Issue XI: March

It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating the new year and now it’s almost Spring! It is a beautiful time of year for growth, rest, and enlightenment. This month, we’ve had the opportunity to celebrate Women’s History Month, participate in Read Across America in our District’s schools, and set our clocks forward for daylight saving time. This month, my team and I set the record for the most Council Consideration Requests filed by a D2 Councilmember with our twelfth policy proposal of the term. We also had the opportunity

DISTRICT NEWSLETTER ISSUE XI | MAR ‘23

COUNCILMAN JALEN MCKEE-RODRIGUEZ

to appoint an interim District 7 Councilmember to replace Ana Sandoval. This was a big month for our northeast side, as we celebrated the grand re-opening of the Walzem Family YMCA, re-opened our Northeast Field Office, and began the design of a new park on Village Row. On the eastside, we’ll soon receive updates on potential locations for a brand new senior center, begin the community engagement process for the expansion of the Carver Library, and resume conversations with Santikos regarding the possibility of a new movie theater! We have a lot of work to do, but we are incredibly excited to see the results of the work of the past year and enter a

new phase. It’s clear there is significant need in our district, but our office is committed to finding innovative solutions, sharing information and resources with you, and serving our community diligently with compassion and care. As always, it is a privilege and honor to serve you. If you ever need anything, even just to speak to a friendly voice, please don’t hesitate to reach our office.

Yours in service, Councilman,

District 2

The District 2 Office attended a Black History Month celebration at Bowden Academy | February 22, 2023

What’s New in District 2?

Words can be found vertically, horizontally, and diagonally!

In the word search above, you will find public art and art spaces throughout District 2:

Trains | NeonDrive | Open Hand Open Mind Open Heart

Kumamoto En | Houston Street Bridge | Spheres Of Reflection

Spirit Of The Phoenix | Past Present And Future | Rosa Parks Way, East Commerce Street Benches | Martin Luther King Statue

Reverse Cornucopia | Essex Modern City | Cruising Kitchens, Nolan Street Mural | Southwest Workers Union Mural Eye Of The Beholder Art Gallery

Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez hugs a constituent

delivering meals with Meals on Wheels | March 1, 2023

after

One in five District 2 residents do not have reliable access to internet. In an effort to bridge that digital divide and provide relevant information to as many D2 constituents as possible, we’ve taken on an ambitous task - establishing a monthly newsletter that reaches as many residents as possible! The newsletters include information about resources and programs in the city, opportunities to participate in District 2 events, and, of course, updates on major policy initiatives from Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez. This newsletter reaches over 10,000 households, more than 1/10th of the District!

Do you have ideas for what you’d like to see in future editions of the monthly newsletter? You can let us know at 210.207.0950 or Council.District2@sanantonio.gov!

Every year, the Bexar County Appraisal District (BCAD) decides the property value of your home. You will receive a tax statement with an assessed value of your home. This will tell you how much your home would sell for in comparison to other homes in your neighborhood. The appraised value will affect the amount of property taxes you owe.

If you believe your home was assessed too high, you can appeal the assessment with the County, commonly referred to as protesting.

Bexar County Appraisal District will schedule a hearing to give you the opportunity to protest your taxes. At the hearing you will speak to a panel and explain why you think the taxes should be lower. You can attend the hearing in person, virtually or telephone conference phone call.

The City is hosting information sessions to help you feel confident submitting an appeal by the May 15 deadline.

Sessions will be facilitated in collaboration with lawyers and volunteers with Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid and the San Antonio Legal Services Association. Representatives with the Bexar County Appraisal District and Bexar County Assessor’s Office will also be available to provide guidance to homeowners. What to bring:

- A Driver’s License or State-Issued ID

If you inherited your home from a family member who has died and their name is still on the property records, bring:

- A copy of the prior owner’s death certificate

- A copy of the property’s most recent utility bill

- If you have one, a citation of any court record relating to your ownership of the property (such as a probated will)

If you receive social security benefits due to disability, bring:

- Social security award letter, showing proof of disability

If you are a member of the following groups, additional help may be available. Bring any documents showing you are a:

- Surviving spouse of a member of the armed services killed in action

- Surviving spouse of a first responder killed in the line of duty

- Disabled veteran or their surviving spouse

April 13 | 2-4pm

Second Baptist Community Center 3310 E Commerce St

April 17 | 4-7pm Alamodome 100 Montana St

April 24 | 4-6pm

Walker Ranch Senior Center 835 W Rhapsody Dr

May 6 | 10am-2pm Lanier High School

1514 W Cesar E Chavez Blvd

Property Taxes & Exemptions

GATHER SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

Gather evidence to support your reason for lower property taxes. This can include information like:

- Research of your neighbor’s property values from the Bexar County Appraisal website;

- Photos of property damage that could cause a decrease in value;

- Estimates for items that may need repair

With rising property values, tax season, inflation, and the increased costs of living, we often get calls from citizens concerned about their ability to afford it all.

