Final 12 months San Antonio tightened its belt to stability town funds, this 12 months it searched “between the cushions of the couch” for further income.
Dealing with a funds deficit for the second 12 months in a row, metropolis leaders once more prevented a tax charge enhance.
However fairly than making the powerful cuts some members have been calling for to resolve a ballooning drawback, metropolis leaders raised charges elsewhere — together with costlier parking tickets and an elevated parks price on residents’ utility payments.
In addition they back-tracked on a plan to reinvest CPS Power income in utility tasks — a transfer that was meant to assist mitigate a charge enhance that will be handed on to the utility’s ratepayers subsequent 12 months.
“The [budget] crew introduced us … a possibility to boost taxes, and we stated, ‘No.’ Now we’ve got elevated charges,” Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3) stated at a funds work session Wednesday. “We’ve to take care of the fact that we’re going to must ask for a rise someplace.”
Final 12 months Metropolis Council thought of utilizing CPS Power income to make up for a funds deficit as a substitute of reinvesting it, however then-Mayor Ron Nirenberg was among the many greatest opponents of the thought, arguing that larger vitality payments “fall hardest on those that are decrease earnings.”
Thursday’s funds was accepted 11-0, with two proposed amendments so as to add greater than the budgeted 40 extra cops failing 4-7.
Council accepted the price will increase unanimously on a separate vote.
A council divided
Anticipating a funds deficit, this 12 months metropolis workers regarded excessive and low for potential financial savings, together with asking division leaders to put out how they might method across-the-board cuts.
When the scaled-down funds got here again earlier than the council this week, nonetheless, most of the proposed cuts had been restored by council members who couldn’t agree on their prime priorities.
Some felt supporting nonprofits has by no means been extra crucial than now, when the assist the federal authorities provides them is threatened and large cuts are coming for the social security internet.
Others argued that it was unacceptable to not enhance the police pressure on the charge they’d beforehand deliberate — and {that a} guide town employed suggested was vital.
Councilman Marc Whyte (D10), for instance, stated he was disillusioned to see elevated charges on residents take the place of significant cuts, but additionally fought to get extra officers into the funds.
“We discovered $27.1 million in funds inefficiencies, … however the truth that we’re elevating charges in sure areas this 12 months in lieu of discovering different locations to chop and to downsize bothers me,” Whyte stated Thursday.
Nearly the entire council supported larger raises for metropolis workers, and likewise added an across-the-board $750 base wage enhance to the already proposed 2% value of residing enhance through the funds modification course of.
To fund the council’s last-minute additions, metropolis workers elevated the Parks Environmental Charge on residents’ CPS Power invoice by 50 cents per 30 days, maxed out the meals institution price and elevated a vacant constructing registration price.
These adjustments will add $9.1 million in income over two years, along with roughly $4 million from different price will increase council accepted Thursday.
Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, who was overseeing her first funds, stated town’s wants will solely enhance when federal cuts come down the pipeline.
Nodding to the continuing push to squeeze more cash out of a possible revenue-sharing settlement by means of the Spurs’ area deal, she stated council ought to be pondering more durable about methods to broaden income coming in.
“We can not take into consideration the funds hole and never take into consideration… how do you get extra cash into the overall fund?” Jones stated. “That’s why [we’ve got to be thoughtful about] issues like naming rights, … a justifiable share from parking, concessions, and many others.”
