 Yeah I am so glad to see you and I'm so happy to be here I'm Charlotte Ann Lucas. I'm executive director of now cast SA and I've been a journalist since well Since there were manual typewriters in newsrooms Nobody else here is old enough to remember that right? Today's mayoral debate about the quality of life issues falls right in the sweet spot of the work We do at now cast SA Now cast SA is a lot like public television on the internet a local C-span a Trusted part of the civic fabric and the future of San Antonio We inform and engage people about public policy health the environment education and culture Our nonprofit mission is to promote and facilitate an inclusive civic conversation Now in its 10th year now cast SA has expanded access to trustworthy news and information Empowering nearly 650,000 individuals to make smarter decisions for themselves We promote local civic engagement using live video To create online forums for opportunity Community conversations about quality of life neighborhood news culture social justice equality human rights government accountability and transparency in The last municipal elections in 2017 We published more than 20 hours of video on our YouTube channel of candidate forums and debates This month we're doing it again. We will record events bumper-to-bumper Uncut we don't blink So you can exercise your very own think for yourself muscles As soon as this debate ends today You can hit the replay button and share it with your friends and your kids and your grandkids It'll be on their favorite channel YouTube. I'm proud to say that thanks to sponsorship from AARP Our most popular piece of content of all time is our early voting polling place map that shows you on your computer Or your phone the closest place where you can go to vote since 2010 that map has been used by 190,000 different people to find a place to vote Many of those people are people like you and me. Yes. I'm over 50 and We vote in every single election no matter what right and What better place to have this conversation today than in Palo Alto College Just last Tuesday the Aspen Institute gave Palo Alto College its rising star award Marking this campus with ten thousand six hundred students as one of the top five community colleges in the nation During the awards ceremony Palo Alto College was honored fight for building clear pathways To degrees and transfer and for exceptional student advising and strong partnerships with the K through 12 systems nearby Which have resulted in this is so amazing Remarkable improvement in graduation and transfer rate over four years from 28 percent to 47 percent Yeah, let's give this college a round of applause and now for the organization Whose support made this important debate and discussion possible today our partners in civic engagement and in nonpartisan voter education AARP This debate is made possible by the financial support of AARP and oh by the way Lunchboxes are available for everyone who attended today and for those who came on the bus your lunches are waiting for you on the bus Please join me in thanking AARP Representing AARP today is John Vasquez of San Antonio the newest member of the AARP Texas Executive Council Vasquez served as municipal judge in Austin for nearly 20 years from 1996 to 2015 His family has deep Texas roots dating all the way back to at least 1848 he grew up in San Antonio where he graduated from high school at age 16 He then went on to attend UT Where he graduated at the age of 19 and after graduating from UT School of Law He lived in Austin for the next 32 years where he raised his daughters with his wife Maria Now he has the good sense to live in San Antonio and His favorite volunteer activity for AARP is registering people to vote. How cool is that? Please join me in welcoming John Vasquez. I didn't realize that you have a whole biography out there for you guys um Good morning, and on behalf of the volunteers and the members of AARP welcome as you know, my name is John Vasquez and I am a native of San Antonio going back many generations and I love this city Today AARP is sponsoring this debate to hear from mayoral candidates on their ideas for making San Antonio More livable and an even better place for people of all ages to live In 2014 San Antonio joined the network of age-friendly Communities a group of communities around the country committed to improving environmental social and economic factors That influenced the well-being of older persons and all persons Age-friendly communities strive to be well-designed livable communities that provide health and sustain economic growth Communities with happier healthier residents for people of all ages as Part of our effort to promote age-friendly communities AARP has asked San Antonio's to identify their policy priorities From our surveys AARP surveys. We have learned that housing Transportation health and employment are among the most important issues to the public These priorities don't just matter to the 150,000 AARP members in Bear County They matter to families and benefit San Antonio's of all ages From the two-year-old to the hundred two-year-old from the grandmother Crossing the street with a walker to the mother pushing her child in a stroller These are policy priorities that mattered most to San Antonio's Our research all shows shows that older voters vote 67% of voters who voted in the last mayoral election were age 55 plus Candidates on the May 4th municipal ballot are likely well aware of this demographic and are attuned to the concerns of older voters. I Want to encourage you as voters to do your homework Take the time to learn about the candidates their positions and their records The question voters should ask is who really stands up for the issues that matter most to you It's why I'm excited to hear from the candidates this morning And I hope that you are equally excited to hear from them as well now before I leave the podium I want to say thanks to few people or some folks that are very important to what we do here in San Antonio I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the local AARP staff who work year-round here in San Antonio To keep the association doing great work in a particularly our local director Which is Lisa Rodriguez and our staff person bunny Brightman, so please give them a hand And then there are other people who are behind the scenes who do a great deal of work in particular I'd like to Whatever volunteer leaders is Juliana Castellana Hoyt She's a former Texas executive council member and then you'll see people here in red shirts and some who aren't Around here and these are all volunteers with AARP who do so much work for our community And I'd like to give them a hand as well and then I'd also like to recognize a couple of our ARP dignitaries who are here in the audience Our statewide leaders who are important to what we do at the state level because we as you may or may not know are Active in the legislature pushing for issues that are important to older persons and which matter to our communities around the state And that would be our volunteer president Charlene Hunter James. She's our she's up in the back and then And then seated next to her is mr. Bob Jackson our long-running AARP state director So without further ado, I thank you again for being here and I'll turn this podium back For give me I'm going to read this in a minute, but I'm introducing my dear dear friend who I've known for more than one decade Who also is over 50 Elaine Ayala is a metro columnist at the San Antonio Express news a Newspaper journalist for nearly 40 years She's worked as a news reporter features editor blogger and editorial page editor at six Metropolitan dailies Corpus Christi Caller times Arizona Daily Star Cleveland Plain dealer Austin American statesmen El Paso times in the express news And most of them are still standing And she has worked at the express news since 1996 Right after I got there Her metro column and this is the most amazing thing She is the metro columnist for the