up at the heart be hit. Everybody come aloud when the snake starts to hit by the Alamon down to the river one go. When I play the drums, everybody say, Whoa! Shake it! Move it! So San Antonio with the rhythm here we go! Let's go! Let's go! sa.gov Diagonal TV S A. Good morning, good morning. Council members, we'll get started. I don't think anybody else was back there anymore. Councilman. Okay. We've got six. The time is now 9 06 a.m. on May 21st, and the meeting of the San Antonio City Council is now called to order. Madam Clerk, please call roll. Councilmember Corps. Councilmember McKee Rodriguez. Councilmember Via Gran. Here. Councilmember Mungia. Present. Councilmember Castillo. Here. Councilmember Galvan. Councilmember Adarete Gavito. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Present. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember White. Mayor Jones. Here. Mayor, we have corn. Great. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Today's invocator is Monsignor Regoberto S. De Guzman, who comes from the Diocese of Antipolo. Arch uh Monsignor, please. Uh, which is situated east of the Archdiocese of Manila, Philippines. He was ordained a priest on January 25th, 1992. Your anniversary is coming up. And received his lessentiante in sacred theology from the Gregor University in 1996 after studying in Rome for two years. Monsignor Regoberto served as a seminary formator and a theology professor for at least three years before moving to the Cathedral of the Diocese of Antipolo as a rector. He was the vicar general of that diocese for more than 19 years, serving under the administration of its past four bishops. In the fall of 2021, after 29 years in the priesthood, uh Monsignor was allowed to attend the ministry to ministers sabbatical program at oblate school of theology. Negotiations were done between his diocese and the Archdiocese of San Antonio for Monsignor Regoberto to serve as a formator at Assumption Seminary here in San Antonio. He started his seminary ministry at Assumption in the fall of 2023 and was recently named Vice Rector and Dean of Men. Monsignor, we're honored by your presence.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI
TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com