San Antonio Committee on Labor and Economic Development Meeting - May 26, 2026
San Antonio Committee on Labor and Economic Development Meeting - May 26, 2026
The Committee on Labor and Economic Development, chaired by Viagran and attended by Galván, Mesa González, Spears, and Castillo, met on May 26, 2026, to discuss the strategic framework for economic development, the nomination of opportunity zones, and a resolution regarding procurement policies related to ICE. The meeting featured presentations from city staff and consultants, followed by extended councilmember discussion.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of minutes from previous meeting was moved, seconded, and passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public were registered to speak.
Discussion Items
- Strategic Framework Update (2026): John Kerr (Estrategias) and Tom Stolden presented an update on the strategic economic framework, building upon the 2022 version. Key points included: economic context changes (trade policies, automation, reshoring); five target industries (mobility, IT, cybersecurity, biosciences, manufacturing, corporate services); 20+ stakeholder meetings; a 50-member advisory committee; a data dashboard comparing San Antonio to 7 peer cities on 23 variables; net talent inflow from major metro areas and South Texas; and increased outside investment (over $1 billion annually since 2024). Priorities identified by stakeholders: retain/expand existing businesses, job/wage growth, education improvement, and new industrial/commercial spaces. Councilmembers raised concerns about marketing cohesion, infrastructure readiness, small business succession plans, workforce pipelines, transportation, housing affordability, and the need for specific, measurable accountability (e.g., subcommittees, district profiles). President Viagran noted the importance of a cohesive marketing message and urged aggressive focus on San Antonio’s competitive advantages.
- Opportunity Zones Nomination: City staff (Ana) presented the process for nominating up to 69 census tracts as qualified opportunity zones, with a June 26 submission deadline to the state. The recommendation was based on a model using poverty rates (≤70% of area median income), existing infrastructure, and input from 50 stakeholders. Councilmembers requested details on the methodology, the list of participants (particularly from colonias), how to avoid gentrification, and how small businesses and housing could benefit. Concerns were raised about transparency, reporting of investments, and potential displacement. The committee asked staff to provide the full list of proposed tracts and a clearer explanation of eligibility criteria before finalizing the nomination.
- Procurement Resolution Regarding ICE Interactions: Troy presented a resolution from the February 12 council meeting that explores the city’s ability to consider a company’s business with ICE in procurement decisions. He outlined statutory constraints: under Texas Local Government Code Chapters 252 and 271, for lowest-bid contracts (e.g., office supplies, auto parts, construction materials) the city cannot use ICE-related questions as a minimum qualification. For RFQs and RFPs with multiple criteria (e.g., engineering, consulting), the city may ask but cannot penalize non-response. More discretion exists for discretionary contracts (e.g., concessions, professional services). The presentation also noted potential risk exposure and insurance costs. Councilmembers differed: some (Castillo, Galván, González) supported exploring policies that favor “good neighbor” businesses, while Spears cautioned about barriers to economic development, small business impacts, and public safety (e.g., cooperation with law enforcement). President Viagran proposed developing a “five-star” or “gold star” list of community-friendly contractors and bringing a refined declaration back to the committee after summer break, aiming for full council consideration in the fall.
Key Outcomes
- The committee directed staff to return with additional details on the 69 proposed opportunity zone tracts, including participant lists, methodology, and a plan to prevent gentrification.
- President Viagran announced the formation of subcommittees to delve deeper into strategic framework priorities, such as workforce, infrastructure, and small business support.
- For the ICE procurement resolution, the committee asked staff to research policies in other cities (e.g., Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles) and to draft a proposed declaration that balances community values with legal constraints. The revised policy is expected to come back to the committee before going to the full council, possibly in the fall.
- No formal votes were taken on the above discussion items; they were informational and directional.
Meeting Transcript
Ya estamos iniciando la Junta de Comité de Desarrollo Laboral y Económico. Galván. Mesa González. Spears. Viagran. Tenemos quoro. Es aprobación de las minutos. Quiero saber si hay corrección a las minutos. Para empezar, una moción y una seconda. Tengo una moción y una seconda. Todos los que están a favor digan. Sí. Los que están opuestos, digan no. Pasa la moción. Secretario, ¿hay alguien que está registrado para hablar por parte del público? No. Vamos a empezar a punto numero dos. Es un gran día de sesión informativa. Es un desarrollo del marco estratégico de desarrollo. El piso es para usted. Buenas tardes, concejales. Estoy a pasarlo al equipo de estratégico. Si recuerdan el otoño pasado, hicimos una disertación de octubre y noviembre. Queremos tener esa opportunidad para ver en qué punto nos quedamos. Se lo voy a pasar a John Kerr con estrategias. Buenas tardes, concejales y presidenta. Gracias por la presentación. Soy John Cadres con Estrategias. Estoy con aquí Tom Stolden. Y queremos darles una session informativa breve de 10 minutos de donde nos encontramos. Para el marco estratégico del 2026, voy a repasar los antecedentes, cuáles son las metas, el contexto económico, mucho de la participación de los socios. Y también un brevemente los resultados que encontramos preliminares. Como recordatorio, nuestra meta es no empezar desde el principio, sino seguir de donde dejamos el 2022. Las metas es el fuerza laboral. Estamos, queremos dirigirnos a las cinco industrias, como movilidad, IT, seguridad, biociencias, manufactura, servicios corporales y profesionales, estamos actualizando eso para ver cómo podemos refinarlo. Y actualizando el ecosistema de negocios pequeños y cuáles son las prioridades. Las dos diapositivas del lado derecho del proceso. Tenemos dos cuatro procesos. Todavía estamos al inicio de estos procesos. Empezamos mucho de los análisis de los datos. Hemos recaudado mucho de la información, no solamente del concejales, sino de la comunidad. Y vamos a darles una actualización de eso y vamos a irnos a las oportunidades para crecimiento y las implementaciones. Quiero empezar con la economía. ¿Qué ha cambiado desde el 2022? Estamos en un marco económico muy diferente. Las políticas de intercambio, de comercio han cambiado mucho, tenemos nuevas oportunidades y muchos rotos como automatización. Es muy distinto de lo que fue cuando salimos de la pandemia. Quiero poner eso enfrente para que sepamos de dónde proviene la ciudad las cosas positivas que están sucediendo en San Antonio desde el 2022. Hay muchas oportunidades con Newshoring y e inversión, no solamente a la ciudad, sino al Estado. Tenemos nuevos retos.
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