Rossiter, 32, is a computer scientist who developed transportation technology at the Southwest Research Institute. He served on the City of San Antonio’s Streets, Bridges and Sidewalks Community Bond Committee for the 2022-2027 municipal bond.
Hear from the candidate
The following questions were asked of all City Council candidates.
Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m a UTSA graduate, where I received my bachelors in Computer Science. Immediately following, I began at Southwest Research Institute, where I’ve worked for the past decade, primarily focused on enabling state departments of transportation to build safer and more efficient roads. During that decade, I designed, managed and successfully executed numerous statewide transportation projects, enabling many millions of individuals across this nation to travel safely. Projects managed stretch from coast-to-coast, including Pennsylvania, Florida and New Mexico among many others. In February of this year I quit my successful career in transportation to focus full time on earning the support of District 7 residents and bring my extensive national experience to City Hall. District 7 residents deserve representation with a proven track record getting real results. I’ve spent my entire adult life in San Antonio.
Do you have any previous experience in government or participation on local boards, commissions or neighborhood associations? Have you run for elected office before?
I’ve been an avid community advocate for many years, serving as the president of Thunderbird Hills neighborhood association, where during my tenure we got a 10-acre park for the community, secured road safety improvements next to the elementary and high schools in the area, and much more. I’ve also served on numerous city boards and commissions, including the 2022-27 Streets Bond Committee, Brooks (formerly Brooks City Base) board of directors, Housing Commission Renters’ Solutions Subcommittee, and SAMCo Future Mobility Technologies Subcommittee. During this time in service to my community, I’ve had the opportunity to work extensively with numerous departments throughout the city and have deep working relationships with the leadership in Public Works, Code Enforcement, Transportation, Aviation (Airport), IT, Police, City Management, and many others. I look forward to using these relationships on Day 1 to get results for District 7 residents.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how would you address them?
Roads are the number one priority for District 7 residents. After personally knocking on thousands of front doors, I’ve heard the message loud and clear. To the north, Bandera Road is a major concern that will require collaboration with Leon Valley and TxDOT. To the south, Culebra Road is the most dangerous road in the city and requires significant investment to bring it up to modern road design standards. I’m proud to bring a decade of experience working with federal and state governments to secure project funding — experience that will be critical to securing the hundreds of millions of dollars required to complete these projects.
Next is public safety, including investment and innovation in policing. Violent crimes remain at unacceptable levels, meanwhile car theft and other nonviolent crimes continue to run rampant. Initiatives like the “hot spot” policing research currently underway through collaboration with UTSA is a great opportunity to experiment with new ways to fight crime. We need to continually reimagine how city departments operate with a focus on maximizing results for residents and minimizing taxpayer dollars spent.
Finally, accountability and transparency are critical in order for the city to operate effectively and earn the trust of its residents. Too often concerns are raised to council or city departments and the concern is lost in the shuffle. I look forward to bringing my extensive project management background to reimagine how city services like 311 operate, increasing visibility and traceability. Additionally, attention to how taxpayer dollars are spent is crucial to ensuring we’re maximizing the value from every dollar.
I’m proud to be the only candidate to have put forward concrete policy recommendations, which if implemented would save San Antonians millions annually just by eliminating inefficiencies in how the City and it’s municipally owned utilities (CPS Energy and SAWS) operate.
Do you support the proposed city charter amendment, known as Proposition A or the Justice Charter, that would bar certain policing tactics, decriminalize abortion and low-level marijuana possession and create a city justice director to oversee criminal justice policy? Why or why not?
I will be voting “no” on Prop A. The proposed cite-and-release policy changes, if implemented, would be detrimental to small businesses and working class folks. Additionally, per the City Attorney, much of the charter violates state law and would be unenforceable. Finally, the proposed Justice Director position is not allowed to have any law enforcement background — a requirement which precludes most if not all qualified candidates with the background necessary to weigh in on policing policy. I am eager to collaborate, finding equitable solutions for our community.
How do you feel the city has done at balancing the needs of downtown and the neighborhoods, from bond projects to budget priorities?
As a member of the 2022-27 Streets, Bridges, and Sidewalks Bond Committee, I had the opportunity to directly work on putting forward a set of bond projects which prioritized neighborhoods while also including some regional projects critical to the success of the broader San Antonio economy. The reality is both sorts of projects are crucial and serve San Antonians in different ways. While neighborhood projects directly impact San Antonians in their day-to-day life, regional efforts generally drive economic development by drawing in high-quality jobs and increasing the tax base, in turn creating more funding to support more neighborhood projects. Generally I believe the city has done a good job in balancing these two sorts of investment in the community, however this is something that needs to be continually evaluated as San Antonio evolves. What was right for San Antonio in 2022 may not be right for San Antonio in 2028.
If elected, how do you plan to solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
As the president of Thunderbird Hills Neighborhood Association for the past four years, I know first-hand the critical role neighborhoods and other community organizations play in city governance. With 150,000 residents in District 7, we rely on these neighborhoods to amplify their local needs so that we can get the funding where it’s needed throughout the district. I’m proud to have strong existing relationships with many neighborhood leaders throughout the district and look forward to further growing these relationships once elected. Additionally, once elected I will hold regular “office hours” where anyone is able to schedule time to meet one-on-one to discuss any thoughts/concerns they may have. My staff will be instructed to allow anyone to schedule time to meet. This open-door policy is crucial to ensuring the needs of all residents are being heard.
Read more
District 1 challenger Kaur outraises Bravo in runoff while Gavito holds cash advantage in District 7
City Council runoff candidates face off in back-to-back debates
Open District 7 seat draws field eager to bring fresh voices to City Council
