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Former San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and current Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai face off at Stable Hall on Tuesday. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\nFormer San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and current Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai face off at Stable Hall on Tuesday. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\n
The Democratic contenders for Bexar County\u2019s top elected position came out swinging during a Tuesday night debate, as Ron Nirenberg blasted incumbent Judge Peter Sakai as a flip-flopper and his opponent accusing the former mayor of environmental hypocrisy. <\/p>\n
During the bruising event at the Pearl\u2019s Stable Hall Peter, Sakai tried to explain where he stood on Project Marvel and expressed support for a regional jail while opposing a new county jail. Meanwhile, Nirenberg fought back accusations that he\u2019s cosplaying as an environmentalist. Despite the lack ideological distance between the pair, they seemed determined to punch it out over policy. <\/p>\n
The debate is important because in the winner of the Democratic primary is likely the general election shoo-in for deep blue Bexar County. <\/p>\n
Sparks flew shortly after a moderator asked Sakai to clarify his stance on Project Marvel after he tried to distance himself from the $4 billion sports-and-entertainment district at a separate debate last week on the East Side.<\/p>\n
Sakai said he still supports both Propositions A and B, which approved public financing for a new Spurs arena while allowing the county\u2019s visitor tax to fund improvements at Frost Bank Center and the Stock Show & Rodeo grounds. However, he explained that he opposes the larger Project Marvel, of which the new Spurs arena is a part.<\/p>\n
\u201cProject Marvel was the city of San Antonio,\u201d Sakai said. \u201cThat was done in secret, without the involvement of the county. I was given a 30-minute briefing last year, and that was the extent of it. I still don\u2019t know what Project Marvel is.\u201d<\/p>\n
In addition to the NBA arena, the Project Marvel scheme would include new hotels, retail space, restaurants, apartments and other amenities located downtown. A land bridge and new performing arts facility have also been bandied about as possible components.<\/p>\n
Nirenberg jabbed, accusing Sakai of not making sense. Under the plan for the Spurs arena, the $800-plus million in public financing for the project would be paid off with tax revenue generated by the development around the facility, the former mayor pointed out.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeter Sakai put [Project Marvel] on the ballot, he cut videos to support it and then was onstage saluting victory for it,\u201d Nirenberg said. \u201cI\u2019m not sure what the 180 [degree turn] is about, but let me remind folks the arena doesn\u2019t happen without the investments that are part of Project Marvel. He knows that they\u2019re part of the funding mechanism.\u201d<\/p>\n
Guajolote Ranch<\/p>\n
Sakai got a chance to throw a haymaker of his own. He targeted Nirenberg over Guajolote Ranch, the controversial Northwest Bexar County housing development that opponents worry will contaminate the Edwards Aquifer.<\/p>\n
Sakai accused Nirenberg, during his time at City Hall, of allowing San Antonio Water System to green light Lennar Corp.\u2019s request for a wastewater permit for the development. <\/p>\n
Nirenberg, who\u2019s positioned himself staunch opponent of the project during the current campaign, denied the claim.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe San Antonio Water System approved delivering water to the Guajolote Ranch development, and in the process, [the city] did not approve wastewater treatment,\u201d Nirenberg responded. \u201cSo now they have to go to the state to try to get wastewater service, which is the battle that\u2019s going on now.\u201d<\/p>\n
SAWS approved providing water to the Guajolote Ranch while Nirenberg was mayor, however, the current council, led by Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, last week denied Lennar\u2019s request for a Municipal Utility District, hindering the developer\u2019s ability to finance the proposed wastewater plant.<\/p>\n
Sakai also accused Nirenberg of diverting money away from protecting the Edwards Aquifer to fund his signature Ready to Work jobs program. Despite the city investing more than $200 million in the training initiative, critics maintain it\u2019s yielded few substantial job placements. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou were an environmentalist, and you moved away from that,\u201d Sakai told his opponent.<\/p>\n
Even so, decision to reallocate funding was voter approved, and Nirenberg spearheaded a new funding mechanism for protecting the aquifer.<\/p>\n
Jails<\/p>\n
Nirenberg clapped back, though, accusing Sakai of another flip-flop \u2014\u00a0this time on the issue of whether Bexar County needs another jail.<\/p>\n
Despite overcrowding at the county\u2019s existing facility \u2014 the site of inmate deaths and a foiled murder-for-hire plot \u2014\u00a0Sakai reaffirmed that he\u2019s against building another lockup for the Sheriff\u2019s Office.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you build it, we will fill it \u2026 which means it will be filled with people of color, and that\u2019s still an issue that plagues our criminal justice system,\u201d Sakai responded. <\/p>\n
However, later in the debate, the judge appeared to make a U-turn, saying that he\u2019s working with State Rep. Barbra Gervin-Hawkins, D-San Antonio, to build a new \u201cregional jail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, that\u2019s more breaking news,\u201d Nirenberg quipped. \u201cNow he wants a new jail. I thought you weren\u2019t for that.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, it\u2019s a regional jail,\u201d Sakai responded.<\/p>\n
The exchange elicited giggles from the crowd. However, it was unclear whether audience members were laughing at Nirenberg, Sakai, or both.<\/p>\n
For his part, Nirenberg has remained consistent during the campaign about supporting a new jail. More recently, he\u2019s also advocated for a diversion center to reduce capacity at the existing site. The former mayor has said he would work with University Health to build a center focused on mental health treatment for those accused of crimes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bexar County Adult Detention Center Facility has become a de facto mental health institution and homeless shelter,\u201d Nirenberg said. \u201cThat\u2019s wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n
Early voting for the March 3 Democratic Primary begins Feb. 17.<\/p>\n
Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.<\/a><\/p>\n Follow us:\u00a0Apple News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Google News<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0NewsBreak<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Reddit<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Instagram<\/a>\u00a0|\u00a0Facebook\u00a0<\/a>| Twitter<\/a>\u00a0| Or sign up for our\u00a0RSS Feed<\/a><\/p>\n Related Stories<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t \n\t\t\t\t\tAt weekend candidate forum, Sakai \u2014\u00a0who voted to put Project Marvel on the ballot \u2014\u00a0said he \u2018did not support\u2019 the project, adding it will do \u2018nothing for the East Side.\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
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