SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai laid out what he described as his administration’s accomplishments during his final State of the County address, delivered as he prepares to leave office after losing in the primary.
Speaking to a room of business executives and community leaders, Sakai pointed to avoiding a property tax increase, investing in mental health and thousands of manufacturing jobs added to the area.
“We are building a better Bexar, a stronger Bexar, a Bexar that cares for its families,” Sakai said. “We have a $5.7 billion investment by our local economic development packages with nearly 8,000 jobs, so we got tremendous growth, especially on the southwest sector of Bexar County.”
He repeated that sentiment with reporters afterward.
“We have focused in on basic needs of the county government,” Sakai said. “We have met and have supported children through the internet broadband, through mental health services, and helping support our educational system. We have accomplished much in spite of all the challenges that have happened in my four years.”
One of those challenges is how to fund a new home for the Spurs through Project Marvel. KSAT’s Olivia Dague asked whether he felt confident in the deal the county got compared with the city’s.
“All I can say is what has already happened, and that is the county supported Propositions A and B,” Sakai said. “They passed with the county vote, including the voters from the City of San Antonio. The county has continued to work towards a new Spurs arena. I think the city of San Antonio is obviously still having discussions on what perhaps Project Marvel is to be.”
Sakai also said the county brought billions of dollars of investment into the manufacturing industry, and that companies including IEM and Toyota will bring in thousands of jobs.
Dague also asked whether he was leaving projects on the table that he wished he had seen through. Sakai said no.
“We have planted seeds as I indicated in my state of the county,” he said, adding that he has “put the county in the best place. I have left it in a better place than when I got it.”
Sakai said that before his term ends this year, he will continue working to get an aerospace company in the Czech Republic to invest in the area and bring more jobs.
Sakai’s term ends at the end of the year, after he lost the Democratic primary election to former Mayor Ron Nirenberg. He’ll face Republican Patrick Von Dolen in the November general election. Sakai declined to endorse a candidate, but his advice to his predecessor was to ‘be ready to go to work’.
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