SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ rocky first year could face another hurdle soon, as five councilwomen have called for a meeting to discuss possibly censuring the first-term mayor.
Even if it were to happen, what would a censure actually do?
A censure vote is a largely symbolic gesture, publicly rebuking an elected official for their actions without actually taking away any of their power.
Censuring the mayor would not remove Jones from office, keep her from voting at council meetings or prevent her from completing any of her other duties as mayor.
Recent council members who have faced censure or other forms of public reprimand have typically also been suspended from their committee assignments, but that was done at the mayor’s discretion rather than as part of a censure vote.
“The censure is basically saying, ‘We don’t like what you did,’ and it’s meaningless. It’s literally a slap on the wrist,” said Jon Taylor, a professor and the chairman of the University of Texas San Antonio’s Department of Political Science and Geography. “There’s no legal penalties whatsoever. It is almost like a metaphorical shot across the bow, as much as anything, to remind the mayor, ‘Hey, we’re not happy with your performance and your behavior.’"
That doesn’t mean it may not carry political consequences.
Under San Antonio’s system of government, the mayor is still only one vote out of 11 on the city council. Taylor said a censure could possibly affect her ability to convince others to join in on her agenda.
On the other hand, Taylor said Jones could wear it as a “badge of honor.”
“'Look, they censured me because I’m just doing my job,’“ Taylor said, speaking from Jones’ potential point of view. ”'I need to do my job. You need to leave me alone to do my job, and you need work with me.’”
Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran (D3), Councilwoman Teri Castillo (D5), Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7), Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez (D8) and Councilwoman Misty Spears (D9) filed a memo Monday asking for a meeting in which they could consider a censure of Jones.
Their request came after an incident on Feb. 5 between Jones and Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1), which a city hall source said reportedly stemmed from an item on the Bonham Exchange and fire sprinkler regulations.
Details of the incident weren’t included in the memo, but Kaur has filed a complaint with the city under the City Council Code of Conduct. The five councilwomen asked the meeting to consider censuring the mayor be called after the investigation is complete.
A city spokesman said there is no specific timeline for completing the investigation.
The councilwomen’s memo also cited “repeated instances of unprofessional conduct in dealing with Councilmembers, City Staff and residents of San Antonio,” but did not specify what those instances were.
“What the intent is, is that it’ll cause a reset, right? And, that way, we can start now working in a professional environment,” Alderete Gavito told KSAT on Tuesday.
In an emailed statement Monday, Jones said, in part:
“My style of leadership is grounded in my lived experience, and that approach does not always align with the traditional templates of female leaders or my colleagues’ views. Still, I know we are all committed to engaging with dignity, respect, and compassion. I am disappointed that some of my colleagues felt this was a necessary step, but I hear their feedback and look forward to continuing to work with them to make San Antonio better.”
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones
RECENT CENSURES
Council members do not have the power to remove another member from office, barring criminal convictions involving “moral turpitude,” though voters can petition for a recall election.
Still, four council members have faced censure or a vote of no confidence in the past four years with varying repercussions.
Then-District 1 Councilman Mario Bravo was censured and given a vote of no confidence in November 2022 after an angry confrontation with then-District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval, his former romantic partner.
Bravo lost his reelection bid to Sukh Kaur seven months later.
A few days later, then-District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry was handed his own vote of no confidence following a drunken hit-and-run crash. His council colleagues, however, scrapped a call for him to resign.
Perry ultimately pleaded “no contest” to misdemeanor charges for driving while intoxicated (DWI) and failure to stop and provide information. He did not seek a fourth and final term.
Current District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte urged his council colleagues to censure him in January 2024 following his arrest for DWI, which they did.
He eventually pleaded “no contest” to a non-DWI charge, obstruction of a highway and was reelected to a second term in May 2025.
District 8 Councilwoman Ivalis Meza Gonzalez was censured in September 2025 following her own DWI arrest.
Meza Gonzalez pleaded “no contest” to a non-DWI charge and obstruction of a highway on Jan. 27.
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