Peter Sakai, 71, was first elected Bexar County Judge in 2022, after serving many years as a civil district court judge. He was best know for his work overseeing the children’s court.
Hear from the candidate
1. Please tell voters about yourself.
I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley, the product of Japanese immigrants. My father, a US citizen, was forced into Japanese internment camps yet still went on to serve in the US military during WWII. I chose a path in public service that led me to college and law school. I’m an attorney and former prosecutor.
I served as the Children’s Court Judge and was later elected District Judge, where our innovative approaches led to a tenfold increase in the adoption of foster kids in Bexar County while marshalling resources to counter domestic violence and help women regain their independence. As County Judge, I’ve passed balanced budgets with no new taxes, reduced the County’s debt, and lowered property taxes for seniors and disabled vets. We’ve also expanded affordable housing, strengthened our healthcare safety network, and worked with school districts to address the youth mental health crisis.
2. Briefly describe your top policy priorities, or the top issues motivating you to
run for office.
My priorities are public safety, jobs and affordability, infrastructure, and dignity for every neighbor. On public safety, the County added over 150 law enforcement officers, funded the $21 million NextGen Flood Warning System, expanded mental health services, addressed homelessness, and ensured the Sheriff’s Department is fully resourced.
On affordability, we passed budgets with no new taxes, lowered property taxes for seniors and disabled veterans, expanded access to healthcare through two new county clinics and hospitals, and partnered with school districts to develop affordable, family-friendly housing and youth mental health services.
On jobs and infrastructure, we helped Toyota expand, recruited new manufacturing employers, secured $102 million for VIA’s Silver Line, $44 million for the Alamo RMA, and $41 million to expand broadband access.
I’m running for re-election because working families need leaders who listen, bring people to the table, and are focused on delivering results in a tough and uncertain economy.
3. Bexar County is currently committed to helping three major downtown
redevelopment projects: The Spurs Sports and Entertainment District at
Hemisfair, the Missions’ Minor League Baseball stadium district in Northwest
downtown, and the expanded rodeo grounds on the East Side. What would
success look like in those projects? And what outcomes are critical to avoid?
How do you think the county is doing in terms of balancing investments in the
urban core with the needs of the county’s more rural residents?
The first measure of success is increased private investment that leads to new jobs and opportunities for small businesses. The second is a quality-of-life factor that reduces brain drain and gives our youth more reason to see their futures right here at home. The third measure is that it leads to increased tax revenue, without increased property taxes, to support the County’s essential services.
Cities and counties are restricted by law in how we can raise revenue. That’s why it’s so critical that we leverage all available financial tools to unlock private capital, increase tourism dollars, and create jobs without raising property taxes. Our goal is to avoid cost overruns, more unmet promises, or getting pulled into projects that require endless public subsidies without a solid return on our investment.
Balancing urban and rural needs means continued discipline. While downtown projects can generate countywide economic benefits, rural residents still rely on the county for essential services. Our approach has been to invest in downtown areas when that will create a good ROI, while continuing to invest in rural areas so growth benefits the entire county, not just one part of it.
4. County leaders have struggled for several years now to come together on their
shared spending priorities, including removing projects that are unlikely to be completed from the county’s capital plan. With federal pandemic funding that’s buoyed past budgets drying up, how do you think the five-member court should prepare for the fiscal cliff Bexar County is expected to hit in 2028?
We must be honest about our limitations. Federal pandemic funding is over, state law limits what we can raise through property taxes, meanwhile, inflation is driving up the cost of essential services. The Commissioners Court must prioritize core services, remove projects from the capital plan that are unlikely to be completed, and continue leveraging partnerships with the non-profit and private sector rather than relying solely on county tax dollars.
That means stress-testing the budget years in advance and focusing on investments that reduce long-term costs, like preventive healthcare through two new health clinics and hospitals, and flood mitigation with the NextGen system. It also means maintaining the discipline we’ve already shown by passing three balanced budgets with no new property taxes, even in uncertain economic conditions.
5. Bexar County is the only local taxing entity with a road and flood control line
item on its portion of the tax bill. After one of the most deadly flood years in
almost three decades, what do you think the county should be doing to address
flood safety?
Our goal is zero lives lost during a major flood. After one of the deadliest flood years in decades, the county must continue investing in early warning systems, infrastructure, and prevention. We committed $21 million to fully fund the NextGen Flood Warning System, which uses real-time data, sensors, automated road barricades, flashing warning lights, and faster alerts to first responders and the public. But warning systems alone aren’t enough.
We must continue addressing low-water crossings, removing structures from floodplains, replacing aging infrastructure, improving upstream and downstream coordination, and following climate-resilient design standards. Flood control is one of the county’s core responsibilities and requires sustained investment, regional coordination, and ongoing reassessment as climate patterns change.
The County is coming to the end of its 10-year flood control program. The County’s program is designed to address flooding from a regional perspective. The Bexar Regional Watershed Management Plan will require continued joint partnerships and investment from the City of San Antonio and suburban cities to prevent the loss of lives and mitigate the damage caused by flooding.
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