The City Council is weighing whether to raise taxes to avoid cutting the next bond program in half amid a tight budget.

Why it matters: Locals are already feeling the squeeze from high gas prices and inflation. Elected officials have to either raise rates to continue delivering big infrastructure improvements — or decide to do fewer city upgrades.

The big picture: The city typically asks voters to approve a bond every five years to finance major projects outside its yearly budget. But it still only covers a fraction of the needs for streets, sidewalks, drainage and parks in a booming and sprawling San Antonio.

Reality check: 2027 could be the first time the city's five-year bond program does not grow in size.

Flashback: In 2022, San Antonio voters passed a record $1.2 billion bond program that covered 183 projects across six propositions: streets, bridges and sidewalks; drainage and flood control; parks and recreation; library and cultural facilities; public safety facilities; and affordable housing.

• City officials have previously said San Antonio's capacity for a May 2027 bond could be just $625 million while trying to cover largely the same categories.

The latest: In order for the next bond to be as large as the last one, the city would have to raise the tax used to pay off city debts, Troy Elliott, the city's chief financial officer, told councilmembers last week — though the city has not said by how much.

What they're saying: "Maintaining the investment that we had in the last bond is extremely important for us," District 4 Councilmember Edward Mungia said.

The other side: "Under no circumstances should we consider that," District 10 Councilmember Marc Whyte said. "We need to live within our means, and if that means a $625 million bond, then that's exactly what we need to deal with."

Zoom out: City officials are also proposing a regular tax rate increase for the yearly budget, which would be the first in more than three decades.

• Plus, the San Antonio Water System is set to ask the council to raise rates.

Bond election timing

Americans are spending more time at home, yet many have become strangers to their neighbors.

Why it matters: Without casual conversations with neighbors — who are often from other races, or have different religions and political ideologies — people risk becoming more isolated and more dependent on superficial, algorithm-driven digital communities.

By the numbers: In 2012, 51% of young Americans (ages 18-29) regularly engaged with neighbors, according to a new AEI report. Today, that number has plummeted to 25%.

• More broadly, 59% of Americans chatted with neighbors a few times per week in 2012. In 2025, that number was 41%.

What they're saying: "In the previous generation, if you sat around your apartment long enough, you started to go stir crazy, and that would often compel people to go out," Daniel Cox, head report researcher and director of the Survey Center on American Life at AEI, tells Axios.

• Now, homes have become entertainment bunkers that let Americans stream, scroll, get directions and find recommendations without knocking on a neighbor's door.

💭 Megan's thought bubble: My apartment in San Antonio is one of the only places I've lived as an adult where I feel how strong connections to neighbors make life tangibly better.

• Last weekend, I walked to a local bar to watch the Spurs game and ran into three friends who are my neighbors.
• I've shared everything from can openers to leaf blowers with my neighbors.

📬 Tell us: How do you get to know your neighbors in San Antonio? Hit reply and give us your best advice.

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🍽️ Federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as food stamps, are having ripple effects in San Antonio schools.

• North East ISD will no longer offer free breakfast and lunch campus-wide at 29 schools next year, saying families must apply to verify their need. (Express-News 🔑)

🏜️ U.S. Customs and Border Protection awarded a $1.7 billion contract for border wall construction in the Big Bend area, after a top official previously said there would be no barriers in the national park. (Texas Tribune)

🎙️ Reggaeton star Don Omar will perform at the Frost Bank Center in October. Tickets go on sale 10am Friday. (KSAT)

Utility-scale solar power generation is expected to soar past coal-fired power in Texas this year — and the gap will keep widening in 2027, per the Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Why it matters: The heart of the nation's oil-and-gas industry is also renewables country thanks to abundant resources, developer-friendly rules, rising demand and more.

Stunning stat: The EIA expects 40% of all U.S. solar capacity additions this year to be in Texas.

Full primer

Four of the 25 best new taquerias in Texas are in San Antonio, per Texas Monthly's taco editor.

Why it matters: We take our tacos seriously here.

Zoom in: The new San Antonio taco joints featured in the article, and some of their standout menu items, are:

• Aguazul: Big Red shrimp taco, shrimp aguachile azul
• Anacacho Coffee & Cantina: Big Red and barbacoa tacos, a longtime favorite from chef Leo Davila, who brought the dish from his former restaurant Stixs & Stone
• Tacos on the Street: Carne asada and chicken tacos
• Waca: Wacabolas, or fritters of guacamole, chicken and cheese

What we're watching: A San Antonio native also owns one of the list's best new spots in Austin, Comadre Panadería — a bakery that started selling breakfast tacos last year.

The big picture