San Antonio council to interview Leo Castillo for temporary District 2 seat

San Antonio City Council convened its B session on June 11, 2025, to hear from 13 applicants for a temporary appointment to represent District 2 during Councilman Jalen McKee Rodriguez’s planned leave. Councilmember Cabello moved to bring Leo Castillo back for an interview tomorrow and possible appointment to fill the seat from Aug. 1 through Sept. 30 (or earlier if Councilman McKee Rodriguez notifies the city clerk in writing); the motion carried and the council scheduled further consideration at the next meeting.

The item matters because the appointee would serve during the city’s upcoming budget process, which multiple applicants and council members said will require continuity as the city faces a projected shortfall. City staff and several applicants told the council they would prioritize maintaining ongoing projects and constituent services rather than pursuing new policy during the roughly two-month term.

City Clerk staff outlined the process at the start of the meeting, saying applications were accepted beginning May 19 and that 13 qualified applications had been received by the deadline. The clerk also announced the schedule for interviews and a 30-day orientation requirement for any interim appointee. The council briefly met in executive session under the Texas Government Code to deliberate; “No official action was taken in executive session,” the city clerk said when the meeting reconvened.

Alicia Williams Hill, director of constituent services for Councilman McKee Rodriguez, delivered a staff recommendation during public comment. “We believe he [Leo Castillo] will hit the ground running, not to make sweeping changes, but to uphold the progress we’ve made and continue the work without disruption,” Williams Hill said, and later explicitly recommended Castillo: “our team would like to respectfully recommend Leo Castillo as the interim representative for District 2.”

Other public commenters and applicants echoed that theme. Mondo Flores of Ask Me Local 2021 said his organization met with Castillo and voiced support for his interim selection. Applicants who addressed the council emphasized experience with district projects, community engagement and the importance of working with existing District 2 staff. Several applicants—representing backgrounds in neighborhood associations, small business, nonprofit housing work, veterans’ service and finance—said they would follow the councilman’s priorities and rely on staff guidance, given the short duration of the appointment.

Council discussion after the executive session reflected those priorities. Councilman McKee Rodriguez thanked applicants and staff and said he had been “impressed by all of your experience and all of your presentation today.” Counsel and staff clarified that the executive session had been a deliberation about candidates’ materials and that no appointment would be final until the council reconvenes to interview and vote.

Councilmember Cabello moved the specific action to bring Castillo back for an interview tomorrow and possible appointment for the August–September period. The motion carried; the record of individual council votes and any second were not specified in the public portion of the meeting. The council will reconvene tomorrow to question Castillo further and may take final action then.

The meeting closed after the vote; the council noted the B-session adjournment and reminded attendees of a 5 p.m. public comment period later that day.