SAN ANTONIO – It's not equality, it's equity, according to the city of San Antonio.
City staff members crafted the biggest recommended budget in the city's history with what they call an "equity lens." The idea is, instead of allocating resources proportionately around the city, to send more money where it's most needed.
"Equity means budgeting your resources in a fair way for the community," City Manager Sheryl Sculley explained.
Sculley said the new council requested the approach in its budgeting goals session.
"We do know that if you take away the lines on a map that we see the assets of our community and we see needs that need to be addressed. So we're going to budget that way," said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
The big example appears in the proposed budget's funding for street maintenance.
RELATED: Sculley unveils $2.7 billion budget proposal
The $99 million allocated for street maintenance includes a $35 million increase over last year's funding. However, Sculley said under the recommended budget, the extra $35 million would only go to Districts 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10.
Those five districts, she explained in her presentation, each have an average Pavement Condition Index (PCI) under 70 percent.
Some on the council, like District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales, support the new, equity-based approach. She said she had worked on a study that looked at which districts need more help.
"Looks like we're going to get a budget this time that finally reflects the equity that our city has been needing for many many years," she said.
Others, like Councilwoman Ana Sandoval whose District 7 was not among the five districts getting extra money, had reservations about the budget's allocation methodology. She suggested the city look at the worst streets across San Antonio instead of the district averages.
"I would guarantee you that there are some streets in my district that are far worse than streets in those other five districts," she said.
The budget is just a proposal, though, and council members will have their chance to change it.
Residents will have their chance to hear about the budget at several Open Houses. They can also comment at public hearings on Aug. 30 and Sept. 6.
The council is expected to vote on the budget on Sep. 14.
Open house schedule:
- Aug. 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Phil Hardberger Park Urban Ecology Center, 8400 NW Military Highway
- Aug. 17 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Copernicus Community Center, 5003 Lord Road
- Aug. 21 from 7-8 p.m.: The Tool Yard, 10303 Tool Yard
- Aug. 22 from 5:30-8 p.m.: Central Library, 600 Soledad Street
- Aug. 26 from 9 a.m.-noon: Pearsall Park, 4838 Old Pearsall Road (In Spanish)
- Aug. 28 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.: Garza Community Center, 5627 Mira Vista
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