San Antonio Express news a Great great thing for the city of San Antonio as far as I'm concerned. I'm completely biased about this Her metro column which debuted very recently appears on Tuesdays and Thursdays and Saturdays in the express news She covers San Antonio and Bear County Among her specialty topics are communities of color demography immigration and education the San Antonio native Graduated from Memorial High School and the University of Pennsylvania and Has been involved in several journalism organizations throughout her career most focused on increasing the number of minorities and women in US newsrooms and Scholarship fundraising for students pursuing careers in the media She is the past president of San Antonio Association of Hispanic journalists the Austin area Association of Hispanic journalists and the El Paso Association of Hispanic journalists and she served on the board of the National Association of Hispanic journalists She is the recipient of several awards including the Henry get a lifetime achievement award for excellence in journalism awarded by San Antonio Association of Hispanic journalists the Philip true award for reporter of the year given by her peers at the express news The inaugural mission heritage award by the American Indians of Texas and Spanish colonial missions the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce's inaugural community voice award a Role model for the Martinez Street Women's Center The image of San Antonio award given to women leaders and the governor's yellow rows of Texas award She has been inducted into the Edgewood Independent School Districts Hall of Fame and the San Antonio Women's Hall of Flame. Please welcome Elaine Ayala Thank you so much. Welcome everyone. I have rules to read because debates are governed by rules and Now cast as they adopted the rules the Texas Public Radio does for its candidate debates They are as follows They consider election debates to be important forums for helping the community make informed decisions To determine guidelines for debates Texas Public Radio established viewpoint neutral criteria for candidate inclusion They are they are rooted in principles of editorial integrity and judgment the criteria a Candidate must have met all legal Qualifications required by the state of Texas to appear on a ballot and be eligible for office to a Candidate must actively campaign To meet the definition of an active campaign a Candidate would need to establish a campaign headquarters with the paid and or volunteer staff Generate public interest such as being invited to speak at public gatherings and obtaining monetary Contributions and have a campaign that will be sufficiently newsworthy to warn coverage by the media In the current digital environment There is a presumption that the candidate would have an easily accessible website and social media presence Three polls are often a measure of voter interest if the debate involves candidates in a race where polling is Undertaken credible non-partisan polls may be considered If a candidate consistently receives a minimum of 10 percent rating in Established non-partisan polls the candidate may be presumed to be newsworthy Voter interest may also be measured by the percentage of votes cast for a candidate in a previous election And so a candidate would have had to receive a minimum of 10 percent of votes in a previous election For the same office or comparable office in all cases Texas Public Radio requires a candidate to meet the legal requirements for Eligibility for office imposed by the state of Texas to be included in a debate For candidates who satisfy this standard Texas Public Radio considers the candidates campaign activity and established non-partisan polling data to make a viewpoint neutral editorial judgment of the candidates newsworthiness Okay, now there's debate rules and time limits on Opening and closing statements the order of opening and closing statements will be determined Alphabetically prior to the debate the candidate that appears first in the Albert alphabet mr. Broadcast We'll start the opening remarks followed by the other candidate the candidate goes last that goes last Mayor Nuremberg in opening statements will go first in closing statements Each candidate will be given two minutes for opening statements and two minutes for closing statements Now about questions Can't questions for this mayoral debate will focus on age friendly issues and concerns in San Antonio The audience will write questions on note cards that are in your red bags and a a P-staff will collect them during the debate just raise your hand with your card and they'll pick them up After organizing audience member questions into major themes a ARP staff will provide the moderator with a curated questions to ask mayoral candidates Now on the order and timing of questions the candidate who makes the second opening statement will receive the first question subsequently the questions will alternate the candidate will have 60 seconds to respond respond the other candidate will have 30 seconds to Reboot rebuttal Candidates will receive a 10-second alert before their timing is up The timekeeper should raise her hand up in the air. So we all know where she is right up front Candidates who go over time will receive one verbal warning from the moderator. That's me. I'll have to warn you I'll be looking. It's nothing personal After the verbal warning the moderator will begin to detect time from the candidates time to answer and rebut the next question Okay, so remember your index cards raise your hand when you have it and Candidates, please look at the timekeeper now. Let's do bios I've got lots to read this morning before we get to things and I took these bios directly from the city of San Antonio website First Ron Nuremberg is he's the mayor of San Antonio the fastest growing city in the seventh largest population With the seventh largest population in the United States He was raised in Austin and attended college in San Antonio Nuremberg is a son of an immigrant from Southeast Asia and the grandson of immigrants from Eastern Europe who passed through Ellis Island Through his personal experiences mayor Nuremberg developed a core commitment commitment to civic participation and the universal values of liberty justice and equal opportunity for every person He is focused on making key Infrastructure investments necessary to accommodate the growth of San Antonio, which is expected to nearly double in population by 2040 This forward-thinking approach drives the mayor's vision of a compassionate community with a globally competitive economy He was first elected to represent district 8 on the San Antonio City Council in 2013 During his two terms the chief champion smart city and regional planning inclusive economic development environmental stewardship fiscal responsibility and governmental accountability Mayor Nuremberg is this chairman of sister cities International a nonpartisan organization that collects connects cities across the globe through civic Educational and cultural exchanges the mayor continues to promote San Antonio as a peer premiere 21st century city open for business trade and investment attracting top talent and innovation companies in 2018 The United States Conference of Mayors recognized Mayor Nuremberg with the Small Business Advocate Award for his efforts to encourage entrepreneurialism He believed that success is achieved by partnerships as Councilman Nuremberg brought together a public private coalition to save the world Renowned Bracken back cave the largest colony of bats in the world Prior to his public service Nuremberg was the founder of two small businesses worked as the general man manager of KRTU FM San Antonio and as a program director for the Annenberg public policy center where he developed and directed award-winning civic engagement programs Mayor Nuremberg graduated summa cum laude from Trinidad University and received a master's degree in communication Maga cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania