San Antonio City Council approved its first property tax rate increase in more than 30 years. Here’s what the nearly 4% hike means for homeowners and residents.

Facing a yawning budget gap, San Antonio’s city council voted 7-4 to raise the city’s tax rate for the first time since 1992.

The city’s plan to close a projected $158 million deficit over the next two years involve a mix of cuts, shifting around funds, raising fees, and a pair of property tax increases that would raise the city rate by about 8.5%.

San Antonio families are scrambling to find new after-school options after Boys and Girls Clubs announced the Rayburn closure and Eastside programming pause. City leaders propose to help close the organization's financial gap.

San Antonio council members are weighing an unwelcome choice: raise taxes for the first time in 34 years to help close a budget gap or find the money elsewhere, likely through even deeper cuts than they’re already considering.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones joined KSAT’s weekly Q&A Tuesday to discuss the city’s looming budget vote and tensions among council members ahead of Thursday’s vote.

San Antonio homeowners could see their property taxes increase under the city’s proposed 2027 budget.

The state — which spent over $11 billion on Operation Lone Star — could receive more through a separate $3.5 billion reimbursement fund administered by the Department of Justice.

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ office refused to respond to questions about whether anyone answered her call for the private and philanthropic sectors to help fund an assortment of city contracts as the Aug. 21 deadline passed.

The Big Three framed the move as a way to keep Texas fiscally conservative and help fund priorities like property tax cuts. Public education and school vouchers were exempted.

The Crystal City Independent School District is in a budget crisis that puts it at risk of closure or consolidation.

A San Antonio homeless shelter hopes it won’t completely lose public funding, despite the city’s plans to halt funding.

Crystal City ISD Interim Superintendent Richard Grill told families Tuesday evening the district has less than $500 in its bank account.

City staff are recommending tactics as part of a plan to combat a growing budget deficit in the general fund, which could balloon to more than $250 million within five years.

The city of San Antonio opened an online survey Wednesday, asking which services to prioritize in the 2027 fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1.

Three city councilmembers are pushing for the San Antonio Police Department to hire more officers as the city continues to grow.

Don Huffines, Christi Craddick and Kelly Hancock are talking more about fighting DEI, trans athletes and illegal immigration than the office’s traditional fiscal duties.

Judson ISD is holding a special board meeting on Monday night where parents can discuss the potential elimination of the Spanish Immersion Program at one of its elementary schools.

Three families with children in Wortham Oaks Elementary School’s Spanish Immersion Program are speaking out as the program is at risk of being cut amid the district's budget crisis.

Britain’s Labour government is seeking to shift the political narrative with a tax-raising budget aimed at boosting economic growth and reducing child poverty.

The San Antonio City Council voted 9-2 on Thursday to amend an ordinance for the city’s policy proposal process amid a power struggle at City Hall.

Facing a budget crunch amid flagging property and sales tax revenues, the San Antonio City Council still passed a $4.06 billion budget Thursday morning.

The San Antonio City Council will meet on Thursday morning to vote on the $4 billion city budget and an amended ordinance for the policy proposal process.

The city had always meant to use ARPA money as a temporary funding source. However, the groups said they also were led to believe they would continue to get at least part of the money this year.

Bexar County commissioners approved the county’s budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which includes funding for a new flood warning system, salary raises for county employees and more law enforcement positions.

As the City of San Antonio tries to close a yawning budget deficit, part of staff’s solution is to raise various fees and fines, including parking tickets.

As Councilwoman Sukh Kaur (D1) read off written audience questions during her district’s budget town hall Tuesday night to be answered by city staff at the meeting, some had to do with the city’s plans for a sports and entertainment district around Hemisfair or the proposed $1.3 billion Spurs arena that would serves as its centerpiece.

The proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 includes 25 new patrol officers, but a group of North and Northwest Side council members say it’s still not enough.

People are waiting to see if TCEQ grants a wastewater permit. Until then, neighbors want Bexar County leaders to stop what they can.

City staff presented a draft spending plan for Fiscal Year 2026 to council members Thursday morning. The entire $4.04 billion budget is a 2.2% increase over the $3.96 billion budget the previous council approved for the current fiscal year, ending on Sept. 30.

The Kerr County Commissioners Court discussed the 2025-26 proposed budget and tax rate during a Wednesday afternoon workshop meeting.

Kerr County released its first proposed budget Friday, following concerns over potential property tax increases.

The town halls will be held over the next three weeks and each feature a representative from a different precinct.

As federal pandemic aid ends and sales tax revenues cool, analysts say it could constrain the Texas Legislature in coming years. But they don’t see an immediate budget crisis on the horizon.

