The longstanding San Antonio Business Coalition — comprised of chambers of commerce representatives, realtors, auto dealers, hoteliers, manufacturers and other employers in the city — has thrown its support behind Proposition C to remove salary and tenure caps for San Antonio’s city manager.
“It’s about consistency to make sure that these long-term transformational projects … have somebody who is steering the ship,” said former Councilwoman Rebecca Viagran (D3), a member of the coalition who now leads the South Texas Business Partnership. The partnership has also endorsed propositions E and F, which would increase pay and terms for city council members and the mayor.
“We believe that all three of them are important for consistency for the business community as we grow and develop as a city and the region,” Viagran said.
Prop C, one of six charter amendment propositions that San Antonio voters will see on their November ballot, faces fierce opposition from the firefighters’ union — which fought six years ago to get the caps in place.
City Manager Erik Walsh’s salary is capped at 10 times the lowest-paid city employee, and his eight-year term will expire in 2027. Prop C would place pay and tenure decisions regarding Walsh, or whoever holds the position, back in the hands of City Council.
The coalition is hosting an endorsement press conference on the steps of City Hall at 10 a.m. on Monday, the start of early voting. The group is not fundraising for a campaign, but its message is aligned with RenewSA, the political action committee that aims to spend more than $1 million to get the propositions passed.
Proponents say the city manager caps unnecessarily limit the city’s ability to attract and retain top talent for the position, which oversees the daily operation of the nearly $4 billion organization and about 15,000 employees. Other, smaller Texas cities like Corpus Christi pay their city managers much more than Walsh’s $374,400.
Opponents say the caps keep the city manager accountable and ensure pay equity for city employees.
The caps originally stemmed from a longstanding labor contract conflict between the previous city manager Sheryl Sculley and the previous president of the fire union, Chris Steele — both of whom served unusually long terms themselves of more than a decade.
Fire union leadership doesn’t want the city manager to again amass power in City Hall and says the term limit will ensure fresh perspectives.
Both sides of the issue have an uphill climb to ensure voters are aware of the propositions and their implications.
The propositions will be at the end of a very long ballot this Presidential election year, Viagran noted. “Those propositions very much directly impact San Antonians’ everyday lives. So look down-ballot and make sure that you don’t miss the proposition conversation.”
