City Council Sends Workforce Development Plan to the Ballot  

August 16, 2020 - San Antonio

By Jade Esteban Estrada - Staff Writer, San Antonio Sentinel

By a 9-2 vote, San Antonio City Council moved forward Thursday with a special election to be held on November 3, 2020 to utilize 1/8th of a cent Sales and Use Tax funds to provide for workforce development and higher education initiatives, in accordance with Chapter 379A of the Texas Local Government Code. 

For the past several months, City Council has prioritized helping residents who have suffered a job loss and are also looking into revitalizing those businesses that have been shuttered and have suffered economic devastation because of the coronavirus crisis.

“Due to Covid-19 pandemic, an estimated 160,000 residents have applied for unemployment assistance,” said District 3 Councilmember Rebecca Viagran in a statement. “It’s imperative that we understand the importance of investing in our city’s workforce, and I believe we have come up with an economic strategy that would provide quality programming that would offer training, education, along with upskilling opportunities, and wraparound services for our city’s workers.” 

Viagran believes that by placing this initiative on the November ballot, it will allow voters the opportunity to change the trajectory of our city.

District 10 Councilmember Clayton Perry voted against adding the initiatives to the ballot, which would allocate tax funds for job training and scholarship purposes in a plan not to extend beyond December 31, 2025. 

The tax was previously authorized by voters for the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program (EAPP) and Linear Creekways.

“While workforce development is a wonderful opportunity for those who are interested, it is not the shot in the arm that San Antonio needs presently,” said Perry in a press release. “Our neighbors and business owners need assistance now, not years from now.”

Additionally, Perry pointed out that the proposition does not allow voters the opportunity to vote on the EAPP and Linear Creekways. 

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“As proposed, the EAPP would be shifted to SAWS which brings up more issues, as it has the potential to negatively impact the City’s General Fund by taking on more debt,” he said, adding that with the extra responsibility, SAWS will likely have to raise their rates. 

“The burden of funding the EAPP will lie squarely on the SAWS ratepayers in San Antonio, whereas the sales tax is spread across everyone that spends on sales tax eligible items in San Antonio. Additionally, I am not convinced that there is money saved by having Bexar County take over Linear Creekways. As Bexar County residents, we will still be paying that tax.” 

Overall, Perry believes that the approved plan had “far too many questions and not enough answers,” which is why he voted against adding the initiatives to the ballot. 

“Ultimately, the power is in the hands of the voters, and I am looking forward to seeing what will happen come November,” he said. 

Like Perry, District 1 Councilmember Roberto Treviño also opposed the vote against the Sales and Use Tax proposition, which was brought before the dais earlier this year.

“This plan has potential to provide residents with opportunities for furthering their education and access to new employment; however, we are in the midst of a pandemic and our community is expressing their need for immediate help,” Treviño said in a statement. “Families across San Antonio, and across District 1, are looking to us, their local government and their last line of defense, for support. They are fighting to stay in their homes, keep their families fed, and are searching for outlets that allow their children to safely participate in school.”

While considering this item, Treviño drew upon his experience as the child of a working single mother in the Rio Grande Valley. 

“[My mother] selflessly gave everything she had to ensure that my brother and I had a roof over our heads,” he recounted. “Her priorities were ensuring that she provided stability for her children.” The opportunity for Treviño's mother to consider furthering her education and going to college was not a feasible one.

“Limited access to resources and services, as well as food insecurity are the pressing concerns of families struggling to make ends meet, just as mine did so many years ago,” the councilman continued.

“The success of any program will be measured by the outcomes of its participants. With that being said, the likely participants are going to be the ones with viable chances of successfully completing the program.” 

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Although District 5 Councilmember Shirley Gonzales voted for the Sales and Use Tax election that will give residents the option to reallocate the sales tax from the Edwards Aquifer Protection and Linear Trails programs to workforce development and education programs for Covid-19 recovery, she said many questions remain on how the plan will be implemented.  

“Our city, families and businesses are facing a once in a generation threat to its overall wellbeing, so we must act,” said Gonzales, who is a small business owner.

“But I’m concerned that we do not act in haste, and that we consider how some of the processes in the plan follow old models or reiterate old programs,” she said, adding that the times are calling for innovative thinking and new ideas.

District 8 Councilmember Manny Pelaez voted for the broad strokes of the plan and placing it on the ballot for the voters.  

“However, the plan only received my vote because I am assured that protections for our aquifer will remain strong and in place for generations to come,” he said.

“I will continue working with the City, the Conservation Advisory Board, CAB Chair Dr. Francine Romero, and the community to ensure sustained funding and protections for the aquifer outside of a sales and tax framework,” he said.

District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval acknowledged that many residents are concerned about the future of the Edwards Aquifer Protection Program. 

“Our city’s future depends on the aquifer’s future. While the mayor and SAWS have identified a temporary funding solution for aquifer protection, no long term solution has been confirmed at this point. On my part, I am currently working to appoint a SAWS Board member with a demonstrated commitment to aquifer protection.”

Sandoval said that when she voted to send the workforce development plan to the ballot, her mind was on San Antonians who are in need of assistance now. 

“We often lament that so many in our city struggle just to get through the day,” Sandoval said in a media release. “With this pandemic, the tight rope they walk every day has become even thinner. They’ve lost loved ones who they depended on, lost their job, and now are at risk of losing their home.”

“When I think about this proposal, my thoughts are with those whose lives are spent in a dire balancing act. That’s who I’d like to see benefit most from this program. I will continue to advocate for the program to help those who most need it.”

If approved, the workforce program will begin training individuals in fall 2021, though many residents need emergency relief now. 

“Our emergency housing assistance fund is dwindling by the moment,” Sandoval warned. “Without additional local investment in this program, we will find ourselves with an even larger eviction and homelessness crisis.”

Looking ahead, Pelaez believes that workforce training at this large scale will benefit big, medium, and small businesses and be a boost to the local economy.

“Given the impact of the pandemic, this program can help lift families out of poverty and help future generations be more resilient by making educational attainment and higher paying employment opportunities more accessible,” he said.

Viagran agrees.

“This is an investment for our people, our future, and for ourselves, and we can change the narrative of the past and build on a stronger tomorrow,” she said.

Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer at the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. He can be reached at jade@sasentinel.com.