Council reviews Greater SATX’s Momentum 2030 plan and proposed 2026 contract for San Antonio

San Antonio city leaders on Feb. 11 heard a detailed briefing from Greater SATX on its Momentum 2030 regional economic strategy and a proposed 2026 contract that changes how the city’s contribution is calculated and paid.

Brenda Hicks Sorensen, the city’s economic development director, summarized the suggested contract changes and said the city moved to a performance‑based contract in 2021. She told the council that the proposed per‑capita model lowers the plan’s maximum potential payment and shifts a portion of the payment into quarterly installments: "This slide highlights the agreement decreases from a maximum potential of $635,000 to a maximum potential of $510,000… we are proposing 70% or the 357,000 you see here to be paid in 3 quarterly installments to support the work done every day by Greater SATX," she said.

Sarah, a Greater SATX executive who presented the Momentum 2030 strategy (last name not provided in the transcript), described the group’s funding mix, recent performance and five‑year goals. She said Greater SATX’s current funding is heavily weighted to private investors and that the organization is both shifting foreign direct investment outreach and proposing new performance pay: "Remains performance based… paid at a rate of $500 for every job anticipated to be created with wages at or above $100,000 annually," she said.

Sarah also outlined Momentum 2030 targets: 125 projects, 20,000 direct jobs with an average wage of $100,000, and a target of $5 billion in capital investment over five years. She described the lead cycle (from marketing to site visits) and reported pipeline metrics such as year‑over‑year increases in information requests and hosted site visits.

Council members used the briefing to press for additional data and accountability measures. Councilwoman Andar Tagovito asked whether the city and Greater SATX are considering vacant and historic buildings in site selection and urged the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP) be looped into opportunity assessments to pair investment with adaptive reuse. Council member Villagran, chair of the economic workforce and development committee, asked for a district‑level breakdown of jobs generated through Greater SATX work and for data separating local hires from relocations.

Other council concerns included: how data centers and broader tech investments would be weighed against local job creation and environmental impacts; how Greater SATX will track contract labor and benefits; and how sister‑city and international outreach (including recent engagements in Japan) are translating into local investment. Several council members asked Greater SATX to provide more frequent, digestible metrics on leads and incentives and to share progress measures the council can use to anticipate speed‑to‑market issues.

City staff noted a procedural follow‑up: the city will bring forward the annual contract with Greater SATX (GRED/SATX) in roughly two weeks for council consideration; the briefing did not include a vote. Council members also requested staff and Greater SATX follow‑ups on district job breakdowns, local hiring and environmental practices for targeted projects such as data centers.

The special session ended without formal action. The city manager’s office and Greater SATX will return with the proposed contract language and supporting metrics, and council members asked staff to supply the requested district‑level and hiring‑source information before that consideration.

Ending: The special session adjourned at 4:02 p.m.