He and his wife first lady Erica prosper are the proud parents of their son Jonah and if he were here He would be the first to ask a question Greg Brock House was elected to San Antonio City Council for District 6 and 20 in June 2017 Brock House has deep roots in District 6 He graduated from John Day High School in 1990 and joined the US Air Force right after high school He served over nine years on active duty Brock House is a graduate of Southwest Texas State University And is a certified public manager in the state of Texas having graduated from the William P. Hobby Center for Public Service at Texas State Brock House currently is current city council appointments are on the Public Safety Committee the Transportation Committee the Community Health and Equity Committee the Arts Culture and Heritage Committee the Alamo area Metropolitan Planning Organizations Transportation Policy Board Brock House is married to the former Annalisa Sandoval. They have five children Emma who's 25 is a 2014 graduate of Texas Tech University, and I'm so sorry about the game last night We'll all get over it Edward is 19 and he's a graduate of the Northside Independent School District Daisy who 16 attends Earl Warren High School and David who's 14 attends middle school in Virginia and Luke whose eight is a third grader in the Northside school system Following a passion for public service Brock House left the banking industry in 2008 and began working in various political Positions he has worked in the capacity of Chief of Staff and Constituent Services Manager for multiple San Antonio City Council members Greg is also a small business owner and launched his own Marketing firm in District 6 His service mentality for City Council District 6 can be summed up with this quote I will never stop listening to what matters most to those in our community I will focus on being a humble fighter whose main goal is to deliver Exactly what the community wants. It's not my chair that I sit in at City Hall It belongs to the residents of District 6 and I will put my heart into serving our community Let's give them a round of applause. So in the order of the questions, Mr. Brock House will get the first opening Talk and then the mayor Okay, we got this is working. Can you hear me with this? We're good I gotta tell you I think no offense to Ron and I but I think Elaine's bio was just a little bit better than the both of us So we got thank you Elaine for your time and the opportunity to be here today and to moderate this Thank you to AARP for putting the other opportunity for Ron and I again to come before the community and have a conversation About who we are and what we can be in the next two years right at City Council City Hall in the City of San Antonio So it's always an honor to talk about what you believe in but the best debates We have the best conversations run and I ever have a we're in front of people the average citizen The person grinding every day talking about their neighborhoods their communities in their lives We can sit in front of trade organizations and business chambers all day long But you really learn like my quote there at the end of the bio said we really learn the most when we talk to the residents and family members themselves when we're in the community the best elected representative is that person he or she that Understands the neighborhood then goes down to City Hall and delivers exactly that I grew up my entire life here in San Antonio My family started the arachas as my mother likes to joke. I'm 51 percent Hispanic 49 percent Caucasian. She says I'm 51 percent Aracha We grew up on on Southwest military down in that area right off a mission road in South Cross into Roosevelt Her my mother was raised with her ten brothers and sisters in about a five seven hundred square foot house Not there today, but I do visit often and still see my family down there We moved up the Valley High graduated from John Jay joined the Air Force But got back to San Antonio as soon as I can and what's exciting to me about this debate this opportunity There's two things that matter most in our policy that I try to do every day as a district 6 council person And it's who you take care of most you take care of our babies and children first Right, we got to go after that for the future of our community in city is the babies and our children the education of things that matter for Them and then the other one is the seniors right our retired persons the people who made us who we are today Our policy has to begin and end with that those who are the future and those who brought us here today Thank you for that opportunity Now you get you get two minutes, too Great. Thank you all for having me today. Thank you to ARP our friends and neighbors who are here today Thank you also to Palo Alto College one of the top community colleges in the entire nation My name is Ron Nirenberg. I'm the father of a ten-year-old son named Jonah I'm the husband of Eric or prospering for the last two years I've been honored and privileged to be your mayor two years ago You elected me mayor because I promised to deliver the city you deserve and we've been delivering on that promise since San Antonio we have restored our momentum our community is thriving our economy is booming We're at near full employment and we've created 40,000 jobs over the last two years Most of them in target sectors where we have high wage jobs that help lifts all boats more San Antonians today are working than ever before We have also brought the crime down from what was a 25 year high to a 30 year low in our most important concern Traffic congestion. We've made great progress. We've doubled the commitment to basic street maintenance We've concentrated on those priority projects in the most congested areas and we've launched connect SA the most innovative transportation plan the city has ever seen This is about making sure that our success continues and the only way we can do that is to stay the course And so I'm here to tell you I'm the only one on this stage that has the track record of getting things done For us as a city and also the vision for the future and we see that and I hope you'll agree that we need to continue to keep our Economy moving we need to continue to work and stay vigilant on crime And we need to continue to forge ahead on innovative transportation solutions to our traffic problems Thank you so much for joining us today Thank you for having me out at this wonderful institution And I hope to earn your vote so I can continue working hard every single day to make San Antonio the city you deserve Thank you in the order of the debate the mayor will take the first question Get 60 seconds to respond with a rebuttal from the councilman at 30 seconds So the first question mr. Mayor a third of San Antonio's Population is age 50 plus and that will continue to grow to about 600,000 people by the year 2020 Are their elements of your proposed agenda that will contribute to ensuring San Antonio's age 50 plus That can live their best life possible regardless of their zip code and if so, what are those elements? Thank you for the question And I'll focus on two elements But really it's how we grow the entire city the two elements I'd like to focus on our number one our equity budgeting ensuring that we are using our city resources wisely and putting our Resources where they are needed the most which means that for the first time for any big city in the nation particularly San Antonio We're ensuring that communities neighborhood zip codes that have been left behind for a generation are finally getting the Investment in infrastructure sidewalks street maintenance and so forth The other element is finally delivering after 30 years ago when Mayor Henry Cisneros said we need a comprehensive housing strategy To ensure affordability and so that every person can live in dignity affordably and safely in this community After 30 years this administration We launched the the first-ever comprehensive and