Government
BY PARKS KUGLE
Texas Cyber Command celebrates launch at UTSA On Oct. 21, the Texas Cyber Command, or TXCC, celebrated its official launch at the University of Texas San Antonio downtown campus. What happened Protect critical infrastructure and sensitive data cyber threats Texas Cyber Command priorities
Hollywood Park appoints fire chief On Oct. 21, Hollywood Park formally appointed interim Fire Chief Eric Burnside as the city’s permanent fire chief. The details Burnside was first appointed as interim fire chief in 2024 after former Fire Chief Todd Morgan resigned from his role. During his tenure as interim chief, the city council worked on establishing hiring procedures for department heads. Place 4 council member Wendy Gonzalez said Burnside’s tenure has forged stronger bonds with city council. “[The city council] really [does] appre- ciate him, and we’ve seen the change in morale [within the department],” Gonzalez said.
The command center will be led by retired Vice Admiral Timothy James White, who was appointed to the position by Gov. Greg Abbott on Sept. 16. During opening remarks, Taylor Eighmy, UT San Antonio president, said the university’s programs and facilities are at the state’s disposal. “To advance the command’s mission, UT San Antonio stands ready to contribute subject matter expertise and state-of-the-art facilities to help build a robust cyber defense infrastructure for the state of Texas … ” Eighmy said. White said TXCC is incredibly important for the state due to the heightened risks of cybersecurity attacks. Council discusses vision for San Antonio During the Metro SA Chamber’s City Vision event Oct. 14, City Council members shared their approach to city development. The gist Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said that the City Council’s job is to balance developing the city’s economy with reducing poverty. She also mentioned securing well-paying jobs in manufacturing and cybersecurity. “[Every council member’s] job is to do two things, which is to reduce persistent poverty in our community, and to make ourselves as economically competitive as possible,” Jones said.
Work with federal, state and other partners to anticipate cyber threats
Conduct digital forensic investigations to support law enforcement
Enhance the state’s cyber incident response capabilities
SOURCE: UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT SAN ANTONIO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
Looking ahead TXCC is currently housed at UT San Antonio’s San Pedro I building, and is reviewing applications for principal staff.
Bexar County voters approve venue sales tax Bexar County voters approved Propositions A and B, which cleared the way for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo to transform the county’s Eastside properties into its permanent home, and fund 25% , or $311 million , of the new downtown Spurs Arena. The details 248,428 out of 1.3 million registered Bexar Nov. 4 election: Bexar County propositions Votes for Votes against
Bexar County voters approved Propositions A and B on the Nov. 4 ballot, according to unofficial results from the county’s election office.
Proposition A: Coliseum Complex Venue Project
County voters cast ballots in the Nov. 4 election. 55.91% of voters supported Proposition A, while 44.09% voted against it. Proposition B was backed by 52.14% of voters, with 47.86% voting against it. Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said in a statement that she will continue to work with community leaders to prioritize progress and affordability downtown. “Our urban core represents an opportunity to remake a vital part of our city—one that can drive economic activity, create quality jobs, and add affordable housing stock that our community desperately needs,” Jones said in the statement. A spokesperson for the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo said the historic vote marks a step forward in the community. “Voters have placed their trust in us with an investment that will allow us to grow, and in turn,
44.09%
Proposition B: Arena Venue Project 55.91% 52.14%
47.86%
Bexar County registered voter turnout
Cast ballots: 19.3% Did not vote: 80.7% Total: 1.3 million
registered voters
“As we look at some of these major generational opportunities, it’s really ... a conversation about how to prioritize things that we would like to see in our community.” GINA ORTIZ JONES, SAN ANTONIO MAYOR
SOURCE: BEXAR COUNTY ELECTIONS/COMMUNITY IMPACT
enable the community to benefit,” the spokesper- son for the rodeo said. “The Rodeo will continue working to earn that trust, expand our nonprofit efforts and strengthen our mission of supporting the youth of Texas.”
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NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION
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