Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The San Antonio City Council held a special session on October 21, 2026, to debate and vote on an ordinance that would change the approval process for the 2027 municipal bond tri-chairs, moving the final selection of appointees from the Mayor to the full City Council with a review by a subcommittee. The meeting featured debate on the roles of the tri-chairs and the necessity of the session itself.
Good morning. The time is now 9 03 a.m. on Wednesday 21st, and the City of San Antonio special session is called to order. Madam Clerk, please call roll. Councilmember Corr. Councilmember Mickey Rodriguez. President. Councilmember Via Gran. Councilmember Mungia. Councilmember Castillo. Councilmember Galvan. Councilmember Alderete Gavito. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Councilmember Spears. Councilmember White. Mayor Jones. Here. Mayor, we have quorum. Okay, great. Thank you. This meeting is the result of a special meeting requested by several of our colleagues regarding the process of the city council for the 2027 bond tri-chairs. Is there a motion and a second to approve the item so we may begin discussion? Second. Okay. It is moved and seconded to approve the ordinance. We'll move on to discussion. I am thankful that the three tri-chairs that I have named, two of the three are able to join us this morning. So I look forward to well, one, I'm thankful they're here this morning. Um I'm thankful given their long record of service and expertise and commitment to serving our community in a number of ways. So before we talk about a new process, I'd like to read the qualifications of those that I have appointed. So the first one is uh Ms. Jelynn LeBlanc Jameson, who's the president and CEO of the Center for Healthcare Services. Ms. Jameson is the president and CEO of CHCS, the mental health authority for Bear County. Um brings 37 years of leadership experience with complex governmental organizations, previously serving as the executive vice president and chief delivery officer for CPS, the largest municipally owned electric and gas provider in the nation, where she led a team of 1,853 employees and managed an operational budget of 500 million dollars. Prior to that, Jelynn served as deputy city manager for planning and development with the city of San Antonio with oversight for departments of economic development, development services, international relations, comprehensive planning, housing, and community development, public works, parks and recreation, code compliance, and the city council action team. During her 24 years with the city, Jelynn helped to develop many economic and cultural development projects across the city, such as the development of the Alamo Dome, the 2001 expansion of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, and the renovation of the Carver Community Cultural Center. Key and economic development projects include Toyota Motor Manufacturing Plant, Rack Space Corporate Relocation, Texas AM University, San Antonio campus, and over a billion in capital improvement projects across the City of San Antonio. Jalins also serves as chairwoman of the San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees, and as you know, she's leading a monumental effort in our community when it comes to the addressing the mental health challenge and the diversion center. That again, her it's really her leadership that has gotten the community to where it is on that issue. I'm also thankful that we've got Mario Ableto Jr. here, who's Chief of Government and Public Affairs of the San Antonio Food Bank. Mario served in that capacity, serves 100,000 individuals a week across 29 counties in Southwest Southwest Texas. A San Antonio native, he has nearly 20 years of experience in government, public policy, advocacy, and community engagement at the local, state, and federal level. And he has extensive experience collaborating with community leaders, chambers of commerce, and nonprofit organizations throughout South Texas. He has uh public service at various levels of government as mentioned at the county level as well as at uh at the municipal level as well as at the congressional level. Jim Pershbach, president and CEO of Port San Antonio. He actually could not be here this morning as he is actively um engaged in an economic develop development deal with some out of state developers and employers. Um I have some comments though that I will read on his behalf.