San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones renewed her call to put the city’s $489 million contribution to the new Spurs arena up for a citywide vote.
Jones said the request should come as no surprise, noting she first signaled her intention to bring the matter back to council on Aug. 21, 2025, the day the original vote was taken.
She pointed to several changes in the project since then, including the removal of a land bridge over Interstate 37 and the elimination of a planned 1,000-room hotel, as reasons to revisit the decision.
“Our community was told that they were not going to make a $489 million contribution instead of being asked if they would,” Jones said.
KSAT has reached out to all 10 City Council members, and the six who responded said they would not support putting the measure on the ballot — enough to block it.
Jones acknowledged the tight timeline but urged residents to contact their council members.
Jones also addressed Gov. Greg Abbott’s comments about breaking up municipal utility monopolies, pushing back on characterizations of CPS Energy’s general fund contributions as a “slush fund.”
She stated San Antonio and Castroville have among the lowest electricity and gas costs in the state and that CPS revenue helps fund services, including 2,400 daily senior meals.
With the city facing a $158 million budget deficit that’s projected to grow to $264 million without action, Jones said protecting CPS revenue streams and pursuing new ones, including revenue sharing tied to the Spurs arena, is essential.
Watch the full interview in the video player above.
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