San Antonio council gears up for police funding fight
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Photo Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios. Photo: Courtesy of the City of San Antonio
A battle over police staffing is brewing at San Antonio City Hall.
Why it matters: The dispute highlights contrasting spending priorities on the City Council in a tight budget year and ahead of major decisions related to the police department's next chief and union contract.
The latest: Three councilmembers — conservatives Misty Spears and Marc Whyte, alongside moderate Marina Alderete Gavito — filed a memo last week requesting a nonbinding vote at a future meeting to affirm support for hiring 65 new police officers in the next city budget, as recommended in a prior staffing plan.
- A group of five city councilmembers followed up with their own memo requesting that city manager Erik Walsh not schedule a vote on police staffing, saying it isn't the right time to have that discussion. That memo was signed by progressives Jalen McKee-Rodriguez, Edward Mungia, Teri Castillo and Ric Galvan, along with Phyllis Viagran.
Context: A city-commissioned independent review of San Antonio police staffing in 2023 found the city needed 360 more officers to meet expectations for response times, address 911 call volume and reduce crime.
- The city landed on a plan to hire 100 officers the next year and 65 officers per year over the next four years. It followed that plan for the first two years.
Yes, but: The city's current budget includes 40 new police officers, after two attempts by North Side councilmembers to add 65 officers were voted down by a council majority last year.
The big picture: The budget that took effect Oct. 1 reined in city spending amid a budget crunch as sales and property tax growth stalled. The city is planning for reductions in the next budget to address a forecast deficit.
- Councilmembers have long disagreed over the best way to address crime, with progressives like McKee-Rodriguez and Castillo often calling for approaches that tackle the root cause of crime over adding more officers.
What they're saying: "Public safety is the most fundamental responsibility of city government," Spears said in a statement. "When independent experts evaluate our police staffing needs and recommend a path forward, we must listen and execute."
The other side: "We believe that staffing decisions are most appropriately addressed through the regular budget process, where they can be considered alongside other city priorities," like affordable housing, Animal Care Services and infrastructure, the other five councilmembers wrote in their memo.
Between the lines: The city and police union are locked in negotiations now over a new contract that will determine officers' pay in the next budget.
What we're watching: How the divided council will choose a new police chief.
- Longtime Chief William McManus will retire by September. The city manager is in charge of hiring a new police chief, but the City Council must approve the appointment.
What's next: It's unclear whether Walsh will schedule the nonbinding vote requested by the three councilmembers. A city spokesperson did not immediately have a response to Axios' request for information on a potential meeting.