SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined KSAT anchors Myra Arthur and John Paul Barajas Tuesday to discuss an upcoming vote on a San Antonio Water System water rate increase and a financial dispute with Spurs Sports & Entertainment.
Jones made the case for supporting a SAWS rate increase set to come before the City Council on Thursday, citing aging infrastructure and public health concerns.
“We need safe drinking water,” Jones said. “Some of our pipes are over 100 years old. We’ve got a wastewater treatment plant that was built in 1965. These are not things that we need to take a risk on.”
Jones said the rate increase would cost residents less than $4.70 per month from 2026 to 2029.
She pointed to Corpus Christi as a cautionary tale, noting the city’s bond rating was recently downgraded by Fitch after years of deferred water infrastructure investment, which made its own projects more expensive.
Jones also noted the rate increase would expand SAWS’ financial assistance uplift program from 125% to 150% of the federal poverty level, benefiting lower-income residents in some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
Jones also addressed a letter she sent to Spurs ownership demanding $5 million owed to the city after Spurs Sports & Entertainment failed to deliver a Major League Soccer franchise.
With the city facing a $131 million budget gap over the next two years, Jones said collecting the debt is a matter of fiscal responsibility.
“I’m not going to talk about raising property taxes on folks when one of the things we can do is just go get the money that we’re owed,” Jones said.
A response from Spurs ownership is expected by the end of the week, according to Jones.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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