compassionate housing strategy for the city of San Antonio Now we need to implement it and we have begun and we will get it done Look at at the end of the day. We have to recognize the role that persons over 50 play in our community. We're living longer Right, we're gonna be employed longer and that policy and the things we do at City Hall need to reflect that What concerns me about our policy at City Hall is it's focused on other things other than our Over 50 population a lot of our policies built around the millennial, right the person coming to San Antonio moving here I want to make sure that the people we have here the million and a half folks living here in our future 600,000 seniors have workforce education opportunities to keep working that they boy that minute went super fast No, you have 30 seconds for rebuttal No, it's it's but you're gonna get the next question. So you get 60 seconds on this and Then the mayor will get 30 seconds for rebuttal and this is a question from the audience What is affordable housing and what does it mean? I live near downtown east of the Alamo dome property taxes and rent have skyrocketed So have skyrocketed the past few years retired and disabled that myself and my Community feel we're being pushed out of our neighborhoods Councilman 60 seconds. It's not a feel like you're being pushed out of your neighborhoods You are being pushed out of your neighborhoods like I said a minute ago You need to be able to make more money and work longer into your age as long as you want to work Right, then you need to be able to keep more of that cash you're earning Which means lower property taxes and fees wherever proper wherever possible But most importantly to what that is we had to value your property the right way, right? Bear County appraisal district is overvaluing your property that's more tax dollars back to the city But we need to fix that system so you can stay in though aging in place and be able to keep your Generational home and pass that on to your children's important. Oh by the way You're not just raising yourself and living your own life Most likely our seniors are also raising their grandchildren and in some neighborhoods in our community They're raising those babies permanently full-time So we have to help you keep more of your money so that you're providing for the family You're raising now you're providing for your life. You're able to earn money and cash and you stay in your home We must lower the property taxes and correct the valuation system So you can keep what you've worked hard for for decades of your life Yeah, this question of making sure that displacement is not an acceptable condition in San Antonio is precisely Why we launched the compassionate housing strategy for San Antonio? So we are working on focus property tax relief We just launched last week a top-down review of the appare appraisal district process And we're working to ensure that everyone can live in dignity affordably on it an accelerated Displacement prevention strategy as well as a risk mitigation tool that people if they are in displacement We also have a safety net available to them. It's all of us working together Now you get the next question Studies show that individuals 15 plus 50 plus make significant economic Contributions to their states and their local communities But job training for older adults who want to learn new job skills within their job or get training in a different feel are lacking What policies and programs would you implement to support the economic engine referred to as the? longevity economy in San Antonio 60 seconds Thank you also for that question the La Vida Buena Policy the the vision for making sure we're an age-friendly community cannot leave out the fact that we have a large and growing Population that needs to be that needs to have opportunities for employment later in life and that means skills training so all of our workforce development strategy whether it's Understanding the needs of the industries that are coming to San Antonio And also the skills that are still at a gap in San Antonio are focused on allowing access to those skills trainings at all levels Project upgrade for instance is identifying people in our community They can have a little bit of extra training to upgrade their careers and skill sets on it on on an annual basis So we continue to work with that provide access to those facilities whether they're community centers Libraries or in our businesses and industries in partnership with SA works We're going to work on that together to ensure everyone has an opportunity to thrive and to work in a career That's meaningful Mr. Councilman 30 seconds When you put your name on an application you're over 50 years old. You shouldn't feel like that's a hindrance, right? You should have the qualifications you already have them But you should be seen for the qualifications not for the age on the application That means we have to help you with workforce education I think Alamo College is exactly where we need to go with this Palo Alto is exactly where we need to go with this which is investing in that tuition assistance that help for the senior to get The education they need they can't be afraid of the school because they're not they've already been through it But what they're worried about is getting treated fairly in the workplace So we have to offer the workforce education provide the funding out of City Hall and let's help people keep working for as long as they Want to for their family. Okay councilman you get the next question which comes from the audience What is your vision for senior? Transportation in the future of San Antonio This is an interesting point one of the things that scared me that I didn't like what the city of San Antonio did Was they consolidated these 10 senior centers across the community now on the surface that looked like that was a great idea At district 6 is Lopez Center's 9,000 people enrolled guess how many average visitors they get a day 250 to 300 you know what happens is that range that reach is Tough for a senior from a mobility perspective to get to the senior center So we've left people out on the edges as senior centers in local neighborhoods began to close down and into support a super senior center We've left seniors out. They lose the camaraderie. They lose the health and fitness aspect of it the nutrition aspect We actually purchased a van in district 6 to try to bust them in and you know what? They didn't want to ride the van because it was at a particular time in pickup spot that didn't make sense So the things we have to do is create that system using via so that the seniors in control of their mobility And they could get to these centers Then we got to get back to opening up the opportunities for more centers and outreach a senior at home by themselves Is the absolute last thing we want we want interaction and community involved? Specifically on transportation we need to focus on three strategies one is we need to build and create these resources that people can get to So they don't have to travel as great a distance. That's community centers that senior centers Nutrition centers people shouldn't have to travel so far in addition. We have to fully fund our public transit agency We have to ensure that people have point-to-point transportation They're better medical to all the other appointments and jobs and so forth and then finally we have to actually get serious about building complete streets We need to make sure that they're accessible and safe for all modes of transportation Mr. Mayor you get the next question San Antonio has one of the lowest rates of voter participation among the 20 largest Texas cities Regularly fewer than 12 percent of San Antonio voters participate in municipal elections What would you do to increase voter participation in municipal elections? You have 60 seconds well This is a full on systemic change that we need and I think partially It has to make sure we have to ensure that we're not creating obstacles