San Antonio mayor and new City Council pledge housing, infrastructure and public safety

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones and the newly sworn City Council used their inauguration remarks to outline policy priorities for the 2025–2029 term, emphasizing housing, infrastructure and public safety.

The remarks, given during the public inauguration ceremony at San Antonio City Hall, framed the next four years as a period for addressing housing affordability and preventing displacement, repairing roads and sidewalks, strengthening public-safety resources and confronting an expected budget shortfall in 2026 and 2027.

The new council and mayor said they will prioritize residents’ day-to-day needs. Council member Marina Alderete Gavito cited infrastructure work already completed in her district and called for continued investment: “We invested over $12,000,000 to repair 143 streets and we filled thousands of potholes,” and she said the city dedicated nearly $5,000,000 to new and improved sidewalks. Council member Phyllis Villagran warned of a looming fiscal challenge, saying the city faces a “projected deficit in 2026 and 2027” and that the council must protect South Side investments while addressing those gaps.

Council member Jalen McKee Rodriguez said the council would press policies intended to keep tenants in place, stating, “We’ll fight to prevent displacement with policy and passion.” He also framed broader goals—housing, health, arts and equity—as core to his agenda. Council member Mark White summarized the council’s practical focus, saying officials should ask every day how limited resources most directly improve residents’ lives and identifying three central priorities: “public safety, infrastructure [and] economic development.”

Other council members highlighted district-specific needs. Council member Terry Castillo spoke about community relationships and ensuring fair investment in District 5, and Council member Rick Galvan and others thanked residents and staff and signaled an intention to work on neighborhood safety and quality-of-life issues. Several council members referenced previous investments and programs they helped advance and urged collaboration with city staff; City Manager Eric Walsh, City Attorney Andy Segovia and City Clerk Debbie Rokositter were present and were acknowledged during the ceremony.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized the council’s local focus: repairing streets and sidewalks, investing in parks and green space, expanding animal-care services and mental-health response alternatives, and finding ways to increase housing supply downtown and across neighborhoods. Specific items named in remarks included ongoing sidewalk and street repairs, a federal park grant cited by Alderete Gavito of $3,250,000 (matched dollar-for-dollar), and previously allocated funds McKee Rodriguez described as “hundreds of millions” for programs he said would have long-term impact.

The inauguration also included ceremonial elements — an oath of office administered by the city clerk, the presentation of colors and remarks from community leaders — but the substantive portion of the program consisted of the mayor and councilmembers laying out policy priorities and flagging the budget constraints the council will face. None of the remarks included formal motions, votes, or enacted ordinances; councilmembers described goals and commitments for the coming term rather than binding actions.

The council will next move into regular meetings and the budget process, where officials and staff will translate the stated priorities into proposals and spending decisions. Council members said they intend to use the transition and early meetings to set budget priorities and pursue the programs and investments they discussed at the inauguration.