[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6483037,"mediaKeyId","5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171","parentId",5689790,"title","Public Works presents FY26 budget priorities: streets, sidewalks and stormwater operations","audioSeconds",1445,"startMs",2954000,"endMs",4399000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171&start=2954&end=4399","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171/thumbnail_2954000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6483037/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/Public-Works-presents-FY26-budget-priorities-streets-sidewalks-and-stormwater-operations","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483037-33fa880248a5563d3d49bb3a90e1f376/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440081&Signature=a2yAiwntogq-5y5tZyG3L9wPMcNQATBoYXVqREDa2S6vEvvbi78mVFok7YFftDM0EfwPUxNw3DNj6KHX2-TmzC3WTY4Pw0eja0sJic276syHtI~QWosio2sblBJfERM3SZhWLGAu7ctIwJTxofVQdgTMOgEwb2rDyV88t2icMDkESlVKxXygi9W0yR3RodKwVOFnf9iCX4ybLFhuHSEEvuvcVtfHXvMciroedRMENuW5aQVNH3BIRWOtlbC2CVF6L1ZuQsMinEYelYCDDWu95GGRXHYaYhHlWsu-kVLw2towfeqbZ4XHybqAyNIh6XloA4YTkQS1IU-bZ5VtOGFyMA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","San Antonio","date","2025-08-27T00:00:00Z","article","The City of San Antonio's Public Works Department presented its proposed FY26 budget on Aug. 27, detailing investments in street maintenance, sidewalk construction and repair, stormwater operation and targeted drainage projects.

\"Public Works manages streets, sidewalks, right-of-way and stormwater,\" said Razi Hosseini, director of Public Works. He told council the department's total proposed budget is about $303 million and includes 698 positions. Hosseini identified $122.4 million for street maintenance, an estimated 1,464 street-maintenance projects, and a $17 million sidewalk program (about $12 million for new gap sidewalks and $5 million for repairs).

Why it matters: Council members repeatedly asked how projects are prioritized and how the city can reduce repetitive street work caused by utility cuts and poor coordination. Staff said they will hire consultants to evaluate pavement strategy, improve packaging of projects to reduce local disruption, and launch a sidewalk condition assessment.

Key details
- Street maintenance: $122.4 million proposed; staff estimate 1,464 projects delivered. Allocation is district-based and weighted by pavement condition; $20 million allocated specifically for the F Street program (notation in the presentation).
- Sidewalk program: FY26 proposal includes $17 million total; $12 million for 21 miles of gap sidewalks (new sidewalks where none existed) and $5 million to repair roughly 34 usable miles; a 3-phase sidewalk condition assessment is budgeted at $1.8 million over three years.
- Traffic and signals: budget maintains $11.3 million for pavement marking (resurfacing/restriping) and includes upgrades to school pedestrian safety (new flashing beacons and maintenance of existing devices) and traffic-signal detection improvements.
- Stormwater and hazard mitigation: the stormwater operation fund supports maintenance and capital drainage projects; staff cited $11.5 million for emergency repairs and included five FY26 projects totaling about $3.7 million to design shovel-ready mitigation projects. The stormwater fee (established 1993, last increased in 2020) funds operations and capital and is assessed by impervious area.

Council questions and next steps
Councilmembers pressed for better interagency coordination with utilities and stronger processes to reduce repeat tearing of newly repaired streets. Several asked for clearer metrics tying annual investments to pavement-condition improvements and for improvement in notice and outreach to residents and businesses prior to construction. Staff agreed to provide results of the pavement-program consultant and noted plans to continue a sidewalk-assessment program and to expand camera monitoring at low-water crossings in partnership with the San Antonio River Authority and Bexar County.

