SAN ANTONIO — Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is asking city staff to identify programs that could receive Ready to Work funds as she considers ending the workforce development program early to help address the city’s $158 million budget shortfall.
Jones has not secured enough City Council support to place the proposal before voters. At least four council members have publicly opposed ending the program ahead of schedule, while several others remain undecided or open to further discussion.
Jones said Tuesday that city leaders should consider redirecting Ready to Work funds before raising property taxes.
“This is all in the interest of what I’ve said is my primary focus, which is not raising property taxes on people during this very difficult financial time,” Jones said.
Jones said she asked City Manager Erik Walsh to identify programs that could legally receive Ready to Work money and currently rely on the city’s general fund.
In a memo to council members, Jones said the city attorney’s office determined that voters could authorize the use of Ready to Work funds for qualifying programs, including literacy programs, after-school programs and early childhood education.
Jones said redirecting money to those programs could free general fund dollars for core services such as public safety and drainage and reduce potential budget cuts.
The mayor wants voters to decide the future of Ready to Work. City Council would need to approve ballot language by Aug. 17 to place the proposal on the November ballot.
Jones would need six council votes, including her own, to send the question to voters. She currently needs three additional votes before the deadline.
Council members Sukh Kaur, Phyllis Viagran, Teri Castillo and Ivalis Meza Gonzalez have said they oppose ending Ready to Work early.
“We’re seeing it impact and uplift folks out of poverty,” Castillo said. “It would be a very short-sighted solution to propose putting workforce development dollars back into the general fund for drainage infrastructure.”
Council members Misty Spears and Marc Whyte have supported Jones’ proposal.
Edward Mungia and Marina Alderete Gavito said they were open to discussing the proposal but wanted to consider its long-term effects. Jalen McKee Rodriguez and Ric Galvan have not publicly stated their positions.
Jones said in a July 21 memo that ending the program early could free about $100 million for other city programs. She acknowledged that the potential savings would decrease if voters do not consider the proposal in November.
San Antonio voters approved Ready to Work with 77% support in 2020. The program uses a one-eighth-cent sales tax to fund job training, scholarships and job placement services for residents and was scheduled to continue through 2030.
The program initially fell short of its goals and faced criticism from some city leaders, although its organizers have reported improved performance measures this year.
City Attorney Andy Segovia said Ready to Work funds remain subject to restrictions under state law and cannot be redirected without meeting those requirements.
Jones said the city should also consider workforce development programs operated through Alamo Colleges and other existing institutions.
“What we have, as a community, to also ask ourselves is ‘how many times do we want to pay for the same thing?’” Jones said. “We have to challenge these assumptions.”
Supporters of Ready to Work have argued that the program provides long-term benefits to low-income residents and could increase household incomes and future tax revenue.
Kaur and Viagran said last week that increased earnings from workforce development could eventually strengthen the city’s tax base.
Castillo said she has seen the program’s effects among residents in San Antonio’s West Side.
“We’re seeing Ready to Work change lives,” she said.
Jones said she will continue looking for alternatives if the proposal fails to gain enough council support.
“It’s important that we look at as many ways to not cut services that would disproportionately impact our most vulnerable and not raise property taxes on folks when it’s not clear we have to do that,” Jones said.