for people to participate We have to look for access to town halls and meetings just like this when it's not campaign in election time We have to be more accessible to our community Which is why councilman sandoval and I have launched a new public public participation protocol And we have to look at how our government structure government structure also prevents people from voting I have long been an advocate for us unifying election dates to a November election cycle rather than us being in the middle of summer and Trying to get people's attention during fiesta for a municipal election We know that if we moved election dates to November we would have a four-fold increase in participation year over year we need to do that and then Thank you And then finally we have to make sure that we're reaching out to every neighborhood every center every opportunity We have to reach voters on a day-to-day basis when it's not election time is an opportunity for us to tell people They have a voice and they need to take advantage of it Councilman 60 seconds, I mean 30 seconds 30 seconds We look we need to be careful right because I think one of the biggest problems with voter apathy is the elected officials themselves at City Hall when you don't follow what the neighborhoods want when there's a disconnect people don't trust or believe in their government And that's not just here. It's nationally. It's statewide and it's in its local So restoring trust and doing what neighborhoods wants going to drive people out being present showing up trusting and knowing your leadership They'll be there and show I look I don't necessarily agree moving it to a November timeline. We are a nonpartisan election race I love the ability to focus on Municipal issues first so that those things matter most to the voters and not 200 people on a ballot get voting on Councilman you get the next question 60 seconds And nearly one in ten that's 86 percent of San Antonians 50 plus say it's extremely important to live in their own home as As the age and half feel it is important to remain in their communities What specific actions would you take as mayor to set standards for the design and construction of new housing and Reconstruction of existing housing that would promote greater Accessibility affordability increased housing choice and enable residents to remain in their homes and Communities as they age The city has to be very careful where we put our incentives and how we grow communities We've got a great success model with the pearl off of Broadway But what we found with that is as we kept building Incentivizing in there and putting millions in there. What happened to didn't know did nobody part what happened to the Dignity Hills, excuse me. What happened to Mankey Park? What happened to Lavaca? What happened to Denver Heights? People came in and started being priced out of their homes moved out because we put too much money into the neighbor I didn't know when to turn it off. So as mayor, I'm gonna spread those resources across the city, right? We're gonna incentivize in more areas so that people want to live in certain What's important to them around the educational facilities the work facilities? I think we spent too much time in the decade of downtown and it priced people out of their homes and you couldn't afford it Right so the first piece is spread the incentives the second piece is tax relief proper property valuations We have to fix that as well And then we have to come in and make sure we're understanding exactly where seniors want to live and how they want to live in a community That's that's tight-knit and compact. We're building a development just like that in district six That's near YMCA. That's walkable. That has every they need. Thank you so much mayor 30 seconds on rebuttal It starts with reminding ourselves that our housing strategies need to be compassionate and our focus needs to be on people and ensuring that they get to Stay in their homes with dignity and affordably and safely I support representative Bernal's focus on providing targeted exemptions for people who have been in their homes for a long time to Provide tax relief but also the compassionate and comprehensive housing strategy with owner occupied rehabilitation funds should in some part focus on Retrofitting to allow for accessibility for aging residents to stay in their homes as well Okay, mr. Mayor you get this next question with 60 seconds to answer in 2016 San Antonio was named the last least equal city in the country by the economic Innovation group we lead the nation when it comes to the extreme differences between our more prosperous neighborhoods and our more Distressed ones what will you do to close the opportunity and prosperity gap that currently exists in our city? Thank you for that question And I'm glad this was asked and we should not be proud of the fact that we've ranked there for many many years But I am very proud of the fact that this community now has rallied to do something about it It started with the fact that the first thing I did as mayor We was signed the city's charter for compassion everything We do needs to be focused on how we improve people's lives, and it doesn't matter where you live or what zip code You're in you should have a great city where you can live and fairly and in a quality place So we focus on equity budgeting making sure that we put our resources where they're needed the most Where they can be invested in to bring up neighborhoods that have been long forgotten We're investing in our neighborhoods better and we're working on the affordable Comprehensive housing strategy as a community it can't stop there though We have to continue work to create opportunity in every neighborhood Which is why I am so excited about the Alamo Promise program Which would say to every student who is in a bear County High School if you graduate You will be able to go to a community college without regards to your circumstances and without worry about making tuition Thank you Councilman rebuttal 30 seconds We just have to make sure that the council member the person elected to represent junior district has the means necessary to provide What's best for you you elect someone to go down to City Hall? I'm representing district 6 You know what concerns me about our policy is that those same neighborhoods? That started a couple of years ago that are struggling or five or ten years ago. They're struggling today There is no difference. It doesn't matter if it was Cheryl Scully as the city manager of Mayor Ron Nuremberg We have to make sure we get back to understanding communities are routinely left behind the sidewalks and neighborhoods of communities Old Highway 90 in District 6 a perfect example We have to get in there and do the things that matter most to the neighborhoods nobody gets left behind That needs to be our mantra no matter what we're doing Councilman you get the next question with 60 Seconds to respond and apparently this question has come up with from various cards, so I'm just reading one as an example People several people raised questions about the Chick-fil-A vote. Where do you stand? Well, I mean I made my point very clear on it to me. It's a religious freedom issue. We made a bad decision We need to revote it and fix it and bring Chick-fil-A back to the airport period The problem with the situation is that the council made a value moral morality decision because of the previous owner from Chick-fil-A's Position on donations and cash and what he did from a religious freedom perspective The mayor has talked about it being closed on Sunday in a financial piece. I'm here to tell you number one I honor the fact Chick-fil-A closes on Sunday. I think that's a wonderful thing The second piece is we will not lose any revenue because Chick-fil-A makes more in six days than other restaurants making seven So it's a bad decision. You don't have to just listen to me. Just go go go look it up It has become a national embarrassment. It's a statewide embarrassment We