SAN ANTONIO — San Antonio officials have proposed eliminating 101 city positions in the 2027 fiscal year budget as the city works to address a projected $158 million shortfall.
The proposed cuts include 47 vacant positions and 54 filled positions across several departments. City spokesman Brian Chasnoff said the city has enough vacant positions to place all 54 employees whose positions face elimination.
The draft budget funds 13,746 city positions overall.
The proposed staffing reductions include 39 positions in the San Antonio Library system, 15 in the Health Department, eight in Human Services and eight in the Office of Historic Preservation (OHP).
OHP restructuring
The proposed budget would reduce OHP staffing from 21 positions in 2026 to 13 in 2027, generating an estimated savings of nearly $1 million.
Seven of the eight OHP positions would move to other departments with their existing functions, Chasnoff said.
The Vacant Buildings Program and its five positions would move to Development Services. The chief downtown officer position, held by Shanon Shea Miller, and a support position would move to Downtown Operations.
The city would eliminate the cultural historian position if the council approves the budget as proposed.
OHP administers city programs involving historic preservation, cultural heritage, deconstruction and regulatory compliance. The cultural historian works on San Antonio’s multicultural history and historic designations, including research and fieldwork to identify culturally and historically significant sites.
The position also manages community storytelling initiatives, including the “There’s a Story Here” program with Texas Public Radio.
The full-time position carries an annual salary range of $77,910.30 to $116,865.58. Gloria Colom Braña has held the position since January 2024, according to her LinkedIn profile.
The city has designated five cultural heritage districts, including Silk Road, Pride, Jefferson Heights, Old U.S. Highway 90 and Hockley-Clay Cemetery. Officials are also considering a cultural heritage district for the St. Mary’s Strip.
The proposed OHP budget also would end support for cultural heritage districts, the Local Markers Program, the Legacy Business Program and Cultural Context Statements. Budget documents estimate those reductions would save $113,670.
Concerns over preservation work
The proposed cuts have raised concerns among community members about the city’s ability to use cultural and historic assets in preservation and economic development efforts.
The Silk Road Cultural Heritage District, centered around Wurzbach Road on the Northwest Side, became the first San Antonio corridor accepted into the Texas Historical Commission’s First Street Initiative.
Nadia Mavrakis, co-executive director of Culturingua, said the program requires communities to document historic resources in their corridors. She said the cultural historian plays an important role in that work.
Mavrakis said the documentation can support revitalization efforts because communities can build on existing historic and cultural assets.
City Economic Development Department officials have told the council that the department plans to accelerate place-based real estate development projects in regional centers and neighborhoods while highlighting San Antonio’s culture, amenities and heritage.
Mavrakis said the city’s cultural heritage can serve as an asset when San Antonio markets itself to businesses and visitors.
Iman Ismail, a community ambassador for the Silk Road District Coalition, said residents need continued city support after securing the district’s designation.
Ismail said community members spent significant time securing the designation and now need a city partner to help advance preservation and revitalization efforts.
Council prepares to finalize budget
The City Council has worked for months to address the projected $158 million budget shortfall. Officials have considered tax increases and spending reductions as part of the proposed 2027 budget.
City staff divided municipal services into three categories — mandated, priority and other — and targeted services in the “other” category for potential elimination.
The council is scheduled to finalize the fiscal year 2027 budget Sept. 17, ahead of the new fiscal year’s start Oct. 1.
Despite the proposed downsizing, OHP will continue its preservation responsibilities, Chasnoff said. Those duties include design review, landmark designations, regulatory compliance, deconstruction initiatives and trades education.