SAN ANTONIO — This morning Mayor Gina Ortiz-Jones gave a sobering assessment with the city’s 21 million dollar expected budget shortfall.
“We are in a difficult fiscal environment and it will only get more difficult,” said Mayor Ortiz-Jones.
It’s why officials at SAPD say workforce cuts are on the horizon. We’re told the proposed 2026 plan reduces the number of officers hired for 2026.
Let’s take a look at the numbers over the years. In 2024, the budget allowed for 100 additional officers. That number dropped to 65 this year. Next year, it worsens to 53 positions.
But when you ask Police Chief William McManus about the hiring reduction, he has a rosier overall picture—citing increased funding for the PD, Park Police and the Arrestee Processing Center since 2019.
“Bottom line here this budget reflects real investment in safety and in our officers,” said McManus.
So will less officers on the streets make us less safe? SAPD says no—when you consider the total number of officers to be hired over the next three years.
The mayor says cuts are never easy. But if the city doesn’t address the shortfall next year, the deficit will only grow—to the tune of 220 million dollars.