SAN ANTONIO – Things are looking good in Bexar County, according to Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who gave his 12th annual State of the County address Friday.
Not only is the unemployment rate lower than that of the state and the national average, but the population is also growing at an astonishing rate.
Wolff said he hopes to keep that momentum going.
"We're on pace to add 30,000 new jobs this year. Unemployment is lower than in Texas and the United States. Home values went up some 6 percent last year, even higher this year," Wolff said.
That growth is attracting millennials at an exponential rate -- faster than any other major urban area in the country.
Wolff said he hopes to keep them here by investing in transportation and future infrastructure projects to create the ultimate live-work-play environment and lifestyle that many seek.
"They are going to determine how well we do in the future," Wolff said.
The county hopes by focusing on technology it will continue to grow opportunities available to local families. It's expanding BiblioTech, the nation's first all-digital library, to reach the underserved communities on the west side, south side and, this fall, on the east side.
Anyone with a library card can access thousands of ebooks, music, movies, language learning, software learning and adult education courses. And soon, they'll be able to take internet access home with them.
Right now, library patrons can stop by a BiblioTech location and check out iPads and tablets. Pretty soon, you'll also be able to check out a hot spot.
"We're doing everything we can to create a workstation to help them, also to introduce them to the world of the internet and technology, because if they don't understand that, they don't have a fighting chance for a decent job," Wolff said.
The BiblioTech Library Wi-Fi hot spot checkout program begins this summer.
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