Ending note: Public Works asked council for feedback on prioritization and offered to return with analysis and condition-index information by council district. Staff said work would continue on packaging projects to minimize inconvenience and on maintaining workback schedules to reduce recurring construction in the same locations.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","San Antonio - City Council Budget Work Session Aug 27, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Public Works outlined the FY26 proposed budget and programs: street maintenance, sidewalk gap funding, stormwater operations and hazard mitigation work. Staff described a prioritized formula for sidewalk investments and proposed studies to improve pavement strategy and signal detection upgrades.","taxTitle","San Antonio, Bexar County, Texas","taxId",2771,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483042,"New capital delivery department aims to speed 2022 bond work; leaders stress communication and cost estimating",1204,1932000,3136000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171&start=1932&end=3136","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171/thumbnail_1932000.jpg","/articles/6483042/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/New-capital-delivery-department-aims-to-speed-2022-bond-work-leaders-stress-communication-and-cost-estimating","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483042-d48b15581b85e531bb0c8d363e711132/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440081&Signature=SCqjWcijeIn~3-WmnrGUr4jAaHTKXwcsJbLs~GRSdS3FzhQphcYGXme0qizkuyySqp0audJhymEbCXFL834Bb2sP84vbUkxEcJY~BO8oB0kyqv8OtaOAO3Xj5hXikdcHHoR5fYLjr2n-9cYA3-iE2SacJKvXaXKhQfCx0YKBO11-xGOuWtViO3X5LGsNllsMTgtL~6n7NFSkdG7WMS3dSZB6Q3MDTV4lP4UOYddzX5mO53UJ9HaimNZTN9mpzHOrHC1oYEw-kdwKsWLiQdxNtGSGDMFeJcdhhpI-EHbx1NXNoP2DXbsnWfJzqxQYmRHW89-eLb4XbXOchllqv6YP4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Antonio officials on Aug. 27 described a reorganization that will split large capital project delivery from ongoing maintenance, creating a standalone Capital Delivery Department to manage voter-approved bond programs and other major projects.

\"We're going to wake up and go to sleep every day focused on this,\" said Mike Shannon, introduced as the capital delivery department director. He told council the new department will include 188 positions and oversee roughly $222 million in capital operating budget items in the coming fiscal year. Shannon said the department's top priorities are completing projects on time and within budget, improving communications with stakeholders and refining cost estimating.

Why it matters: Council members expressed frustration with multi-year delays on some major projects and said better communication and contractor performance are central to improving outcomes. Separating delivery from maintenance is intended to let each department focus on its core work: Capital Delivery on bond and major projects; Public Works on ongoing operations.

Key details
- Scope and staffing: Shannon said the Capital Delivery Department will manage about $222 million of capital delivery this fiscal year and about 188 positions moved from Public Works into the new unit; the remainder of Public Works will retain about 698 positions focused on maintenance and operations.
- Bond project status: Shannon said the 2022 voter-approved bond program includes 187 projects; at the time of an end-of-July snapshot about 49% were complete or under construction, with a projection to reach roughly 91% under construction or complete by September 2026.
- Department studies: Shannon cited an internal comprehensive budget review and an independent consultant study recommending the split; both reviews flagged needs for better project communication and standardized, updated cost-estimating tools.

Council questions and next steps
Councilmembers pressed staff on concrete improvements: a council member asked for a public-facing project dashboard, better advance notification to affected businesses and residents and stronger procurement standards to favor reliable contractors. Shannon said the department will pursue standardized project-management metrics, more consistent outreach and coordination with Communications and Neighborhood Engagement (CNE) staff. He told council the department will coordinate with other city departments and external partners to align design, permitting and utility work.

Ending note: Shannon said the department will present goals and proposed metrics to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for follow-up; councilmembers asked staff to return with refined communications plans, a public dashboard and metrics for measuring on-time, on-budget deliveries.","City staff outlined the new Capital Delivery Department, splitting project delivery from maintenance, and emphasized priorities: deliver bond projects on time and within budget, improve stakeholder communication and standardize cost estimating.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6483046,"San Antonio staff outline debt management plan and options to preserve bond capacity",1797,71000,1868000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171&start=71&end=1868","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5689790-fcfc04306c2751f1c2ae5c45f093e171/thumbnail_71000.jpg","/articles/6483046/San-Antonio/Bexar-County/Texas/San-Antonio-staff-outline-debt-management-plan-and-options-to-preserve-bond-capacity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6483046-2cbc372a30da4c01333f4df15a99f1c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770440081&Signature=i7Fij0FDqtBm08IR~-TZMapMbDXerju-uGJMN89ONePgtdOAT-YA~Oj-3BnMfKOYNKETHJ3xu4iRKRw6iTKmeM2rWlFM6WkZcB1et3zuQdmjTzOgss~AMUvT4EiCh2~ptSAOPOKLzXkNue1JXstwz~-0I1dzgbbq~aiOj8Pv7oBiafYM7skCFJUWu~U27zXOTSxwgQYZgG6si-pU28mquoh1XaSLbk7azoQpBNnKhvZE0rkX-Wilqw~4tCeSBVaMXprE2pjkTXVZvjzKupc8mv~67p9ykAAmjymxkfulrzGSAB7yCYXskEPBsfQrs55Rh-4~praVhflQNrBx6h1mVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","San Antonio officials on Aug. 27 reviewed the city's debt management plan, saying lower property values have reduced near-term capacity for general obligation bonds and prompting staff to recommend options such as adjusting the timing and structure of future bond programs and exploring the city's stormwater revenue bonds as a supplemental funding source.