cannot be closed for business because the RFP process and how we award contracts is not Consistent during that last-minute vote what happened was we held them accountable for rules that weren't even in the contract They're ours of operation. We're not in the contract We did it because we disagreed with Chick-fil-A and their donations and who they believed in right from a faith perspective as Mayor I'm not going to let that happen You have 30 seconds to re reboot this I wish the councilman was as excited to talk about housing and transportation and equity as he is about past food But here's why I voted the way I did I have no concern. I do not concern myself In fact, I applaud Chick-fil-A for the faith-based business model I'm not and I don't Consider who they don't intend to donate to when I cast my vote But I want to make sure in the in the retail space the scarce retail space of the airport when people walk Through which is one and a half million people on Sunday that they're walking through a full array of options Not a darkened food court and in a contract that is emphasizing local. We need to have local businesses. Mr. Mayor We have to stop there Okay, you do get the next question with 60 seconds on this one And there are a lot of questions coming from the audience about property values and appraisals So I'll give you one Would you favor the establishment of a homestead exemption for persons under the age of 50? We are Analyzing homestead exemptions right now I will tell you this when we want to provide tax relief for our community We need to focus on where the tax relief can be found first Which is to make sure that the state legislature fully funds public schools in our city if that does not happen There is no tax relief to be found and that is from the legislature themselves But we are taking it upon ourselves to provide what relief we can so San Antonio has passed and now has the strongest senior Exemption in the state of Texas in fact if you're over 65 and you live in your home You own your home your tax bill will be frozen across the board in addition to that We are supporting and we are analyzing right now Possible increases in exemptions for people who need the relief the most and then finally again just last week I led the council to authorize a top-down review of the bear county appraisal district to see where it's out of line because we Want to make sure that your property is is appraised for what it's worth not what the government thinks it needs Councilman 30 seconds I think the record it speaks for itself on this one two years in a row. I pushed for property tax relief I motioned on the floor to force a property tax vote the mayor voted against property tax relief two years in a row He was opposed to a city-wide homestead exemption. I have fought for a city-wide homestead exemption as your mayor I'm gonna do two things. We're gonna lower the tax rate We're gonna we're gonna fix the valuation system that I support 100% and the second piece is we're gonna implement a city-wide homestead Exemption San Antonio is the only big city in this state doesn't have one Austin Dallas, Houston They all have one we need a city-wide homestead exemption and we need to lower property tax rates as quickly as possible Councilman you get the next question and this one is going coming from the audience and it says Will connect essay include older adults? transportation needs I Think it I think it will if we make it a via focused Movement at the end of the day via receives half of the funding of the rest of the big Metropolitan transit systems in the city in the state half the funding they have billions less over the last ten years to invest in Their metropolitan transit system via does more with less than any other organization I've ever seen so the first thing we need to do is we need to fulfill their full funding to make sure they have it They put their money to good use they're the transportation experts And I believe V is going to help that whether it's through connect essay or some other tasks We don't make a difference what it is V is the expert in transportation So if we put the money towards them for instance, we gave them ten million dollars in the last budget cycle They increased ridership in the focused areas they increased turn time So instead of waiting 20 minutes you wait 12 minutes or a 30 year rating 20 the faster It is the more convenient it is the more people use the via bus system So we have to invest in it fully fund it right fully fund it and then make it accessible So that last piece from you as a citizen making it to the bus needs to be easy and quick especially for our over 50 community So the answer your question is yes, it does and it will I launched connect essay to bring us Comprehensive transportation reform in the city and to also bring San Antonio mass transit for the first time in our history Part of connect essay is an integration of all of our transportation modes So we want to make sure we improve via we improve via trans But we also work with private public private transportation providers to drop to offer point-to-point Transportation for people who need it to go to doctors appointments to go to their jobs to their schools and so forth Mr.. Mayor you get the next question While 96% of San Antonio's surveyed say that sidewalks are in good condition and Say for pedestrians for all abilities only 45% say that these types of sidewalks Exist in their community. What would you do to address this unmet need? You know everyone I'm surprised we haven't talked about scooters yet, but I know we will The great takeaway for me on scooters is that Alex Prasadio our former city manager back in the 90s was right We need to build wider sidewalks for this community. We need to make sure they're walkable and they're connected We have identified 200 miles of sidewalk gap throughout our community So we're we are prioritizing that and in fact over the last two years as your mayor We've doubled the basic maintenance resources of our streets and our sidewalks. I'm proud of that. We're making progress We're on the right track, but we can't stop so our pedestrian network Which is all of our sidewalks is also a fundamental component of connect SA So we will have a vote to make sure that not only are we serious about sidewalks from a date from a year to year standpoint in our operational, but as part of our long-term vision accessibility and multimodal Sidewalks are going to matter especially to our senior community our aging community in over 50 community And I have I have sidewalks in District 6 and we're fighting that have been that look like a bomb was dropped on them 10 20 30 years ago and they still continue to look that way So what we did was we came in and we prioritized all those streets all those sidewalks in all those areas It's not just about a complete street. It's more for me about the sidewalk itself because it's got to be safe Accessible right we have to make sure persons with disability can use them and I tell you right now We've got a major sidewalk issue with the lack with gaps in District 6 We need more money in funding so we're gonna have to up that but be smart about where it goes Put the money to the sidewalk opportunities first and that's what I've done is the district 6 counselors Councilman you get the next question with 60 seconds What? Okay, keep my voice up. I'm told All right San Antonio can play. Oh wait. Wait. Wait. Wait. How would you approach or are approaching some of the top health challenges of San Antonio's age 50 plus population as identified by the 2014 AARP age-friendly survey in regards to especially obesity and diabetes Well, that's what comes back when like we talked about earlier was accessible options, right? So mobility and then the option place to get to to make that happen what scares me about that seniors if I'm thinking about Old Highway 9 I keep coming back to that because that community means the world to me when I think about the people that have grown up Right there the