Viagran was elected to City Council in 2021, assuming the seat her sister, Rebecca Viagran, held for four terms. She sits on City Council’s Economic and Workforce Development Committee, Public Safety Committee, Planning and Community Development Committee, Community Health and Culture Committee and the Municipal Utilities Committee.
Hear from the candidate
The following questions were asked of all City Council candidates.
Please tell voters about yourself.
I am from the South Side of San Antonio. My family has lived here for generations and we’ve attended St. Leo’s Catholic Church for decades. I attended Providence High School, earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from Texas Tech, and my master’s degree in bilingual bicultural studies from UTSA.
Upon completing my education, I chose to become an elementary school teacher on the South Side. I later worked for SAPD as a community service specialist, where I worked with individuals involved in domestic family violence. Additionally, my experience includes working with Visit San Antonio as the destination services coordinator and membership sales coordinator, and Older Adults Technology Services as a community outreach coordinator and trainer.
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 am currently running for reelection to a second term as your councilwoman for City Council District 3. When I ran two years ago, it was my first run for public office. Previously I served as a board member for Brooks Gives Back and the Alamo Area Rape Crisis Center.
What three issues do you consider to be most pressing for your district and how would you address them?
Many residents have expressed concern about the rise in crime, community health and economic opportunity.
I will work to fully fund programs that increase public safety, hire more police officers, including SAFFE officers, and support intelligent policing — which has shown to be the most efficient spending of our tax dollars. I support the new “hot spot” policy that has been shown to be effective in other Texas cities.
Since the closure of a private hospital on the South Side, I have been advocating on your behalf for District 3 residents’ access to health care. The new University Hospital on the South Side is a great step, but I will continue collaborating to provide access prior to its opening in 2024. Taking care of our seniors has always been a top priority for me. As councilwoman, I will continue to make sure programs for seniors are fully funded. Additionally, I am also committed to funding initiatives that work to decrease domestic violence. I will work to ensure law enforcement continues to receive the training and support it needs.
As your councilwoman, I will continue to look for opportunities with the annual budget to help small businesses survive and thrive. I believe we should place an emphasis on funds for construction mitigation and protect small businesses from predatory lending and other crimes. Additionally, we should give small businesses the tools needed to be educated about opportunities offered by the federal government.
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 do not support Proposition A. I am not in favor of removing officer discretion on the cite-and-release program. Officers should be able to asses the situation and make decisions based on experience and training. To be clear, I support women’s reproductive rights. However, the city attorney has already stated that decriminalization of abortion and of marijuana are not enforceable.
How do you feel the city has done at balancing the needs of downtown and the neighborhoods, from bond projects to budget priorities?
I think we have done a good job balancing the needs of both neighborhoods and downtown through the use of our budget and bond projects. Critical investments in fire and police in our budget directly addresses public safety needs of both downtown and neighborhoods. Furthermore, a large portion of the voter approved bond will address infrastructure needs that benefit all city interests such as streets and drainage projects. I will continue to fight for the budget priorities given to City Council by the community each fiscal year.
If elected, how do you plan to solicit input and feedback from residents in your district?
Each day, I strive to be your voice at City Council. I see my role in local government as both an advocate and a problem solver. I do this by listening to you. As councilwoman, I pride myself for being accessible on behalf of my residents to ensure that our district receives the information it deserves. I will continue to attend forums, send informative updates, hold town halls, and show up regularly to events throughout District 3 to ensure that our residents are receiving the highest quality of city services.
