Former San Antonio Council members make ultimate push to sway voters in opposition to Prop B

Politics make for unusual bedfellows. 

Certainly, three former metropolis council members — two conservatives and a progressive — made a ultimate push Monday to induce Bexar County voters to reject Proposition B, which might assist publicly finance a brand new Spurs enviornment.  

If handed, Prop B would elevate Bexar County’s customer tax to 2% to assist publicly finance a brand new NBA enviornment at Hemisfair. The customer tax hike will permit the county to contribute $311 million towards the mission.

Approval of the measure additionally would additionally validate the town’s time period sheet with the Spurs, which incorporates one other $489 million financed by gross sales and property taxes at and round Hemisfair. 

Though the Spurs and its pro-arena political motion committee, the Win Collectively PAC, argue that solely guests can pay for the $1.3 billion enviornment, the three former council members convened a press convention in entrance of Metropolis Corridor to say the deal doesn’t cross the scent check.

“It’s not free cash, of us. It’s debt that needs to be paid again by you and me right here on this metropolis,” mentioned former District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, often known as a conservative naysayer. “Don’t allow them to say it’s going to be paid for [by tourists]. It gained’t, as a result of we’ve got to pay for it.”

Perry was referring to what would occur to the debt incurred by the county and the town if income from guests, gross sales and property taxes doesn’t meet expectations. Certainly, different cities that used comparable financing mechanisms, together with Worcester, Massachusetts, needed to dip into their normal income funds to repay a minor league baseball stadium. 

In the meantime, Greg Brockhouse — a former District 6 councilman who ran two populist mayoral campaigns — accused the Spurs of working a politically divisive marketing campaign and interesting in ethically questionable techniques. 

“The Spurs have divided our neighborhood, they usually’re pitting Republicans in opposition to Democrats,” Brockhouse mentioned. 

Brockhouse was referring to a textual content message Win Collectively despatched out final month — allegedly to registered Democrats — warning that gross sales tax income could be returned to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott if voters reject the world proposition. 

“Anyone who tells you this isn’t a tax improve is mendacity to you, and there are a whole lot of mouthpieces that the Spurs are paying proper now,” Brockhouse mentioned. “Go take a look at the marketing campaign finance reviews. They’re shopping for loyalty throughout this metropolis with {dollars}, meals, free tickets and transportation.”

Brockhouse continued: “These are main marketing campaign violations. The Spurs and the folks not submitting these reviews are violating marketing campaign finance legal guidelines.”

In an announcement to the Present, Spurs Sports activities & Leisure Company Communications liaison Liberty Swift mentioned the Win Collectively PAC had native content material creators to advertise Prop. B. Nonetheless, she mentioned the franchise has meticulously adopted marketing campaign ethics guidelines.

“These sponsored posts had been disclosed by the creators, adopted Texas Ethics Fee guidelines and FTC steerage, and will probably be absolutely reported on the PAC’s marketing campaign finance filings,” Swift mentioned. “To be clear, nobody was paid to vote or to vote on a sure manner.”

Professor Heywood Sanders, a UT-San Antonio professor emeritus of public coverage, was additionally spoke on the presser. He instructed voters that earlier than the polls open tomorrow, they need to take into consideration guarantees made concerning the Alamodome and Frost Financial institution Middle, each of which metropolis leaders mentioned would result in sturdy financial growth of their respective neighborhoods. 

“On the subject of this, notice you’ve been taken benefit of earlier than,” mentioned Sanders, who additionally writes a periodic column for the Present. “You’ve been given unfulfilled guarantees earlier than. Even if you happen to deeply love and take care of the Spurs, now could be the time to say, ‘That is the unsuitable deal on the unsuitable time.’” 

Former District 1 Mario Bravo didn’t attend the press convention. Nonetheless, he did air his considerations concerning the new enviornment and broader Undertaking Marvel in a current telephone name with the Present. 

“There’s a historical past of the town not negotiating good offers with main companies, native companies, and so we will’t simply belief the town and provides them a clean verify to do that,” Bravo mentioned.

Bravo continued: “There’s this faith, virtually like a illness, that we have to spend money on downtown. We’re going to revitalize downtown and do all these things. And funding is sweet. However, it’s not a sensible funding if it doesn’t produce the end result that they claimed it might.”

Bravo mentioned he tried to print his considerations in a San Antonio Report op-ed, however the publication declined as a result of they mentioned their protection of the subject had been in depth. 

“The definition of comprehensiveness is that you just lined all points,” Bravo mentioned. “So, the Report’s protection has been in depth, however not complete, as a result of it hasn’t lined this concern.”

Polls will probably be open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Tuesday. Info on polling places is accessible on the Bexar County Election Division’s web site. 

The Spurs will host a watch occasion on the River North Ice Home for pro-arena voters, whereas activist group COPS/Metro, which led the push in opposition to Prop B, will maintain its election night time soiree at Southtown’s Pleasant Spot. 

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