SAN ANTONIO – District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez plans to take an eight-week “leave of absence” during budget season in anticipation of the birth of his child in July.
McKee-Rodriguez made the announcement in a post on Instagram in which he requested a new person to serve as an interim council member in his place.
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In the post, McKee-Rodriguez said his leave will begin Aug. 1 and he is scheduled to return no later than Oct. 1, in accordance with the city’s parental leave policy.
McKee-Rodriguez’s absence will take place in the midst of the City Council budget season, where councilmembers review proposals for numerous city departments with the San Antonio mayor, including Public Works, Animal Care Services, Human Services and police from mid-August to mid-September.
The District 2 councilman said that in his absence, he’ll “continue to stay connected, communicating with constituents, attending events when possible, and serving as a resource for both the Interim-Councilmember and my colleagues.”
The last time a council member temporarily vacated their seat was former District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry in 2022. He was charged in connection with a drunken hit-and-run crash, which prompted him to request that the city council appoint a replacement.
In Perry’s case, the city council took applications for who would serve as the temporary replacement. KSAT has contacted the City of San Antonio for a statement on how they plan to fill McKee-Rodriguez’s vacant seat.
A city spokesperson sent the following statement to KSAT on Wednesday morning.
Councilman McKee-Rodriguez has asked the Mayor, the City Manager, and the City Clerk to facilitate contemplated parental leave in August and September by developing a process for City Council to potentially appoint an interim Council member for District 2. The target date for City Council to appoint the interim Council member is June 12, 2025, with the appointment being effective August 1 through September 30. The proposed model for process and timeline generally follows the process used to appoint an interim District 10 Council member when Councilman Clayton Perry took a leave of absence in 2022. The process includes an application by potential candidates, vetting by the Clerk’s office, interviews by the Council during a B Session, and consideration of an appointment at an A Session. We are not aware of any previous temporary appointment to fill a seat during parental leave. More details on process will follow.
City of San Antonio spokesperson