<\/p>\n
The South Texas Medical Center in District 8 is an economic driver that provides healthcare to residents from across the city. A bond program that only focuses on Districts 1 through 5 would leave this key area out of infrastructure improvements<\/p>\n
Billy Calzada\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has proposed a city bond program mostly limited to Districts 1 through 5. Such a move divides the city when bond programs should be unifying, our guest columnist writes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sam Owens\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
San Antonio’s next bond program<\/a> presents an opportunity to address some of our city’s most pressing infrastructure needs.<\/p>\n \u00a0It also presents another test of how we approach difficult decisions at City Hall: whether we build consensus around the needs of our entire community or see those decisions become contests between neighborhoods, priorities and the people we represent.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A municipal bond program is one of the most significant tools available to invest in our city’s future. It allows us to make long-term improvements to streets, drainage systems, sidewalks, parks and public facilities that residents depend on every day. These investments should be guided by demonstrated need, infrastructure conditions, urgency, public benefit and community input.<\/p>\n That is why I have serious concerns about Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ recent proposal, now checked by City Council<\/a>, to reserve 85% of the upcoming 2027-2032 bond program for Council Districts 1 through 5. Equitable investment should come from a transparent, needs-based evaluation, not a predetermined distribution that prioritizes geographic boundaries over the merits of individual projects.<\/p>\n San Antonio is not 10 separate territories. Our residents cross district lines every day to work, attend school, access healthcare, support local businesses and enjoy public spaces. A resident of District 8, which I represent, may work downtown, have family on the South Side and travel through several districts to get to school. Improvements made in one part of our city benefit residents throughout San Antonio.<\/p>\n Our infrastructure planning should reflect that reality.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A citywide bond program should begin by identifying the most critical projects across all 10 districts, evaluating them against consistent criteria, and determining where these limited public resources can deliver the greatest long-term benefit, without excluding communities from meaningful consideration before the evaluation even begins.<\/p>\n My concern, however, extends beyond this particular bond proposal. It reflects a recurring theme in how the mayor approaches our most difficult policy decisions.<\/p>\n During the fiscal\u00a02027 budget process, the plan to fund nonprofits morphed into a public contest<\/a> between organizations serving our community. Rather than fostering collaboration and evaluating contributions on their merits, the discussion pitted organizations against one another for limited resources.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n