While the Bexar County Appraisal District determines the values of your homes and the City makes up roughly 1/5 of your property tax bill, we believe the city has a role to play in providing relief where possible.

In addition to hosting our Property Tax Protest Workshops throughout the city, City Council recently approved some relief efforts that we hope will benefit as many residents as possible.

Months ago, City Council unanimously approved increased tax exemptions for homeowners, including:

- Increased Homestead Exemption (0.1% --> 10%)

- Increased Senior Exemption ($65,000 --> $85,000)

- Increased Disability Exemption ($12,500 --> $85,000)

These exemptions decrease the amount you pay to the City’s portion of your property tax bill.

In addition, for the first time in several years, our City Council approved a property tax rate decrease!

While we are only one of the five tax entities that make up your bill, we believe the City has led by example for other taxing entities to follow. We look forward to seeing you at one of our workshops, and are committed to serving you with compassion, empathy, and diligence.

“My property taxes are becoming too high and I’m already struggling!”

What’s New in District 2?

It’s not uncommon to hear that District 2 has some of the greatest need in the city. We’d like to put this into context. Every month, our office receives a report of calls for service from District 2 residents. In February, there were 6,061 calls for service across multiple departments. This month, our top calls were for Development Services, Solid Waste Management, Animal Care Services, and Public Works. The data we receive about calls allows us to identify common themes and propose meaningful policy solutions and informs our annual budget requests. For example, calls regarding code violations have been extremely common, which is why we approved the creation of a case management team that works to achieve compliance and prevent recidivism. Below, you will find a summary of calls from District 2 residents. Do any surprise you?

1

There were 2,324 calls for DSD. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 724 calls for overgrown yard/trash; 237 for illegal parking in front/side yard; 235 calls for overgrown grass/ trash in alley ways; 151 calls for graffiti; and 127 for Junk Vehicles.

2 3

DEVELOPMENT SERVICES SOLID WASTE ANIMAL CARE SERVICES PUBLIC WORKS 4

There were 1,836 calls for Solid Waste. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 687 calls for no pickup; 216 for dead animals; 206 for lost/stolen carts; 162 calls for damaged carts; and 114 calls for cart delivery.

There were 1,046 calls for ACS. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 232 reporting aggressive (non-critical) animals; 230 reports of strays; 149 for public nuisance; 125 for cruelty/ neglect; and 127 for sick/injured animals.

There were 678 calls for Public Works. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 134 for pothole repair; 98 for pavement repair, 88 for faded/graffitid traffic signs; 60 for traffic signal maintenance; and 42 for traffic sign maintenance.

Last year, the District 2 Office joined Jefferson Heights for a community Clean-Up.

Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and the D2 Team joined Southeast Area neighborhoods for a ride-along with ACS, SAFFE, Code, and Public Works.

5

PARKS AND RECREATION

There were 133 calls for Parks. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 17 calls for sign maintenance; 14 for carpentry; 13 for masonry; 9 for playground maintenance; and 8 for fitness equipment.

7

METRO HEALTH

There were 15 calls for Metro Health. The top reasons for calls include, but aren’t limited to: 5 reports of sanitary conditions; 3 for renewals and invoices; 2 reports of food sales without a permit; 2 regarding hygienic practices; and 1 reporting ventilation.

6

HUMAN SERVICES

There were 20 calls for Human Services, all of which were reports of homeless encampments.

8

Historic Preservation

There were 3 calls for the Office of Historic Preservation, all for permits involving historic properties.

The District 2 team collaborated with The DoSeum to host a Back to School Community Resource Fair and Backpack/Supply Drive. This included free access to the museum’s interactive exhibits!

What’s New in District 2?

We’re coordinating with a local artist and educator on a brand new project! Students on the eastside will have an opportunity to channel their energy and creativity into a series of murals, but we need YOUR help! Do you or a businessowner you know have an exterior wall space available for this free mural project? If so, please call us at 210.207.0950 or at Council.District2@sanantonio.gov. More details coming soon!

Last year, eastside students joined us at Alamo City Studios for a six-week partnership where they learned from industry professionals and created six short films!

exhibit!

