SAN ANTONIO – A simmering dispute over how local City Councilmembers can bring forward new policy ideas resurfaced this week, as four councilmembers filed a joint memorandum challenging Mayor Jones’ handling of the Council Consideration Request process.
On Friday, Councilmembers Teri Castillo (District 5), Marina Alderete Gavito (District 7), Misty Spears (District 9), and Marc Whyte (District 10) submitted a “Four Signature Memo” making sure that CCRs, which are policy proposals submitted by councilmembers, cannot be discarded or labeled “expired” when new council terms begin.
“The CCR process exists to ensure that Councilmembers may elevate issues of importance to their districts and to the city as a whole,” the group said in a joint statement. “Work does not pause or restart with a change in administration, as there is no precedent for doing so.”
The memo comes weeks after Mayor Jones suggested that older CCRs from previous council terms might no longer be valid and should be restarted under the new council. She also previously proposed routing CCRs through the city manager and city attorney before councilmembers could formally file them. These recommendations prompted pushback from several councilmembers concerned that the changes would give unelected staff outsized influence over policymaking.
Related: Mayor Jones halts proposal to change council policy process amid pushback
Councilmembers behind Thursday’s memo argue that the mayor’s recent reversal on CCRs is inconsistent with earlier guidance. They note that the current CCR ordinance does not reference “expiration” and that any changes to the process must be approved by a full council vote.
“These sudden reversals contradict the earlier guidance and raise concerns about a lack of good faith in the process,” the councilmembers wrote. “San Antonio families deserve action, not obstruction.”
Mayor Jones has said she intends to revisit the CCR ordinance after the new year, but for now, the city will continue operating under its existing rules.