Your tax dollars spent to hire an outside public relations firm for Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. Last month we told you about the ten thousand dollar-a-month contract.

Now the News 4 I-Team uncovers connections between the mayor and the Washington D.C. firm doing a job that’s usually handled by a local staffer.

The vice president of the PR company, who is now the mayor’s chief spokesperson, lives in Austin. But her parents run the Southtown icehouse called La Tuna.

They hosted campaign events at their home and here at the restaurant and the family contributed to Jones’s campaign.

“This is comms support that is being provided commensurate to the same level of pay that previous mayors have had,” Ortiz Jones said at a September budget session.

The mayor has defended the cost of the PR contract, calling it comparable or less than previous mayors have spent on communications staffers.

The difference is, former Mayor Ron Nirenberg for example, hired a locally based comms director who was often at his side during interviews.

Ortiz Jones has hired Philippa Martinez-Berrier of Frontwood Strategies. Its website says, “Proudly based in Washington D.C.”.

Martinez-Berrier lives in Austin but grew up in San Antonio. Her parents own the Southtown icehouse called La Tuna.

Her father Michael Berrier confirmed in a phone interview he and his wife Suzanne Martinez hosted two campaign rallies for Ortiz Jones at La Tuna and an event at their house.

Campaign finance reports show family members made numerous campaign contributions to Ortiz this year for relatively small amounts from fifty to $500 at a time. Philippa Martinez-Berrier herself appears to have made one contribution for $250.

We asked UTSA Political Science Professor Jon Taylor what he thought about the connections.

“It’s a cozy relationship; does it rise to the level of some kind of ethical question? That’s something I think will be determined by somebody by perhaps someone filing an ethics complaint, not that I’m saying somebody should, but perhaps a question that needs to be answered by the mayor,” said Taylor.

The mayor did send the I-Team a statement:

“Our city employees are focused on a number of pressing issues, and my team needs communications support until we fill the communications director role. I have brought on Philippa Martinez-Berrier, a San Antonio native working with Frontwood Strategies, to help ensure our constituents are informed of our work in the interim. Philippa is a highly qualified communications expert with a deep understanding of our city and the issues impacting our residents, and that is why she is on my team.”

In a phone interview Michael Berrier told me he and his wife have supported and held events for previous San Antonio politicians, including former Mayor Ron Nirenberg.

He says Philippa Martinez-Berrier and her family did not know Mayor Jones personally prior to the campaign and added: “This wasn’t a situation where she was hired because she’s my daughter.”

Wednesday afternoon City Manager Erik Walsh said he was not aware of the connections when he approved the contract, which according to the city’s ethics code should have been disclosed.

Walsh says the information wouldn’t have changed his approval, because with this kind of contract, the ethics code only comes into play if someone makes an ethics complaint.

Frontwood Strategies also sent News 4 this statement:

“From an unstable economic and federal policy outlook to a local budget shortfall next fiscal year, there is a lot at stake for San Antonio and Mayor Jones is a bold leader that is committed to asking tough questions and strengthening the city so everyone can thrive. We are proud to bring our expertise to her team as she works for the people of San Antonio,” said Nell Callahan, Founder of Frontwood Strategies.