Our Field Office at the Claude Black Community Center features beautiful art created by students at Davis Middle School, first displayed at their art

Just last month, two dogs broke out of their gate, attacking and killing an 81 year old man on Depla St in District 5. A 74 year old woman and two other men, including a Fire Department Captain, were also injured in the attack. While the owner of the dogs was arrested and faces multiple felony charges, it is clear that more must be done to safeguard our residents, educate petowners, and ensure the wellbeing of animals throughout the city.

Whether you live in Denver Heights, Dignowity Hill, Wilshire Village, Lakeside, Mahncke Park, Camelot, or any other part of our District, you’ve likely had an encounter with stray animals. It’s not uncommon to hear stories of packs of dogs roaming neighborhoods, and over the past few years the issue has gotten out of control.

As we begin to discuss next year’s budget, it is time to have a hard look at the way we’ve handled the issue of Animal Care Services. It’s likely that nearly every department in our city could use more resources and staff, but the need to support our Animal Care Services Department is comeasurate with the risk to our community’s safety if we don’t allocate proper resources, training, and support.

While Animal Care Services continues to be a priority for our District 2 team, it is imperative that you as our constituents make this priority clear during our public input process for the budget. Very soon, City Council will be releasing our annual SA SpeakUp Budget Survey. There, you will have an opportunity to weigh in on several priority areas. Not only do we hope that you participate in this process, we hope to achieve the highest level of participation in our City’s history. But we cannot do that without you.

Please be on the lookour for the budget survey in the coming months, and don’t hesitate to reach out to my office if you’d like to be notified of the survey when it becomes available. It’s clear we need to address the behavior of petowners across the city, provide resources/education, enforce existing laws, and advocate for further legislation at the state level. With your support, we are hear to do that!

Yours in service,

In 2022, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez was approached by Iman Zakaria to find ways City Council could pave a path for the passage of The CROWN Act (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair), a non-discrimination policy that aims to protect against the unfair treatment of natural, textured hair and styles such as braids, Bantu knots, afros, and more. On March 1, 2023, after filing a formal proposal for Council Consideration to the City Clerk, Councilman Jalen was joined by over 50 supporters of the CROWN Act at Public Comment. Iman, alongside Janabou, Neveah, Victorya, Amaya, and Daniya, shared testimony before City Council, expressing the reasons for their support of the CROWN Act, including their own personal experiences with hair discrimination.

These young women, members of The Lemonade Circle, a young women’s empowerment and mentorship group, represent a new generation of trailblazers leading the charge for policy change.

Policy should be driven by the needs identified by members of our community, so when we were approached by The Lemonade Circle, our role in this movement was clear. We are proud to stand alongside each of these young women as they fight for a better, more just world, free from discrimination.

Young women from The Lemonade Circle spoke at Public Comment in advocacy of The CROWN Act | March 1, 2023

Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and Iman Zakariah met outside City Hall after the testimony | March 1, 2023

Over 50 supporters attended Public Comment in support of The CROWN Act | March 1, 2023

Policy Updates & Spotlight

At City Hall, policy change happens in a number of ways. During the annual budget, City Council has an opportunity to evaluate each of the City departments’ programs and successes of the previous year and set goals for the next. During budget conversations, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez has presented ideas such as a Street Lighting Index, a Civil Rights Coordinator, a Director of Crime & Recidivism Prevention, and revisions to our City’s Equity Lens Formula that allocate more funds to areas of the city that need it most, like District 2.

At committee meetings, Councilmembers often have an opportunity to review and weigh in on items, policy proposals, and programs before they go to full-Council. Councilman Jalen serves on the following committees: Public Safety, Community Health Environment & Culture, Transportation, and Municipal Utilities Committee. He also serves on the San Antonio Housing Trust, San Antonio Education Partnership, and Chairs the Inner City TIRZ. He’s previously served on the Audit & Accountability committee and Intergovernmental Relations committee.

Councilmembers also use Council Consideration Requests to formally introduce policy discussions to Council. These proposals are signed by five Councilmembers, including the author(s). To date, Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez has authored 12 CCRs, with at least two signatures from every Councilmemberr, setting a record for District 2 Councilmembers.

COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST STATUS

Assigned to Public Safety

Initiated as Pilot Program for Bond, for later full-implementation

Pending committee assignment by Governance Director Position hired in ‘23, forwarded to Public Safety

Forwarded from CHEC to full Council for briefing & action

Pending committee assignment by Governance

Pending committee assignment by Governance

Pending committee assignment by Governance

Pending committee assignment by Governance