Solis, 63, is a first-time candidate and native San Antonian. An electrical engineer, he worked for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C., and served on the city’s Building Standards Board.
Hear from the candidate
The following questions were asked of all City Council candidates.
Please tell voters about yourself.
I’m a native San Antonian with over 40 years of residency. I graduated from MacArthur High School and St. Mary’s University. I started my professional career as a quality engineer at Friedrich Air Conditioning and then as a manufacturing engineer with KCI. I moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA), retiring as senior conformity assessment manager. I was responsible for providing leadership, vision and coordination of NEMA’s national and international activities to standardize product safety requirements. I also served as chair and executive secretariat on multiple national and international committees with the goal of advancing the U.S. electrical industry’s products across the globe. And I led a 501(c)(6) nonprofit with 300 members in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. Following Jan. 6, I returned home to dedicate myself to public service. I represented District 10 on the Building Standards Board.
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 chaired, organized and participated in national and international committees in support of the U.S electrical industry. As a result, I have a deep understanding of the U.S. framework for ensuring workplace and residential safety, which provides some foundational knowledge for several of San Antonio’s boards and commissions. I also worked regularly with U.S. regulatory agencies in the development of U.S trade policy. I was appointed to serve as the District 10 representative to the Building Standards Board. Because of these experiences, I’ve developed collaboration, mediation, problem-solving and communication skills critical for a council member. This is my first time running for public office.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how would you address them?
Emergency services, infrastructure and drainage: Families deserve to feel safe in their communities, and they should enjoy quality municipal services at a reasonable cost. These are the most fundamental services that a city provides. When I’m walking through the neighborhoods in D10, I hear concerns about crime and the cost of living. And like much of San Antonio, D10 is a watershed with multiple drainage ways crossing the district. Regular maintenance of these drainage ways is imperative to avoid flooding in our neighborhoods and roads. While these are the basics, they will be a priority for me.
Prioritizing street repairs: Eleven percent of D10’s streets have been rated as failing. This is compared with only 1% in District 9 — our neighbors to the west. There’s no reason why this should be the case. I will actively work to raise the priority of street repairs in D10, and I will regularly communicate status and progress.
D10 renewal: Renewal is a must for D10 to compete for a share of 1.1 million new residents and 500,000 new jobs, and 500,000 new dwelling units expected to be added by 2040. Since the 1970s, D10 residents have been waiting for the revitalization of our northeast corridor. In 2013, a study identified revitalization of the northeast corridor, the heart of D10, as vital to improving the district’s competitive position and marketability. The plan has been pushed to 2040 — that’s too late. I’ll seek out economic and community development opportunities to renew D10 while ensuring our existing businesses thrive. Our public schools are the backbone of our neighborhoods. Our district can’t thrive without quality public schools, and today, many are rated below average by GreatSchools. I’ll push our state representatives to fully fund our public schools, oppose school vouchers, and support our teachers.
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 support a woman’s right to choose, decriminalizing possession of low levels of marijuana, ending no-knock warrants and banning chokeholds. And I support the citizens’ right to petition and get an initiative to the voters. But I can’t support the inclusion of theft of property or services under $750 in Proposition A. These are not victimless crimes. In a state where minimum wage is still $7.25 an hour, that’s three weeks’ take-home pay. Nor does it make sense in a city that relies on tourism. I will not be supporting Proposition A.
How do you feel the city has done at balancing the needs of downtown and the neighborhoods, from bond projects to budget priorities?
Growing up, I would ride the bus downtown, stop at the Walgreens Pharmacy and walk to the Majestic Theater. It was amazing to behold. Streets were busy and sidewalks buzzing with people. From a San Antonian perspective, the passage of time was not kind to our downtown. Then Mayor Julián Castro started the Decade of Downtown initiative, which brought us the Tobin Center for Performing Arts and the Museum Reach portion of the River Walk. More recently, we have the new Frost Tower, new parks and green spaces along the San Pedro Creek and the expansion of the UTSA campus, which is expected to draw 15,000 additional students over the next decade. I support his vision of reconnecting San Antonians to downtown. And I fully support the process the city used to develop the 2022-2027 bond, ensuring a citywide, balanced approach to selecting projects. It included citizens appointed to boards with multiple rounds of input from the public. The result I believed balanced the needs of downtown and the neighborhoods.
If elected, how do you plan to solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
I intend to create a community-oriented budgeting project, modeled on District 9’s Participatory Budget committee. This committee will have a direct say in spending for sidewalks and street projects. In addition, I plan to hold monthly town halls open to the public. Finally, I plan to rotate through District 10’s family-owned restaurants for coffee or cafecitos with area residents.
