San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is pushing for a water rate increase to address the city’s aging infrastructure and public health concerns. In a recent interview, Jones made the case for supporting the rate increase, which is set to come before the City Council on Thursday.
Addressing Aging Infrastructure
According to Jones, some of the city’s pipes are over 100 years old, and the wastewater treatment plant was built in 1965. The rate increase would help to fund necessary upgrades and repairs to the city’s water system.
Jones also pointed to Corpus Christi as a cautionary tale, noting that the city’s bond rating was recently downgraded by Fitch after years of deferred water infrastructure investment. This made Corpus Christi’s own projects more expensive.
Financial Assistance for Low-Income Residents
The rate increase would also expand SAWS’ financial assistance uplift program from 125% to 150% of the federal poverty level, benefiting lower-income residents in some of the city’s oldest neighborhoods.
In addition to the water rate increase, Jones addressed a letter she sent to Spurs ownership demanding $5 million owed to the city after Spurs Sports & Entertainment failed to deliver a Major League Soccer franchise.
With the city facing a $131 million budget gap over the next two years, Jones said collecting the debt is a matter of fiscal responsibility. A response from Spurs ownership is expected by the end of the week.
Original reporting: San Antonio, TX News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
