SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is asking the City Council to consider redirecting the remaining funds for the city’s Ready to Work program back to the city budget.
The program was funded through a dedicated one-eighth-cent sales tax that was approved by voters which provides education, job training and career placement services to residents pursuing high-demand jobs.
But with the city facing a $158 million budget deficit going into fiscal year 2028, Jones said waiting to act is not an option, and city leadership must look at cuts and possibly raising taxes to address the city’s money issue.
She addressed that possibility back on June 30 during an interview on KSAT’s Q&A.
>> KSAT Q&A: Mayor Jones talks potential city budget cuts, raising property taxes amid $158M budget gap
“We’re not only looking at raising property taxes once but potentially twice to close the budget gap but raise the bond capacity,” Jones said.
While raising taxes is not on the table yet, the mayor did stress during that appearance that cuts have to be made.
The Ready to Work program is just one of several potential cuts being eyed by the mayor.
Fifteen nonprofits that regularly receive funding from the city’s budget could potentially be impacted. But it appears the mayor is looking for a new source of funding for these groups.
On her Instagram account, the mayor posted a letter dated July 24 addressed to businesses, foundations and philanthropists.
In it, Jones asked recipients if they will consider funding any of the nonprofits listed in the letter for three years and provide funds that match or even exceed the amount they received from the city in 2026.
The request is something she spoke during the June 30 KSAT Q&A.
“I think it’s fair to ask corporations, philanthropy, foundations that have the sources,” the mayor said. “Who is best to pay for those things? Who is best? Who can actually pay for these things?”
Based on the numbers provided in the mayor’s letter, the city contributed $6.5 million from the current budget to those listed organizations.
Below are the listed organizations and the monetary contributions they received from the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget:
- Avenida Guadalupe Association, $142,000
- BioMed SA, $100,000
- Diez y Seis de Septiembre Commission, $40,000.
- DreamVoice, LLC (Produces DreamWeek), $175,000
- LiftFund, $500,000
- Local Initiatives Support Corporation, $250,000
- San Antonio Book Festival, $150,000 (also receives $97,725 in Hotel Occupancy Tax)
- San Antonio Botanical Garden, $1,080,000
- San Antonio Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission, $300,000. (Organizes MLK March)
- San Antonio Education Partnership Scholarship & Outreach Program, $2,477,814
- San Antonio Parks Foundation, $125,000
- SAWS, Plumbers to People and Laterals to People Programs, $750,000
- Siclóvia, $80,000
- Supply SA, $200,000
- U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, Hiring our Heroes (Program to connect veterans, military spouses, and transitioning service members to employment), $150,000
The City Council must finalize the 2027 budget within the next two months before it goes into effect on Oct. 1, so the mayor is asking recipients of the letter who will pledge financial support to begin their contributions at the same time.
Those recipients are also directed to contact the mayor’s chief of staff, Andrew Fuentes, at andrew.fuentes@sanantonio.gov by Aug. 21, 2026.
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