Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Human Services Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
San Antonio officials outline Human Services budget proposal that shifts grant mix, trims admin roles
Summary
City staff presented a proposed FY2026 Human Services funding plan that increases reliance on state and federal grants, proposes service and staffing realignments and a multi-year delegated-agency contracting approach, and prompted council questions about impacts on seniors, child care providers and vulnerable households.
City staff outlined a proposed fiscal 2026 budget for Human Services and related delegated-agency contracts that would rely more heavily on state and federal grant funding while trimming some city-funded administrative posts.
Jessica Develina, introduced as director of Human Resources for the presentation, said the department’s FY2026 proposal includes roughly $42.2 million from the general fund for program operations and roughly $52.4 million in state and federal funds tied to program delivery and delegated agencies. Develina said the department serves a range of populations — early-education participants, seniors and families — and that some program funding has shifted as services moved between city departments.
The presentation described early-childhood and family supports that staff said reach thousands of children and tens of thousands of residents. Develina said the department’s early-education and family-strengthening work can serve about 3,700 children and “more than 50,000 people” through a mix of direct city programs and delegated agencies. The proposal also includes restructured contracts and a recommendation to extend some delegated-agency contracts to provide multi-year funding stability, with a phased award schedule staff said would return to the council for final direction.
Staff proposed administrative reductions and position realignments intended to reflect duplicative roles and to preserve front-line services. Develina said some administrative and vacant positions would be eliminated or transferred to other departments (including DHS in some cases) and that the department expects to preserve service levels despite the staffing changes.
Council members pressed staff for detail about how reductions and contract changes would affect seniors and nutrition sites, child-care subsidy impact on providers, and which neighborhoods or client groups would see service changes. Councilmember Galván asked for more granular, district-level data on who will be affected; Develina and other staff agreed to follow up with written breakdowns.
Several councilmembers urged deeper community engagement with delegated agencies and asked staff to provide clear metrics for measuring results. Council members also asked staff to coordinate with the county and other regional partners to avoid duplication and to seek alternative funding sources where possible.
No formal motions or votes on the proposed Human Services budget were recorded in the transcript excerpt.
The council scheduled additional review and memos for the fall budget cycle and asked staff to provide more detailed district-level usage, anticipated service impacts, and a community engagement plan to explain any transitions before changes take effect.
