Pending city changes From the cover
Proposition E
How we got here
The city of San Antonio was one of the last major metropolitan cities to begin paying its mayor and council a full-time wage instead of a stipend. Beginning in 1951, the San Antonio City Charter stipulated an annual wage of $1,040 for council members and $4,040 for mayor, according to city records. That salary remained unchanged for about 64 years. In 2014, council created the Charter Review Commission by ordinance, according to council documents. That first review commission pro- posed the changes voters then approved allowing council a $45,722 salary and mayor $61,725 in 2015. Proposition E would provide a raise for the City Council and mayor to annual salaries of $70,200 and $87,800 respectively. All annual future adjust- ments must correlate to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development-determined income limits for a San Antonio family of four at 80% and 100% of the area median income respectively.
propositions E and F separately from the rest of the propositions. Proposition E passed with council members Melissa Cabello Havrda, Manny Peláez and Marc Whyte voting against. Proposition F passed with Marina Alderete Gavito, Peláez and Whyte voting against. Council voted in favor of propositions A through D unanimously. The city had until a state deadline of Aug. 19 to add a special election to the Nov. 5 ballot, which already has elections for president, federal and state legislative seats, and some Bexar County positions.
In November 2023, Mayor Ron Nirenberg reconstituted the city’s Charter Review Commission with a revised schedule for the City Council to consider ballot propositions to send to voters in November 2024, according to city documents. They were charged with addressing Ethics Review Board revisions, council compensation and term limits, city manager tenure and compensation, council redistricting, and
updating language in the charter. City Council voted Aug. 8 on adding
Proposition D What it does: Currently all city employees are prohibited from any participation in local politics, down to placing signs in their yards. This measure allows city employees participation without retribution within certain parameters, such not while in uniform or on-the-job. Proposition A What it does: Adds a definition of “conflicts of interest” to the city charter. According to city documents, the city’s ethics code contains sections that address these, but the charter itself does not. This also requires sufficient funding for the Ethics Review Board.
Proposition B What it does: This proposition exists to clean up and in some cases remove archaic language in the city charter, as well as remove old statutes that have been long superseded by state law.
Proposition C What it does: Currently, the city manager is limited to eight years of service, and the most a City Council can opt to pay them is 10 times the lowest-paid city employee. This would remove all limits. Terms of a city manager’s employment would be negotiated by City Council. Proposition F What it does: Currently council members and the mayor are elected to two- year terms and serve up to eight years. This measure would change that to four- year terms and serve up to eight years concurrently.
Compensation packages for Texas city officials
City elected official compensation
Council member
Mayor
Proposition E What it does: This provides a raise for the City Council and mayor to annual salaries of $70,200 and $87,800 respectively, and ties any increases to the U.S. Housing and Urban Development-determined area medium income for a family of four at 80% and 100% AMI respectively.
San Antonio (1951-2015) $1,040
$4,040
San Antonio (2015-current)
$45,722
$61,725
San Antonio (Prop E)
$70,200 $87,800
Austin (current)
$116,688 $134,191
Houston (current)
No response No response
Dallas (current)
$60,000* $80,000*
SOURCE: CITY OF SAN ANTONIO/COMMUNITY IMPACT
*ALSO PROPOSED INCREASES ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER SOURCES: CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, CITY OF DALLAS, CITY OF AUSTIN/COMMUNITY IMPACT
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