SAN ANTONIO \u2013 Two of San Antonio\u2019s most popular services, parks and libraries, are among the departments expected to make cuts as the city tightens its belt.<\/p>\n
But while if the city wants to avoid a tax increase, the taxes could go much deeper. <\/p>\n
City staff are proposing a mix of cuts, tax increases, and higher fees over the next two years as part of an effort to close a projected $158 million budget deficit in FY 2028.<\/p>\n
Though the city works to balance its budget over a two-year timeframe, the City Council only adopts the budget for one year at a time. So although the city is considering about $90 million in cuts or fund transfers over the course of two years, the council will only vote on the roughly $41 million in the FY 2027 budget.<\/p>\n
While the library system and parks department are both touched by those plans, their cuts have caveats.<\/p>\n
The library system is poised to cut 39 library aide and circulation attendant jobs in FY 2027 \u2014 22 of which are currently filled \u2014 which would save a little under $1 million per year.<\/p>\n
The city has framed the cuts as a way to \u201cright-size\u201d staffing levels as physical circulation drops and automation through services like autorenewals and self-checkout further reduces the amount of book handling. <\/p>\n
\u201cThese branches who are going to be losing these positions, we will see that team impact,\u201d Library Director Sukrit Goswami told KSAT. \u201cThere\u2019s not going to be any reduction in any program, not going to be reduction in service.\u201d<\/p>\n
Goswami said the staff in those positions could be placed in other city jobs. Still, the mayor and several council members have supported keeping the positions in the budget. <\/p>\n
Councilman Edward Mungia (D4) said during a Thursday budget discussion that councilmembers have heard from staff and people concerned about the cuts about the work the library employees are doing \u201cabove and beyond\u201d their roles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s people might say, well, they need to come back and kind of do what they need do on their role, but how do we make sure that we can help accommodate if they\u2019re going above and beyond?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
The Parks & Recreation budget has a longer list of proposed and planned General Fund reductions \u2014 nearly $3 million in FY 2027 and $5 million in FY 2028 \u2014 but most of that is simply shuffling money around rather than true cuts.<\/p>\n
Nearly $6 million worth of positions and costs over the next two years, for example, would simply be paid out of the Parks Environmental Fund instead of the General Fund, propped up by a pair of 25 cent increases to trash fees<\/a>.<\/p>\n Others are true cuts, such as a $200,000 reduction in the $1.2 million of assistance to the San Antonio Botanical Garden or eliminating what Parks & Recreation Director Homer Garcia III says are some already vacant positions and classes with no, or very little, attendance.<\/p>\n He says the proposed cuts would have \u201cminimal impact.\u201d<\/p>\n Across all funds, Parks & Recreation would still have a proposed $120.4 million budget, with $71.1 million from the General Fund. The library system has a proposed $60.8 million budget across all funds, with most \u2014 $58.1 million \u2014from the General Fund.<\/p>\n But the cuts in both departments have potential to be much more severe if the council wants to avoid a tax increase<\/a>. <\/p>\n