generations of families that are living there I think about the grandmothers and the great-grandparents that are sitting there that don't have access to the senior center Or they can't get to a nutrition center or their family has moved out of state They're not having the support they need and they're basically shut in at that point with a lack of options and opportunities So the first thing we got to do is get to people a couple weeks ago I went on a meals on wheels ride along and deliver to seniors I can't tell you enough how happy they were just knowing I was coming to the door at 11 30 on the dot That tells me we've got major issues food is going to be an issue so proper nutrition I think ramping up and supporting more places like meals on wheels getting the mobility and access so that they can get to The senior centers more local nutrition centers helps seniors and aging persons as well So that means city investment putting the money where it matters most and that's in our senior community This question is a great reminder that we don't just build infrastructure and streets and parks just for the heck of it We have to do that with a focus on improving people's lives So for this question, I would say we have to empower our Metro health department And in fact Dr. Colleen Bridger who is appointed to now assistant city manager was the director of the health department We just finished with public input the four the five-year strategic plan that focuses specifically on health care access As well as access to healthy options and nutrition We need to focus on that and implement that and that will take prioritization within our city resources May you get the next question with 60 seconds to answer? Several people have raised the crime rate So tell us what the crime rate is in San Antonio is and what a mayor can do about it to lower it Yeah, well, thank you very much for that when why took over two years ago We were suffering from what many cities were and that was a spike a historic spike in violent crime In fact, we were known in the mid 90s as a drive-by capital of the world our crime rate in 2016 It's spiked to that very level over the last two years. We focused on it. So we dropped the crime rate in 2017 just by 17% we followed that up just last year with another 18% reduction in category one crimes today Today no matter what anyone tells you we have dropped the crime rate twice as fast as the national average And we are at a 30 year low What we can do is continue to empower and champion the work of our local law enforcement in the community around them But we can also ensure we build upon the success not be embarrassed by it. We're making great progress We have to stay vigilant the watch never ends and we have to ensure that everyone in this community regardless of where they live Feel safe in their homes Councilman 30 seconds And the facts on the crime rate as we're still the number one native number one city the top 15 cities in the nation We still have the highest crime rate. Yes, it is decreased I don't dispute that at all But it's still number one in the nation and by the way the neighborhood you live in will tell you how you feel about crime It's different in every neighborhood It feels different on certain sides of town because certain sides of town are left out The money and resources aren't going to particular areas of this community and that's what we have to fix So it's more police officers and it's getting them to the areas that need to help the most because if you live on one side of town I can guarantee you feel different about crime on the other Councilman another from the audience Today is an ozone action date. What will you do to help our air quality? What I tell you we did end up in non-attainment About a year ago because our ozone levels got out of control, but I can tell you this they've been decreasing for years Right, they've been dropping there's a big a consistent level of work done by folks like ACOG our Alamo area Council of Governments our Health and equity committee at the city of San Antonio the department that sits focusing and works on that so together We work on different policies and things that help community health I've learned a lot being just a part of that about things. I had no idea about I'll be honest with you I'm learning as much as it comes to energy and renew renewable sources and how we save and help our environment our water And our air there's a lot to learn about it, but I can tell you this much We are doing well right so what we have to do is fight to make sure number one that the metrics and measurements are accurate Right that those ozone levels make sense ozone action days are a great help those things have been But sense has always been on the cutting edge of those things by the way the work We do has shown success so we've been decreasing those rates We've been creating a better air quality It's just a matter of sticking to it and making sure that we're all a part of that That's education and following the plan. We've been already successful with They are 60 seconds You know, I think we can first start by stop Disputing indisputable science. We've got to clean up our air and I've been long chat I've long championed our efforts locally to reduce air pollution In fact, I was the chairman of the air executive committee when we got us on a early action strategy to reduce the impact of non-attainment That we knew was coming, but we can't stop there We have to implement the strategies that we have in place in fact Dr. Bridger who I just mentioned rolled out the strategic plan to improve air quality in this region And we need to focus on implementing it and not arguing against science that has been long debated and settled Mr. Mayor you get the next question 60 seconds connect us. Oh, and it comes from YouTube Someone's watching or many people are watching. I'm sure Charlotte connect us a will take away bus routes and replace them with mobility in demand on Which is more expensive and you must have a smartphone. Will you support via instead of this scheme? Actually that is thank you for the question and an opportunity to clarify that that is not the case In fact one of the fundamental components of connect SA is to fully fund our bus network to improve bus routes And I would say I'm happy to have championed an effort along with councilman race Aldanya to improve bus routes in this area and on the west side where we know that they're needed most in fact 18 bus routes by the city council were were improved in 2017 and the results are astounding in those 18 bus routes the ridership is up by 30 and 40 percent So connect SA will focus on comprehensive strategies We're adding mobile on-demand access to via and other transportation options, but we're not eliminating anything We're integrating all these networks so so that we have a comprehensive Transportation system that can last into the future 36th's councilman Like I mentioned earlier This is a via answer for me right down the line and by the way all 11 of us on the city council supported Putting that cash into via because it's the right answer it reduced wait times and an increased ridership We need to go there and make those investments put that money in there But we have to be careful. This is very important because that question raises a concern What we do as a city council needs to mirror and look like our community if we're gonna do things that are smartphone driven We have to make sure that everybody has access to that if we if they don't then those options don't make sense for the bulk of our Community we gotta be very careful, so I have to keep an eye on that as your mayor especially for the senior community Can they operate and work within that confines of that policy? Where are we now? I'm mixed up I Okay, so I'll give the next question. I'm sorry This comes from bill on Facebook. Will you support equity-based budgeting in the future? Do you understand the reasons for having it in the first place? Well, I've got a I'll be