San Antonio City Council prepares charter changes for voters
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Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: City of San Antonio
San Antonio voters in November will likely decide on a swath of changes to local government, including a pay raise for councilmembers and the mayor, shepherded by Mayor Ron Nirenberg in his final term.
Why it matters: The local election will happen alongside the presidential contest, creating unusually high turnout for government ballot questions that can fall under the radar but have a big impact.
- The recommended changes to the City Charter stem from a set of issues Nirenberg wanted to address — and don't account for changes the public suggested.
How it works: San Antonio's City Charter dictates how the city government operates. It can only be amended every two years by a public vote.
- The charter was last amended in May 2021, when voters approved a change to allow the city to spend bond money on affordable housing.
The latest: The City Council on Wednesday generally supported changes to the City Charter recommended by a group of high-profile residents Nirenberg appointed. But many wanted to see another change.
- The union representing city employees has pushed to remove charter language that prevents those employees from campaigning for city candidates or issues.
- Nirenberg's appointees didn't take up that issue.
- But a majority of councilmembers supported adding that question to the ballot.
Zoom in: Some members also questioned the extent of recommended pay raises for their jobs, even if they supported raises more broadly.
- "I am opposed to paying council members lavishly," District 7 Councilmember Marina Alderete Gavito said.
Context: Councilmembers are currently paid $45,722, equivalent to the then-median household income in San Antonio when the pay was set in 2015. But the city's median income has risen to $59,593, leading to concerns that not everyone can afford to hold local public office.
- The mayor's salary is currently $61,725.
Recommendations include:
- Increasing councilmembers' salaries to $80,000 and the mayor's to $95,000;
- Allowing councilmembers to serve four-year terms limited to two terms total, instead of the current two-year terms limited to four terms total;
- Removing the current cap on the city manager's compensation and tenure, which voters approved in 2018 during a feud between the firefighters' union and former city manager Sheryl Sculley;
- Creating a redistricting commission to adjust City Council district boundaries to account for population changes after every Census count, with the goal of distancing the council's influence but not completely removing it.
The commission did not recommend increasing the number of City Council districts.
What they're saying: "My thoughts on these findings and recommendations come without any direct impact on my compensation or my tenure," Nirenberg said.
What's next: The City Council will vote in August to place final City Charter changes on the November ballot.
- If voters approve the salary increases, they will not take effect until after next year's City Council election.