COMPILED BY EDMOND ORTIZ
Bexar County Commissioners Court Will meet May 17 and 19 and June 7 at 9 a.m. MEETINGSWE COVER Bexar County Courthouse, 100 Dolorosa St., Ste. 2.01 210-335-2011 • www.bexar.org Hill Country Village City Council Will meet May 19 at 5 p.m. 116 Aspen Lane • 210-494-3671 www.hcv.org Hollywood Park City Council Will meet May 17 at 6 p.m. 2 Mecca Drive • 210-494-2023 www.hollywoodpark-tx.gov San Antonio City Council Will meet May 19 and June 2 and 9 at 9 a.m. 114 W. Commerce St. • 210-207-7040 www.sanantonio.gov Shavano Park City Council Will meet May 23 at 6:30 p.m. 900 Saddletree Court 210-493-3478 www.shavanopark.org authorized the Hollywood Park Economic Development Corp. to extend $125,000 toward the project. HOLLYWOOD PARK Todd Kounse won the City Council Place 2 election on May 7, receiving 67.8% of the vote against Michael Hall. A political newcomer, Kounse, who is a local businessman and insurance adjuster, succeeds Place 2 Council Member Debbie Trueman, who declined a re-election bid. CITY HIGHLIGHTS SANANTONIO Residents have been invited to give input on the city’s redistricting draft plan. A news release said a proposed map in the plan better balances the city’s population of 1.4 million across 10 City Council districts by moving council boundaries. According to the city’s release, most of the redistricting lies between the boundaries of districts 1, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9. A final draft of the plan will be shared with City Council in the summer 2022. A date has not yet been set. The draft plan can be found at www.saspeakup.com/M6152. Visit www.sabexarcountmein.org for more information. HOLLYWOOD PARK City Council on April 19 awarded a $299,000 contract to All Pro Construction, which will work to extend the rear end of the fire station bay more than 20 feet by November. City officials said extending the fire station bay will help to accommodate a custom- designed 44-foot-long ladder truck that Wisconsin company Pierce Manufacturing is building for the Hollywood Park Fire Department. The new $1.6 million fire truck will replace the fire department’s 20-year-old ladder truck, according to local officials. The council also
Bonds OK’d in SanAntonio, NISD; 2NEISD trustees lose SAN ANTONIO Voters approved bonds floated by the city of San Antonio and Northside ISD in the May elections. Two of six propositions contained in San Antonio’s record $1.2 billion bond each passed with more than 71% of the vote. The other four propositions each received at least 59% or more. City officials said San Antonio’s bond will support projects citywide affecting roads, drainage, parks, libraries, public safety facilities and affordable housing development. Also on May 7, NISD voters approved a $992 million bond that will fund a new elementary school on the far West Side and upgrades to all existing campuses and facilities. Officials in San Antonio and NISD each said bond approval would not raise their respective property tax rates. Some critics complained about the sizes of the bonds and claimed neither entity was forthcoming about the long-range effects that new bond debts will have on property taxes. Elsewhere, North East ISD held winner-takes-all elections for three school board seats. Two trustees were upset by political newcomers. Castle Hills resident Diane Sciba Villarreal won the District 3 post with 57.8%, defeating Omar Leos, who was appointed to the board in 2019. Marsha Landry collected 41.5% in her narrow victory in District 7, unseating incumbent Sandy Winkley, who fin- ished with 40.5%. Former trustee Joseph Trevino finished last with 17.9%. With 40.5%, District 2 Trustee Terri Williams won a second term, fending off a challenge from Jacqueline Klein and Rhonda Rowland. The next Election Day on May 24 will see some area voters casting ballots to settle GOP and Democratic party runoffs from the Primaries in March. Races include the Bexar County judge Democratic election between Peter Sakai and Ina Minjarez, as well as Republicans Elisa Chan and Mark Dorazio for Texas House
ELECTION RESULTS In the May 7 election, 91,656—or 7.6%—of registered Bexar County voters, including those in San Antonio, cast a ballot.
City of San Antonio bond
For 46,192 (71.35%) Proposition A (roads, sidewalks) Against 18,544 (28.65%)
For 46,574 (71.94%) Proposition B (drainage)
Against 18,166 (28.06%)
Proposition C (parks)
For 41,783 (64.69%)
Against 22,806 (35.31%)
For 41,802 (64.65%) Proposition D (libraries, cultural facilities) Against 22,854 (35.35%) For 41,831 (65.09%) Proposition E (public safety facilities) Against 22,434 (34.91%)
For 38,566 (59.79%) Proposition F (affordable housing) Against 25,934 (40.21%)
SOURCE: BEXAR COUNTY/COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
District 122, and Democrats Claudia Zapata and Ricardo Villarreal for U.S. House District 21. Winners will advance to the Nov. 8 general elections. Early voting for the primary runoff elections will be held from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. May 16-20. Visit www.bexar.org/1568/ Elections-Department for polling details.
Officials seek tax relief amid high home appraisals
HOWTO PROTEST HOME APPRAISALS
$12,500 homestead exemption for disabled residents BEXAR COUNTY $5,000 homestead exemption
SANANTONIO City leaders are requesting property tax relief to help residents affected by skyrocketing home values, which have risen more than 20% in the past year, according to the Bexar Appraisal District. Mayor Ron Nirenberg and City Council members Manny Pelaez, John Courage and Clayton Perry issued Property tax exemptions available to local eligible homeowners: CITY OF SANANTONIO $5,000 homestead exemption Maximum $65,000 exemption for property owners ages 65 and over
working families that are just now recovering from the economic trauma of the pandemic,” Courage said. Perry said he would also like to see the city cut its tax rate of $0.558 per $100 valuation. Bexar County homeowners had until May 16 to file a protest by mail or online of their appraisal, which affects the taxes due in 2023. Protest request details can be found on the homeowner’s appraisal notice and at www.bcad.org. SOURCES: BEXAR APPRAISAL DISTRICT, CITY OF SAN ANTONIO, BEXAR COUNTY/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
statements pledging to back some form of tax relief when the city devel- ops its fiscal year 2023-24 budget. Local officials voiced support for expanding existing city property tax exemptions. Applications for home- stead exemptions had to be submitted by May 1. “This relief is meant to target
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NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION • MAY 2022
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