In her first weeks on the job, San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is laying out plans to ‘vet’ policy proposals before they’re discussed by council committees and limit leaks from closed-door meetings.

So far the ideas haven’t gone over well with council members — many of whom have served on the dais longer than Jones — and weren’t consulted before the policies were unveiled.

Three returning members penned a response Wednesday saying Jones doesn’t have the authority to make such changes unilaterally, and that they plan to ignore her directions until the full council has had a chance to discuss them.

“It’s a dangerous precedent,” said Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito (D7). “If we were to have Republican mayor, it could mean that council members from Democratic districts would be forced to funnel their ideas through a chief of staff who may not align with their constituents’ values.”

Jones, a Democrat, is one of San Antonio’s few mayors to come into the role without having served on the council, and was sworn in just before the council’s annual July recess.

Even before she took over, council members had been pushing to claw back power from the mayor’s office, accusing then-Mayor Ron Nirenberg of stalling their policy proposals and shutting down several members’ requests for a meeting to discuss a cease-fire resolution.

On Monday, those tensions were quickly reignited when Jones issued a three-page memo laying out new parameters for how council members develop their policy proposals, known as Council Consideration Requests (CCRs), and a restructure of the council committees that policies move through.

In the interest of “more informed and efficient” policy making, Jones said she wanted her staff to be included as all CCRs are developed.

She also called for policy proposals to be assessed for budget implications before they’re discussed by a council committee — among other changes.

“One of the key roles of the mayor’s office is to establish the council committee framework,” Jones wrote. ” … Tied to the effectiveness of the committees is the process by which we manage and vet Council Consideration Requests.”

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones was among five new leaders sworn in on July 18, along with six returning City Council members. Credit: Amber Esparza for the San Antonio Report

Council members were quick to argue that CCRs are an important vehicle for elected officials to bring forward issues that constituents want addressed, and that Jones’ plan would give the mayor and city staff too much power to shut down ideas they don’t like.

In a written response to Jones on Wednesday, Alderete Gavito, Teri Castillo (D5), and Marc Whyte (D10) said the mayor’s plans also exceed her legal authority — pointing to the council’s 18-month fight to amend the city’s CCR ordinance under Jones’ predecessor.

Alderete Gavito and Whyte are both in their second term on the council, while Castillo is among its most senior members, and a longtime hawk when it comes to separation of powers.

The existing CCR process is codified in city ordinance, they wrote, which can’t be changed unilaterally.

“If you wish to change the CCR procedures, we request that you go through the proper channels … and bring forth your proposed recommendations to the full council for consideration and a vote,” the members wrote.

“At this time, we intend to continue to follow the procedures set forth in the current city CCR ordinance.”

Stamping out leaks

In her first weeks on the job, Jones, who served in the top ranks of the U.S. Military, has also sought to limit leaks from closed-door meetings about sensitive matters or legal issues.

During the council’s first executive session meeting, Jones asked council members to put their cell phones in a basket, saying such a policy is commonplace at the Pentagon, according to a council member who requested anonymity to speak candidly.

While some members agreed the plan was needed to protect the integrity of such meetings, others were upset, the council member said.

Jones’ office did not respond to a request for comment on the cell phone policy.