San Antonio officials pitch $91.9 million 2026 budget for convention centers; $23.3 million in capital work proposed

City budget staff on Tuesday outlined a proposed $91.9 million fiscal 2026 spending plan for San Antonio’s convention and event facilities and said the city is proposing $23.3 million in capital improvements at the Henry B. González Convention Center and the Alamodome.

The presentations, given at a Sept. 2 budget workshop, said the city funds for those facilities are supported largely by the city’s hotel occupancy tax (HOT). Justina Tate, director of Budgets for the City of San Antonio, reported the city’s current combined HOT rate is 16.75 percent and said the city projects a 4 percent increase in collections for 2025 compared with 2024 and a further 2.6 percent increase in 2026 tied to growth in short-term rentals and stronger collection by platforms.

City staff told the council the proposed 2026 package would devote roughly $59.2 million to operations for the convention center and Alamodome. The proposed budget also includes $2.9 million for Visit San Antonio incentives, $1.4 million from the general fund for the Carver cultural center, $4.4 million for the state reimbursement program (a program that returns certain eligible municipal investments), and $23.3 million for capital projects…