In contrast to the 27-candidate mayoral race taking place in San Antonio, a uncommon opening within the Alamo Heights mayor’s workplace this yr has drawn only one candidate for the job.
Longtime Alamo Heights Mayor Bobby Rosenthal, who’s held the place since 2017, determined to not search reelection this yr.
Whereas at the very least two candidates had been actively contemplating the race at one level, solely Al Honigblum, an actual property developer who at present serves on town’s Planning and Zoning Fee, filed to run.
Uncontested races are comparatively widespread in Alamo Heights — a rich enclave simply north of downtown San Antonio that’s house to about 7,300 residents.
Rosenthal ran unopposed for mayor in 2017 and by no means confronted an opponent in his three reelection races.
This yr, three out of 5 Alamo Heights Metropolis Council seats had been up for reelection, however incumbents had been unopposed in every spot: Lawson Jessee in Place 1, Karl P. Baker in Place 2 and Trey Jacobson in Place 5.
Jacobson, a former chief of workers to San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, was appointed to interchange retiring Councilman John Savage in August, and is working for the remaining yr of Savage’s time period. The seat will once more be up for reelection in 2026.
With no contested races, the council and mayoral races have been canceled and the candidates will robotically be sworn in shortly after the Could 3 election.
However Alamo Heights voters will nonetheless produce other points to weigh in on.
Metropolis officers are asking voters to reauthorize a one-half cent gross sales and use tax for the upkeep and restore of current metropolis streets. All Bexar County residents will even get to vote on a proposed $1 billion Alamo Faculties bond.
A developer turned politician
Honigblum, age 67, grew up Northeast San Antonio and began his profession in Houston working in oil and fuel.
He moved to Alamo Heights in 1984, pivoted to actual property, and finally developed Pica Pica Plaza on the South Aspect, the place he launched a meals distribution web site for households through the pandemic.
He’s been carefully concerned in Alamo Heights metropolis politics for roughly 20 years, serving on the Architectural Evaluate Board and Planning and Zoning Fee.
Honigblum stated the thought of working for mayor began off as a joke amongst mates and native politicos.
However after mulling it over, he determined his expertise is likely to be a great match for the position in spite of everything and threw his title within the hat.
He’d already helped draft most of the metropolis’s constructing codes, and stated he has some concepts in thoughts to make Alamo Heights much more “charming.” He’s additionally ready the place he can tackle an unpaid job.
“This isn’t a political enterprise in my profession at my age,” he stated. “I don’t have any political acquire or any political aspirations. That is really, I’ve lot of expertise and quite a lot of time.”
