District 8 San Antonio Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez confronted a snarky response from the dais Thursday after she proposed altering the dates of Fiesta to extend voter turnout.
Meza Gonzalez’s suggestion got here throughout a council dialogue of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ proposal to maneuver municipal elections from Could to November throughout off-years — a change that will doubtless enhance voter turnout by not having voting happen concurrently SA’s annual citywide get together.
“We may all the time transfer Fiesta. That’s an possibility, and we’d need to take into account that,” Meza Gonzalez mentioned. “We can not transfer the vacations — November, December, chilly climate, Christmas events. We are able to’t do any of that.”
Regardless of in depth analysis exhibiting that shifting municipal elections to November would doubtless enhance turnout and get monetary savings, Jones’ proposal met with pushback Thursday from Meza Goinzalez together with District 9 Councilwoman Misty Spears and District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte.
Even so, Meza Gonzalez was the one opponent of the concept to recommend shifting Fiesta, which historically happens in late Could via early April.
In response, Jones known as Meza Gonzalez’s proposal a “novel” concept.
“Shifting Fiesta doesn’t essentially imply individuals would now affiliate Could with voting, proper?” Jones quipped. “I imply, that looks as if a fair bigger logistical raise than doing this.”
District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez audibly sniffed at Meza Gonzalez’s suggestion, one thing for which he later apologized.
“I had that response as a result of a number of council members in the past in District 2, the concept of reversing the MLK March got here up, and there was an uproar,” McKee-Rodriguez mentioned. “I can solely think about if we introduced up the concept of shifting Fiesta and what that will do and seem like.”
Jones proposed shifting San Antonio’s elections to late November after studying about Dallas Metropolis Council voting final month to maneuver that metropolis’s municipal elections to November. Below Senate Invoice 1494, handed by the Texas Legislature, municipalities statewide have till Dec. 31 to make that election-timing change.
San Antonio Metropolis Council is predicted to vote on the matter subsequent week.
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Associated Tales
Some councilmembers say there isn’t sufficient time for neighborhood enter on shifting off-year municipal elections to November. Jones says that’s not her fault.
Throughout a council debate Wednesday, members raised issues together with how such a transfer would influence faculty districts.
Specialists argue the transfer encourages turnout whereas additionally saving taxpayer cash.
