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June 5th, 2017
Dear Neighbors,
You have no doubt read that the City of San Antonio has joined
MALDEF in suing the State of Texas over Senate Bill 4, dubbed the
"Sanctuary Cities Bill". I remain strongly opposed to this
action. Never in our recent history has the City of San Antonio sued
the State of Texas. I urged my colleagues to consider the potential
unintended consequences of joining the lawsuit, including the
possible withholding of state grant funding. Our city often applies
for grant funding from the State to support local departments and
projects. To jeopardize the approval of these grant funds would be
detrimental to supporting our efforts to strengthen our police
department, our parks, our highways, our historic monuments, and
various other projects.
Additionally, I believe this decision should have been made
during Council A Session, with a chance for the public to weigh in
and a formal vote occurring. While Mayor Ivy Taylor and
Councilman Krier also shared my concerns and voiced concerns of their
own, the majority of Council advised the City to move forward with
the suit. Under our current City Charter, the City has the authority
to pursue litigation without a formal, public Council vote. However,
I believe this is an area of the Charter that should be reviewed and
revised.
Speaking of charter changes, public hearings are in progress
for the City's Charter Review Commission. If you would like to know
more about how the City Charter works, or have a suggestion to make
on our City's rules and regulations, I encourage you to attend the
next meeting on June 7th. We have included a list of meetings and the
Charter Review website in this newsletter for your reference.
Over the weekend, volunteers from the United Way Emerging
Leaders Council, with the help of San Antonio Parks and Recreation,
installed new signs in Lady Bird Johnson Park to mark the new Born
Learning Trail. Each sign features an interactive activity for parents
and children to learn more about our parks, nature, and how to raise
active learners. Earlier last week, Lady Bird Johnson Park's
2012-2017 Bond Program improvements were completed. In addition to a
new playground and dog parks, the park received new lighting and
drainage updates to keep our park safe and accessible. With the
recent rains we've been having, the park's drainage has certainly
been put to the test.
Early voting for the District 10 and Mayoral Run-Off Election
ends tomorrow. The election will be held Saturday, June 10th. We
strongly encourage you to reach out to each candidate and participate
in this important election.
There will be a District 10 Community Meeting on Monday, June
19th, at the Tool Yard. We will be hosting the newly-elected
Councilman for District 10, giving you the opportunity to meet and
greet your new local representative. We will also host
representatives from the City to discuss SA Corridors and Zika
Prevention. I look forward to seeing you all there.
Thank you for being active in your neighborhoods and staying
informed.
-Mike
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