The People Speak: KSAT to reveal the Bexar Facts

Bexar Facts-KSAT-Rivard Report Poll will release results Tuesday on important local issues

SAN ANTONIO – It is one of those things that always bugged local political strategist Christian Archer. The question of determining what the community cares about without a scientific poll on the issues.

“What do the people of San Antonio really believe are the number one issues facing a fast- growing city?” Archer asked.

So he decided to do something about it, and Bexar Facts, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, was formed.

“We want to ask fair, data-driven questions to get the right data to help our policy makers understand what’s important, and maybe even more importantly, what’s not important,” Archer said.

Announcing Bexar Facts, a partnership for a more informed San Antonio between KSAT, Rivard Report

Archer will see his information itch scratched Tuesday morning when the results of the first Bexar Facts/KSAT/Rivard Report poll will be released.

More than 600 likely voters in Bexar County were polled on nearly 30 questions over the last few days. The results have a margin of error of plus or minus 4%.

Dave Metz of the polling company FM3 conducted the phone poll. Metz and Archer have worked together on campaigns in the past.

“One of the best in the country, really excited about his work, he really gets down into the details. And importantly, this is a huge sample when it comes to polling. We’re polling over 600 people to get a scientifically-based, fact-based, data-driven result on what’s important,” Archer said.

Issues such as Edwards Aquifer protection, public transportation and Pre-K for SA were asked. So were opinions on San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.

“Lets go in and find out the results. What do people really believe are the most important issues facing the city? And I think with Bexar Facts, with KSAT, with the Rivard Report combination, we’ve got a great opportunity to get out there and have a data-driven result on what is the most important thing facing the city," Archer said.

There’s an open-ended question asking people to name what they think is the most important issue facing Bexar County.

For a political veteran like Archer, it’s an almost perfect scenario: No agenda, just facts.

“The facts are the facts, and that’s the point of why we would do a poll like this. I don’t think we have any interest in putting our fingers on the scale to determine the result. We really care about what people genuinely think,” he said.

Archer is expecting a busy Tuesday when he combs through numbers early that morning he wasn’t sure he would ever get to see.

“Well, I think Tuesday morning is going to be fascinating,” he said.

Archer and fellow members of the Bexar Facts brain trust and local policy makers will join KSAT anchor Steve Spriester at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday for a special hour-long livestream on KSAT.com and Bexarfacts.org to talk about the poll results and how those results will lead to events where the most important issues are discussed..


About the Author:

Steve Spriester started at KSAT in 1995 as a general assignments reporter. Now, he anchors the station's top-rated 5, 6 and 10 p.m. newscasts.