{"id":177738,"date":"2026-02-24T08:52:34","date_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:52:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/177738\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T08:52:34","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T08:52:34","slug":"san-antonio-council-will-vote-friday-whether-to-censure-mayor-gina-ortiz-jones","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/177738\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio council will vote Friday whether to censure Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones converses with constituents during a recent town hall. Credit: Michael Karlis<\/p>\n

After three hours of closed-door deliberations, members of City Council said Monday they will move forward with an unprecedented censure vote against Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.<\/p>\n

The vote is slated for Friday, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez told reporters after council\u2019s meeting. The group met in special session to hear the findings of a third-part investigation into a heated discussion between Jones and District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur which raised questions about whether the mayor breached the city\u2019s code of conduct. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not an issue of support,\u201d McKee-Rodriguez said. \u201cOne thing is abundantly clear, and it\u2019s that each of us loves this city very much and we\u2019re passionate. We will not always agree on what\u2019s best for the city or how we get there, but we each have a duty to maintain a work environment that is conducive to that business, and to treat one another with respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

Five councilwomen filed a joint memo<\/a> earlier this month calling for a vote whether to censure Jones over an allegation she berated Kaur being closed doors as council deliberated over the fate of the Bonham Exchange, a long-running LGBTQ+ nightclub that was in violation of city fire code.<\/p>\n

A vote to censure Jones wouldn\u2019t strip of her any power or impose any financial penalty. The largely symbolic move is meant to signal to a member of council that their colleagues want them to rein in their troubling behavior.<\/p>\n

The exact details of the conversation between Jones and Kaur remain murky, and council remained close-lipped after Monday\u2019s executive session. However, city spokesman Brian Chasnoff said the full text of the complaint against the mayor will be posted online once Friday\u2019s council agenda is updated. <\/p>\n

During an appearance Monday on Texas Public Radio talk show The Source, Jones said she raised her voice during the meeting with Kaur and and \u201cdropped the F-bomb.\u201d However, she said she never demeaned her colleague during the discussion.<\/p>\n

In a media statement released after Monday\u2019s closed-door session District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito, a signatory on the complaint who\u2019s butted heads with Jones in the past, said she hopes the upcoming vote will reset civility at City Hall.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an opportunity to reaffirm our shared commitment to professionalism and respect at City Hall, which are fundamental to serving our community,\u201d Alderete Gavito said in a statement. \u201cOur code of conduct sets clear expectations, and upholding them is essential to accountability and to maintain the public\u2019s trust.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whatever the intent behind Friday\u2019s censure vote, UT-San Antonio political scientist Jon Taylor warned that it could have unintended consequences. <\/p>\n

If, for example, discussion reveals the dispute between Jones and Kaur was little more than a loud argument over policy, a vote to censure the mayor could come back and bite some council members on the ass. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt makes them look thin-skinned,\u201d Taylor told the Current. \u201cSan Antonio and Texas politics are a rough-and-tumble world, and you have to have thick skin. You have to be able to roll with the punches and deal with people calling you names and dropping obscenities at you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Taylor said the council members who called for the censure vote also could face blowback if the public perceives the procedure as a waste of time \u2014\u00a0especially in light of serious issues facing the city, including SAWS and CPS rate hikes, a looming budget crisis and the aggressive federal immigration crackdown. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt does nothing but underscores the cynicism people have towards politicians and politics,\u201d the professor said of a public squabble between elected leaders. <\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tDuring a town hall, Jones declined to answer reporters\u2019 questions about the upcoming discussion of a potential censure vote. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tIt\u2019s at least the second time police have arrested someone for making an alleged threat on Jones\u2019 life since she took office less than a year ago. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tAndrew Fuentes is the fourth person to serve in the role since the mayor took office last June. \t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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