Troy Elliott, the city's chief financial officer, told the City Council that the debt management plan describes what debt the city has outstanding, what it has issued and \"how we're gonna pay for that debt over time.\" He said property-tax-backed debt (general obligation bonds, certificates of obligation and tax notes) totals roughly $2.6 billion and that the city's overall outstanding debt is about $3.6 billion.

Why it matters: The debt plan determines how much the city can ask voters to approve for large capital programs. Elliott said an important lever is the city's debt service tax rate, which the council has held at 21 cents per $100 of assessed value since 2004. He also said the city keeps about $25 million in a debt service reserve as a \"shock absorber\" in case of revenue fluctuations.

Key details
- Composition and ratings: Elliott said the city issues general obligation bonds (property-tax backed and voter approved), certificates of obligation and tax notes (property-tax backed but not voter approved) and revenue bonds backed by specific revenues such as airport or stormwater fees. He reported that credit ratings remain strong (Moody's triple-A, S&P triple-A, Fitch AA+ stable outlook for the ad valorem-backed debt).
- Capacity drop: Elliott said the drop in taxable values since 2022 has reduced the city's capacity under current assumptions from the previous $1.2 billion program to about $500 million in near-term general obligation capacity.
- Airport financing: Elliott said the Airport Terminal Development Program (TDP) is expected to require about $1 billion in an initial revenue bond issuance, with additional issuances to follow; temporary tax-note bridge financing of about $469 million is outstanding for the airport and a large payment is due in February that will need financing.
- Stormwater revenue bonds: Elliott and staff flagged $24.5 million of existing stormwater revenue bonds with roughly five years left to maturity and said refinancing or calling those bonds could create additional capacity dedicated to drainage projects.

Council questions and next steps
Council members pressed staff on sensitivity and capacity analyses. Jeff Coyle, assistant city manager, summarized pending state action that could affect the maintenance-and-operations tax growth cap: \"Current state law has what's called a voter approval tax rate of 3.5%.\" He said draft legislation in the special session proposed lowering that cap to 2.5% and that House floor amendments at one point cut it to 1% with a public-safety carve-out; the chambers had not yet concurred. Staff noted the change would not affect the current-year budget but could affect revenues beginning Jan. 1 of the effective year if passed and signed.

Elliott said staff will perform stress tests on the debt model, varying property-value growth and interest-rate scenarios, to ensure a proposed bond program remains affordable and maintains the city's credit posture. Eric (city staff member who introduced the presentations) and finance staff recommended bringing back an analysis of stormwater bond restructuring and a capacity memo for council feedback. Councilmembers asked staff to return with a targeted memo on stormwater options within 30 to 45 days and a fuller sensitivity/capacity analysis in the weeks that follow.

Ending note: City finance staff framed the choices as trade-offs among timing of bond elections, frequency of bond issuances and the council's policy on the debt service tax rate. They recommended a cautious, data-driven approach to preserve the city's strong ratings while identifying options to address prioritized capital needs.","City financial leaders reviewed the debt management plan, reported lower bond capacity tied to falling property values and discussed options including stormwater revenue bonds, timing and frequency of bond elections, and airport financing for the terminal development program.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public Works presents FY26 budget priorities: streets, sidewalks and stormwater operations

New capital delivery department aims to speed 2022 bond work; leaders stress communication and cost estimating

San Antonio staff outline debt management plan and options to preserve bond capacity