Proposals in the federal budget bill would cut the maximum Pell Grant award amount by $1,500 and take away eligibility for students enrolled less than half-time.

The legislation includes new pots of money for teacher raises and other school costs like insurance and transportation. It now heads to the House, where leaders say it will pass.

Texas Republicans are pushing the federal government to pay the state’s costs of Operation Lone Star, Gov. Greg’s Abbott’s border security initiative.

The City of San Antonio could be facing a hefty budget deficit in the near future if changes are not made.

When celebrating the queens in our lives on Mother’s Day, there is no doubt that all of us want to give them the Moon and more.

The lower chamber’s plan largely aligns with the Senate’s proposal and puts billions toward teacher pay, border security and property tax cuts.

State budget watchers — and some Republicans — worry Texas is spending too much on property tax cuts.

Among the hundreds of amendments were ones that focused on school vouchers, the attorney general’s office and the Texas Lottery.

As the Texas House prepares to vote on the budget, officials and other experts monitor national policy and state tax revenue.

Next step will be action in the state House, where budget writers have different plans for distributing property tax help.

Officials said the state’s higher cost of living means less state sales tax revenue, which makes up more than half of the state budget.

Both chambers set aside $1 billion for a voucher-like education savings account program — double what was on the table two years ago — in a sign that supporters are emboldened after recent electoral gains.

The estimate includes $23.8 billion leftover from the current budget cycle.

San Antonio City Council approved a $3.96 billion budget Thursday morning that, despite its record size, includes several belt-tightening measures.

Roughly 76% of the union membership voted on the contract, which passed with 97% approval. Only 35 of the 1,363 members who cast a ballot voted against it.

The city and fire union shook hands on a deal that will be nearly $28 million more expensive over three years than for which the city had planned.

San Antonio Police plan to test out a network of city and private security cameras in Downtown San Antonio, which could be monitored around the clock by both police and artificial intelligence.

The city planned for 700 cleanups this year. It passed 1,100 and is planning 1,300 for FY 2025.

San Antonians are expected to pay more for their streets, police and renovations in the upcoming fiscal year. The City of San Antonio is currently reviewing the 2025 city budget.

Having negotiated since late March, bargaining teams for the City of San Antonio and the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association shook hands on a new contract just before midnight Saturday.

Facing a growing budget deficit, the City of San Antonio has proposed cutting or shifting around tens of millions of dollars over the next two years. But what does that look like for you?

Bexar County employees could see a bump in salary next year after county commissioners voted in favor of a 3% pay raise earlier this week.

As the city tries to balance its budget by cutting or moving around tens of millions of dollars in spending, it also has plans to raise fees and other small costs in everything from EMS transport, to concert tickets, to transit permits for dead people.

Residents who have an opinion or questions about the City of San Antonio’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 are encouraged to provide feedback at a series of town halls.

The City of San Antonio is considering a $3.96 billion budget that, despite its record size, includes some attempts to back off spending.

Superintendent Dr. Jaime Aquino said the district is in a 'dire financial situation.'

Streets and homeless encampment cleanups are again San Antonians’ top priorities for the city budget in fiscal year 2025.

After Mayor Ron Nirenberg refused to allow a discussion behind closed doors of the ongoing fire contract negotiations, half the city council joined together to force his hand. But it's not clear if they will get the meeting they want.

If bills now being considered pass, lawmakers will be left with $3.3 billion to take care of unforeseen costs over the next two years. Some experts worry that Texas can’t sustain its massive spending on the border and public education.

In the adopted Fiscal Year 2024 budget, the city included an additional $200,000 in diversion funds to help with case management, in addition to utility and rental assistance.

With the start of October, the city is looking to clean up encampments of unhoused people within two weeks of getting a call.

With about a month until the San Antonio City Council is slated to pass a final version of next year’s budget, council members and residents alike are beginning to sift through the record $3.7 billion proposed version.

The City of San Antonio is expected to grow its budget to a whopping $3.7 billion this year as it pumps up its Animal Care Service budget, makes the biggest increase to its police department this side of the millennium, and funds hundreds more homeless camp cleanups.

Lawmakers this year didn’t approve extra money to help schools pay for raises despite having an unprecedented $32 billion surplus — even after Gov. Greg Abbott commissioned a task force last year to improve teacher pay and retention.

As home and property values continue to, the City of San Antonio is expected to cut its property tax rate for the second year in a row and possibly offer additional relief for property owners.

The proposal for the 2024-25 budget cycle includes $142.1 billion in general revenue spending — about $5 billion higher than the proposal approved last week by the Texas House — at a time when lawmakers have a historic $32.7 billion surplus at their disposal this session.

After a marathon debate, the bill will head to the Senate, where lawmakers have been crafting their own version of the spending plan.

