SAN ANTONIO — As San Antonio braces for severe weather, city leaders are beginning early planning for the city’s 2027 bond program, with flooding and drainage needs emerging as a central focus.
City staff is proposing a $442 million bond package that would require voter approval. The city has identified nearly $5.8 billion in infrastructure needs overall, with flooding described as a major issue because low-water crossings and flood-prone areas can put residents at risk.
“This is just a conversation starter,” officials said as the city works to identify needs, with drainage and flood control top of mind.
“We should be making sure that no one’s at risk of drowning in our city,” Councilman Ric Galvan said.
Flooding has long been a problem in San Antonio, and the city is looking at how to come up with billions of dollars to address drainage and flood control issues. Galvan said District Six includes some of the city’s most dangerous low-water crossings and warned that closures are expected soon.
“We have some of the most dangerous low water crossings in the city in District Six that we’re going to see close over the next few days because significant storms are coming in,” Galvan said.
City staff has identified $2.1 billion in drainage needs alone, far more than what the proposed bond package would cover. The city said potential bond funding could go toward hazard mitigation and the continuation of ongoing and multi-phased projects.
“It’s no secret that certainly drainage needs across our city are a lot. And I think we have a potential out of the $5.8 billion,” Michael Shannon, Director of the Capital Delivery Department said.
City staff is considering more than 100 drainage and flood control projects, but officials said those projects would need to be prioritized.
“We’ll have to prioritize those to make the impact, whether it’s the dangerous low water crossings, regional improvements to take properties out of a floodplain,” Shannon said.
To potentially increase the number of drainage projects that could be funded, council members are debating a possible stormwater-fee increase that could generate about $175 million for drainage projects. The discussion comes after City Council approved a 3.9% property tax increase starting Thursday.
“We’re going to be funding drainage projects across the city that otherwise would go unfunded,” Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez said.
Not all council members agreed on increasing costs to residents. Councilman Marc Whyte warned that raising the bond amount by increasing taxes could trigger backlash.
“If we go and we raise the amount of this bond by increasing taxes, we’re going to have something of a holy war on our hands,” Whyte said.
City Manager Erik Walsh said the proposal still needs review and that more work remains to determine the scope, scale and cost of the projects under consideration.