San Antonio enters public-input phase after city manager presents FY 2027 budget

San Antonio’s proposed Fiscal Year 2027 budget has moved into public review after the city manager presented the proposed operating and capital budget to City Council on Thursday, August 13.

The budget remains under review. City Council has not adopted the annual operating budget, capital budget or FY 2027 ad valorem tax rate.

Residents can comment through August 28

The city’s scheduled community-input period runs from Monday, August 17, through Friday, August 28. The city’s budget engagement page offers information about the proposal, a survey and a virtual comment card.

The virtual comment card is open from Thursday, August 13, through Friday, August 28. Residents who need help completing it can contact the Communications & Engagement Department by email or call 3-1-1.

Public feedback is part of the review process, but it does not determine the final budget by itself. Council members will continue reviewing recommendations, services and spending priorities during public meetings.

Council work sessions begin August 18

The first scheduled budget work session is Tuesday, August 18, from 2 to 5 p.m. Additional sessions are scheduled for August 19, August 25, August 26 and September 1, followed by work sessions on September 8, September 9, September 15 and September 16.

The city’s official schedule lists the sessions as checkpoints for reviewing the proposed budget before the formal hearings and final action. The Meetings & Agendas portal provides access to council agendas, participation information, meeting videos and minutes.

Residents, renters, homeowners, workers and local businesses should watch for proposed changes involving city services, departmental priorities, fees, revenue and property-tax implications. The key distinction is between what the city manager proposed on August 13 and what council ultimately approves.

Two budget and tax-rate hearings are scheduled

The first public hearings on the proposed budget and FY 2027 ad valorem tax rate are scheduled for Wednesday, September 2. The tax-rate hearing is listed for 5 p.m., with the budget hearing immediately afterward.

The second tax-rate hearing is scheduled for Thursday, September 10, at 9 a.m., followed immediately by the second public hearing on the proposed budget.

Those hearings provide formal opportunities for residents to address council before the scheduled vote. The dates are part of the city’s current budget calendar and could change if the city revises its schedule.

Final action is scheduled for September 17

City Council is scheduled to consider the FY 2027 annual operating and capital budget ordinances, the ad valorem tax-rate ordinances and revenue adjustments during its Thursday, September 17, “A” Session.

Until that action occurs, San Antonio’s budget and tax rate remain proposals. A possible tax change should not be described as approved. Residents should follow the proposed rate, hearing notices, council work-session materials and the final ordinances.

Annual budget decisions are separate from a possible bond tax

Tax discussions also include a longer-term infrastructure question that is separate from the FY 2027 annual budget process. Axios San Antonio reported in May that city officials were considering whether additional debt-service tax capacity might be needed to support a future 2027 bond program comparable in scale to the city’s 2022 bond program.

That potential bond-related tax change has not been adopted and should not be confused with the annual FY 2027 tax-rate decision. The annual budget covers city operations and capital planning for the fiscal year, while a future bond program would involve separate financing and voter-related decisions.

For now, the next dates to mark are August 17 through August 28 for scheduled community input, August 18 for the first budget work session, September 2 and September 10 for the two public-hearing rounds, and September 17 for scheduled council action. The proposal remains subject to review, revisions and adoption by City Council.

Sources

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