House Bill 1 is being debated on the floor of the lower chamber, where representatives are hammering out details on the next two years of state spending.

The proposal recommends spending billions on programs including property tax cuts, teacher pay raises, mental health services and border security. It leaves out requests for pay raises for retired state employees and funding for rent relief and childcare programs.

If Texas’ budget surplus were distributed directly to Texans, it could pay for 12 years of school lunches, seven months of rent or 11,000 miles of travel. Here’s how to put the big number into perspective.

Abbott’s spending proposals also include spending $750 million on school safety and mental health services and expanding postpartum Medicaid to a year.

Community colleges want a funding overhaul this legislative session, and four-year universities are hoping for a boost in research funds. Meanwhile, faculty are bracing for a potential threat to tenure and limits to conversations about race.

The leaders of the state’s six biggest university systems are seeking the money to fund instruction, university operations and employee health insurance and to cover a free tuition program for veterans and their children.

Lawmakers begin work today for their biennial legislative session. They’ll debate over the state budget, school issues, border security and property taxes, among other issues.

It’s far more money than legislators have ever had at their disposal, with an increase in available funds that dwarfs any previous jumps between cycles. It’s also more money than lawmakers can constitutionally spend.

Texas homeowners have some of the highest property tax bills in the nation, a byproduct of the state’s reliance on such taxes to help pay for public schools and the state’s lack of an income tax.

Local governments in Texas have spent the summer preparing their budgets for next year, wrestling with inflation and a law that prohibits them from raising property tax revenues beyond 3.5% without voter approval.

The San Antonio City Council is poised to pass a $3.4 billion budget Thursday that includes pay bumps for employees, dozens of new police officer positions, and a property tax cut. But it is unclear whether council members will follow a staff recommendation to send $50 million in extra revenue back to CPS Energy customers or take more time to figure out an alternate use.

While the current budget proposal for the city in FY 2023 would provide $100,000 to the commission, its members want council members to approve $300,000 when the vote on the final version.

The housing department’s proposed jump from $48.8 million in the current budget year to $150.2 million for FY 2023 is fueled almost entirely by the city’s first-ever housing bond, which voters approved in May. The $99.9 million in bond money is split between producing and preserving affordable housing.

With just over two weeks until the San Antonio City Council is scheduled to vote on a budget, the question of what to do with $50 million of unexpected revenue is still up in the air.

Under the proposed city budget, SAPD would get 78 new uniform positions for a total of 2,581. Meanwhile, SAFD’s firefighter and EMS positions would rise to 1,795 with the addition of 21 new spots.

The City of San Antonio will host several town halls this month to discuss the proposed Fiscal Year 2023 budget, which totals $3.4 billion.

Rebates for CPS Energy customers, a property tax rate cut, and pay bumps for city employees are all part of the proposed $3.4 billion city budget the San Antonio City Council will discuss Thursday morning.

In this week’s episode, Matthew speaks with Mitchell and Patrick about the power grid, the race for governor and the extra money the Texas Legislature will have on hand to spend next year.

Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had asked House leaders to support his push for arming school police officers with bulletproof shields after the Uvalde shooting. House Speaker Dade Phelan is also asking for more money for mental health and school safety programs.

Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Mike O’Brien has stepped down from his post “effective immediately,” according to an email University President Cynthia Teniente-Matson sent to faculty and staff Thursday. The provost’s comments about a $4 million budget shortfall at a Nov. 22 faculty town hall were central to KSAT and other media outlets’ recent reporting.

In the face of a reported $4 million hole in the current year’s budget, the administration at Texas A&M University-San Antonio claims all is well. Faculty, though, have been left wondering about the university’s financial health and are skeptical of its budgeting practices.

Hegar will also talk about how to keep Texas business-friendly and what another wave of COVID-19 could mean for the state budget.

Gov. Greg Abbott said Texas was stepping up to do the federal government’s job after Biden’s immigration policies had “opened the floodgates” to illegal immigration and crime.

The City Council on Thursday adopted a $3.1 billion budget for the 2022 fiscal year that restores many cuts made over the past two years, focuses on critical community needs, responds to crises differently and makes investments to become a more resilient city.

San Antonio City Council members considered the final few changes to the city’s largest-ever budget Wednesday afternoon on the eve of its passage.

The proposed San Antonio budget for 2022 is a record $3.1 billion. It is expected to be adopted Sep. 16 and people around San Antonio should be able to see changes.

The Flower Mound lawmaker is the most senior Republican in the upper chamber and has served as its top budget writer for the past four sessions.

Of course, it depends on when you book and how savvy you are at tracking airfare deals, but scoring a great deal on a flight these days certainly isn’t impossible.