San Antonio Governance Committee Meeting Summary: October 21, 2026

The Governance Committee met on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, from 11:04 a.m. to 12:11 p.m., with Mayor Jones presiding and a quorum present. The committee approved the prior meeting minutes, heard two public speakers on charitable bingo and illegal gaming, and acted on council consideration requests (CCRs) concerning a shovel-ready site pilot, a centralized public data dashboard, and a proposed eight-liner ban.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of minutes from the previous meeting: approved by voice vote after no corrections or edits were offered.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ronnie Baker, sales manager for All Saints Bingo, said he has worked in charitable gaming for 40 years and represents the American Legion and Knights of Columbus. He stated Texas charitable bingo nonprofits fell from 1,800 to fewer than 900, and warned that after the Pennsylvania Supreme Court outlawed 80,000 sweepstakes and skill-based machines, those machines may be sent to Texas. He described a proliferation of illegal game rooms and said his team helped Nueces County/Corpus Christi close more than 100 game rooms after COVID. He said charitable bingo paid about $28 million in winners' fees, with 2.5% going to the state and 1.25% each to the city and county, and that San Antonio and Bexar County each receive more than $1 million a year from those fees, while illegal game rooms contribute nothing. He cited crimes associated with game rooms, including money laundering, human trafficking, murder, rape, arson, and burglary, and urged the city and county to help craft regulation to permit, regulate, or close illegal game rooms. Position: support for regulation and closures.
• Eddie Heinemeier, a designated agent under the Bingo Enabling Act who works with more than 40 bingo halls, supported Baker's testimony. He said licensing in Nueces County reduced game rooms from more than 100 to fewer than 10, and that illegal game rooms provide no income to the state, county, or city. Position: support for action against illegal game rooms.

Discussion Items

Shovel Ready SA Site Readiness Pilot Program

• Economic Development Director Brenda Hicksorenson presented a CCR submitted August 20, 2026, by Councilmember Mark White (District 10). The proposed pilot would identify two or three sites and examine legal and funding vehicles, including Chapter 380 agreements and type A or B development corporations; infrastructure needs such as CPS Energy and SAWS utilities; acquisition and carrying costs; and operational responsibilities for a shovel-ready program.
• Staff said a site readiness assessment by Global Location Strategies completed in July 2026 evaluated 13 sites, eliminated 3 after desktop review, and advanced 10 for deeper review and site tours. Staff are working with partners on two or three sites, with a follow-up meeting in November. A 2023 EDC site effort was not pursued because acquisition and infrastructure costs would have required about $2 billion, so the city shifted toward private-sector partnerships. Greater SATX is also developing a site-readiness program based on Site Selectors Guild criteria.
• Councilmember White expressed support, saying speed, certainty, and readiness are defining factors in corporate location decisions and are needed to create revenue and jobs. Position: support for the CCR.
• Several committee members supported the concept but asked the EWDC to avoid duplication, consider commercial versus industrial uses, ensure public investment is not captured by private landowners, emphasize high-wage jobs, address utility and permitting delays, and evaluate return on investment and tax abatement implications. The EWDC chair said the review will incorporate direction such as the IEM example, where infrastructure improvements were made but no tax abatement was given.
• The committee approved referral to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee with that direction.

Centralized Public-Facing Data Dashboard

• Staff, including Integrated Community Safety Office Director Maria Vargas Yates, presented a CCR submitted in August 2026 by Councilmember Mark White (District 10) and Councilmember Marina Aldarete Gavito (District 7). The request was to create a single web page as a central directory for all public dashboards and datasets, organized by policy and service area, with periodic reviews to archive or remove outdated, duplicative, or inactive content.
• Staff recommended a 90-day review to inventory existing data sets, dashboards, annual reports, and data stories; conduct community and stakeholder engagement, including a draft survey; and develop a city data and insights concept for a centralized portal. Staff would return to the Governance Committee with findings and recommendations.
• Councilmembers expressed support, with emphasis on mobile-friendly design, accessibility for residents who use phones, inclusion of partner-agency public documents and open records, improved usability of tools such as the Infrastructure Management Program and bond maps, and stakeholder input from senior residents, HOA leaders, and data users. One councilmember asked for a cost comparison with outside vendors and case studies from other cities. The mayor asked staff to incorporate lessons from recent emergency communication needs, using the West Side storm as a case study.
• The committee approved the staff recommendation.

Proposed Ban on Eight-Liner Operations

• SAPD Assistant Director Rick Riley presented a CCR submitted September 4 by Council District 5 and supported by Council Districts 4, 6, 7, and 10. The CCR requested a ban on eight-liner machine operations within city limits, enhanced enforcement and inspection mechanisms, and community education and reporting related to illegal gaming. Staff recommended referral to the Public Safety Committee.
• Police and legal staff said the legality of machines depends on design, payout method, and the mix of skill and chance; the latest Texas Attorney General opinion suggests any element of chance may make a device a gambling device. Litigation is heavily fact-specific, and a Texarkana appeals decision on predominantly skill games does not apply to San Antonio and is not being appealed. No state legislation has been filed yet, but staff can monitor it.
• Councilmember McKee Rodriguez said she would not sign or support the ban, arguing the city should not become the morality police, should instead enforce existing laws, educate business owners and residents, and use zoning and land-use authority rather than new bans. She cited the prohibition era and warned of overpolicing vulnerable communities. Position: opposition to the CCR.
• Other committee members voiced support for further study, wanting to distinguish legal permitted games from illegal cash or cryptocurrency payouts, review permitting and revenue options, improve education for businesses and residents, and monitor other Texas cities' legislative efforts. Position: support for continued review rather than an immediate referral.
• A motion to continue the item for 60 days was made and seconded and passed by voice vote, so the CCR was not referred to the Public Safety Committee at this meeting.

Key Outcomes

• Approved the previous meeting minutes by voice vote.
• Approved referral of the Shovel Ready SA CCR to the Economic and Workforce Development Committee with direction by voice vote.
• Approved the 90-day staff review for the centralized public-facing data dashboard by voice vote.
• Continued the eight-liner ban CCR for 60 days by voice vote instead of referring it to the Public Safety Committee.
• Meeting adjourned at 12:11 p.m.