“Since they pay twice, city voters deserve to vote twice,” Mayor Jones said in a memo asking officials to consider putting SA’s arena contribution before voters.
SAN ANTONIO — Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones wants the public to weigh in once more on the Spurs arena aspect of Project Marvel, specifically on the city’s $489 million contribution.
In a memo sent Friday afternoon to San Antonio City Council, as well as City Manager Erik Walsh and City Attorney Andy Segovia, Jones pitched a potential November vote as one that would allow residents “to weigh in on what the city has negotiated,” specifically highlighting the $75 million in community benefits dollars promised by Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
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“November would allow city voters to vote clearly informed by what they are paying, what they are receiving in return and whether the latter is good enough,” Jones argued in her memo.
Jones has long said she wants the city to get the best possible deal out of its negotiations with the Spurs as it pertains to planning for the team’s $1.3 billion arena, a central component of the city’s downtown sports and entertainment district blueprint.
It’s unclear how a city referendum would impact timelines or negotiations related to the arena project. KENS 5 has reached out to San Antonio officials for clarity.
Reigniting a debate
In August 2025 – after more than three hours of public comment on the topic – City Council voted 7-4 to approve a term sheet between the city and the Spurs, laying out a funding framework for the new arena and general commitments related to the surrounding mixed-use development that the team will oversee. Jones was among the dissenting votes that day, citing a desire to delay and her desire for an independent economic study.
Council members Ric Galvan, Teri Castillo and then-interim Council member Leo Castillo-Anguiano also unsuccessfully voted to reject the term sheet last year. In a May 2026 vote approving two contracts related to Project Marvel planning, however, Jones was the lone nay vote.
Bexar County voters last November approved the county’s arena project contribution of $311 million in hotel room and car rental tax dollars. It was a slim approval of Proposition B – 52.14% to 47.86% – but the measure’s passage effectively triggered the rest of the funding framework as outline in the term sheet.
With the county providing $311 million and the city contributing $489 million, the Spurs are on the hook to pay $500 million for the project expected to cost at least $1.3 billion. The team is also covering cost overruns.
“Since they pay twice, city voters deserve to vote twice,” Jones said in her memo, citing a need to “demonstrate a ruthless level of fiscal responsibility.”
The city has an Aug. 17 deadline to place any measures on the November ballot.
Talks to start soon
Earlier this year, staff told City Council that it wasn’t expecting to start substantial negotiations on Spurs arena details until later this summer, pending the findings of a district cost and revenue study. Officials hoped to have agreed with the team on most terms by the end of 2026, including community benefits, design and construction, economic development and other aspects.
In her memo, the mayor pointed to the city’s “affordability crisis,” specifically highlighting a lower-than-expected 2027 bond capacity; the $157.7 million budget deficit that will be central to fiscal conversations at City Hall next month; and the possibility of a property tax hike in the wake of the budget shortfall.
At a town hall this week, Jones indicated that proposed department cuts could be “more severe” than those previously presented by city staff. City Council will see a proposed budget presentation on Aug. 13.
Jones also said Spurs brass have “indicated they do not want to entertain a revenue-sharing agreement” related to the arena, something she’s also been pushing for over the last year.
District 10 Councilwoman Marc Whyte called Jones’ push for a November vote “ridiculous,” citing last year’s discussion and City Council approval of the funding framework.
“We’ve already had a public debate and vote,” Whyte told KENS 5. “No need to spend taxpayer dollars to do it again. The mayor should not mislead people into thinking the 489 million (dollars) can be used for general fund or basic city services around the city.”
The city’s Spurs arena contribution would be paid for via future lease payments from the team on the city-owned arena, the allocation of incremental property tax growth over time in the downtown area and Project Finance Zone dollars.
District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears also opposed a November vote, saying that “it’s time to respect the will of the voters, move forward with the project and stop creating confusion.”
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez’s office said he supported the idea of giving residents “a voice on this issue.”
Representatives of Spurs Sports & Entertainment said the organization was declining to share a public statement. The team has spent the last few weeks collecting public input at a series community workshops led by Spurs Sports & Entertainment.