SAN ANTONIO \u2013 From trash to parking to ambulance rides, the City of San Antonio is considering raising or creating more than 140 fees, permits, and other revenue sources in the FY 2027 budget.<\/p>\n
The 33-page list of proposed changes in the budget is projected to bring in nearly $99 million across multiple city funds over the next two years. More than $30 million of that would go to the city\u2019s general fund, where the city has been trying to close a projected deficit, which was estimated in June to be $158 million by FY 2028.<\/p>\n
City Manager Erik Walsh said the city probably hadn\u2019t taken such a wholesale approach to changing fees before. While he acknowledged the city was trying to close the budget gap, he said \u201ca lot\u201d of it was based on updating the city\u2019s cost of service.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf there\u2019s a cost of service associated with a use or a city activity, then recovering the cost of service is allowed under state law,\u201d he told reporters. \u201cWe can\u2019t make a profit on that stuff. And so, updating that cost of the service, costs go up all the time, whether they\u2019re labor or equipment. So I don\u2019t necessarily see that as regressive.\u201d<\/p>\n
Walsh said the city needs to get into a position where it updates its revenues to reflect the cost of service annually.<\/p>\n
Some of the proposed changes include:<\/p>\n
LOST LIBRARY BOOKS would cost their list price, instead of just $10 or less, along with a processing fee that could double from $5 to $10<\/p>\n
LIBRARY CARDS for non-San Antonio residents would cost $20<\/p>\n
EMS TRANSPORT fees would rise from $1,500 to $1,700<\/p>\n
ALAMODOME PARKING would cost even more, going from a $10-$60 range, depending on the event, to $15-$75<\/p>\n
ALAMODOME TICKETS would also have a $7.50 Facility Access Fee, instead of the current $6.50<\/p>\n
CREDIT CARD ADMIN FEE of 3% would apply when paying the city, though it may not end up applying to all transactions<\/p>\n
TRASH costs would go up by at least $1.25 per month, between a 75-cent increase to cart fees and a pair of 25-cent increases to the environmental fees<\/p>\n
AIRPORT PARKING would go up by $4 per day for long-term and $1 per day for short-term parking<\/p>\n
PAVILION RESERVATIONS at Camargo, Eisenhower and Rosedale parks would increase<\/p>\n
SPORTS FIELD RESERVATIONS would be a flat $25 fee for San Antonio residents instead of $12-$16<\/p>\n
DANGEROUS DOG licenses would go from $100 to $150, and owners would have to pay $40 for compliance inspections<\/p>\n
USED AUTO PARTS recyclers would pay $5,000 instead of $1,000 for a license<\/p>\n
VACANT LOT CLEAN UP fees would go from $250 to $300<\/p>\n
GARAGE SALE PERMITS would go up by the price of someone else\u2019s bowling trophy, from $16 to $20<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND CHECKS from the San Antonio Police Department would cost $50 instead of $30<\/p>\n
SAPD ACADEMY usage fees for other agencies would go up for facilities like the driving track, tactical village and firing range<\/p>\n
SCHOOL FIRE INSPECTIONS would have a new $545 fee<\/p>\n
GETTING YOUR GUN BACK after being arrested would now take a $75 fee<\/p>\n
AIRBNBs and other short-term rentals would have more expensive permits, with the permits for owner-occupied STRs increasing from $300 to $450 and those for the non-owner-occupied STRs more than doubling from $450 to $1,000<\/p>\n
FIESTA cost recovery for 50% of what the city spends at major events could trickle down<\/a> to party-goers<\/p>\n The city is also considering its first increase to the property tax rate in 34 years. However, none of these will be final until the council passes a budget on Sep. 17.<\/p>\n