honest with you I had a problem with the equity-based budgeting when it came out and I'll tell you exactly why we did it for streets We focused on streets and sidewalks with that dollars initially and when it came out the district 6 community I represent district 6 receive zero equity dollars Even though I carry a large portion of the west side that old highway 90 area South San Joaquin 36 Street And I didn't get any additional equity dollars because those f rated those zero rated streets Didn't get they got ignored in the larger some so as a whole district 6 which is how we measured it So it's not everybody wants to put the money where it matters most But it's how you divvy it up the city did it by saying district 6 has the second best streets in the city Therefore you get zero dollars Every one of us gets about six million by the way, but this additional cash district 6 got left out So you know what I did I went back and said those metrics and answers don't make sense I will not leave out the west side. I have to fight for those dollars the next budget year It changed and we got a one and a half million dollars. So you have to fight for the community you represent That's district 6 for me and in the future. It's going to be the city of San Antonio mayor 30 seconds Well the the facts do not lie and the truth is district 6 in 2017 2018 budget got six million dollars of Transportation funds if the councilman misappropriated those he's not listening to his community But he had six million dollars of transportation funds because of the equity budgeting that we did so yes I support the equity-based budgeting I believe it's one of the most important forward-looking approaches that we've taken to public resources in our lifetime Which is why it's being modeled across the country now Mr. Mayor from Kelly on YouTube would you consider a Minimum wage ordinance of $15 an hour So the state Constitution state law prevents city governments from setting a minimum wage. So what do we do about that? What we do at the city of San Antonio is I champion over the last three or four years and improvement of our own Organization so we can be a model for this community We want to make sure that anyone who works for the city of San Antonio that does work essential work on your behalf Is getting a living wage and that is demonstrated leadership at the local level that we hope Private sector employers are taking a look at and and breaking into their own Organizations goals and we're seeing that more and more standards are being raised to improve workers wages But we have the first and foremost as a city government that represents you Stand for living wages and ensuring that everyone can afford to live comfortably in their homes and with dignity in our city of San Antonio Councilman 30 seconds You do business with the city of San Antonio if you're a contractor I think we can step in and say you need to pay that wage for anybody doing business with the city But the city council telling businesses in San Antonio who to pay how to pay how much that's out of the line It's not our responsibility to do that. We can incentivize it We can help them by doing things like property tax rate reductions and other things that allow them to invest back in our business But this I'll tell you City Hall does not create one single job The business community does we cannot mandate to them what to pay employees that is not how it works in the state of Texas is not how it's gonna work with me as your mayor and I'll tell you right now We're gonna do the best we can to help them get there, but not mandate it Councilman you get 60 seconds on this one Would you sign on to a petition? Out there for municipalities to support medicare for all No, I would not assign on to a petition to support medicare for all I think look there the healthcare system itself has a lot of issues and we know that and it's gonna get litigated at The federal level here over the next several years now that we have a divided government in DC We're gonna get a good argument about it, right? We've got the Democrats in charge of the house the president and the Republicans in charge of the executive branch and the Senate I think we're gonna see this debate come through also in our next presidential election And that's where the hard work of these things has to happen So medicare for all is a federal issue. It's gonna come down to that now We're gonna make a stand on that as a community in the city I believe that that's not the answer from a cost perspective and the things that someone always has to pay for these Policies and things that happen in Washington DC in Austin or here in San Antonio So we have to be very cognizant about the costs associated with everything and it may be unpopular Right to say I want to spend all this money But the most popular thing is it's your dollars and if the public wants that and it's affordable to make sense We're gonna try to make it happen, but I think we have to be very careful Ultimately somebody has to pay for it right now. We don't have clear costs on what that is Okay councilman you take this the next question. Oh you have a rebuttal. I'm sorry Sorry Well, well, I think it is a shame that there are Americans living in 2019 that don't have access to health care And the federal government has not taken this issue up with any seriousness other than the redebate and relitigation of the Affordable Care Act However, it is a federal issue what I will be pushing for though What I can tell you that we already have at the local level is the expansion of Medicaid It is a simple egregious error on the part of the state to forgo the aid that is readily available to our community that can help lift Access to health care for everyone in this community and we need we need to stop that Mr. Mayor you get the next question with a 60-second answer What is your stand on the problem of homelessness in San Antonio? What can you do for the streets and for the neighborhoods? Well, this is a very important question It's a it's a complex question and it's something that we've been grappling with for The better part of the last two decades and we have not gotten it right. We have done better, but we've not gotten it right I will say that we were focusing on ending veteran homelessness Which we've gotten to functional zero over the last couple of years But we have seen an uptick in homelessness and I think it's in large part due to the conditions of economics in our communities So what we need to do is focus on the providers But we also have to get serious about the fact that homelessness itself is not a cause it is a symptom And so we have focused on how we can look at the continuum of care those factors that lead to someone being out on the streets Whether it's mental health substance abuse domestic violence all these Correlated factors that lead to homelessness and we need to focus Comprehensively on delivering for a continuum of care by supporting our nonprofit providers across the board Homelessness a number one priority top priority in District 6 and we did it in partnership with the faith community So by bringing the faith community and the churches together. We actually performed 13 I think well, excuse me 14 community outreach events to the homeless community We've helped 17 different persons and trust me there's not a bridge you can drive over in San Antonio It probably does not have a homeless person underneath it So look it is a systemic issue, but it takes compassion It takes trust it takes helping the faith community to get out in that and to get them the services to haven't for hope And if not then we got to get them the mental health and other issues that they need services with as quickly as possible You get the next question today nearly 1.9 million people live in Bear County But the population is expected to grow by another 1.1 million by the year 2040 What do you think is a single most important issue that the city must address as we plan this staggering population growth You know I look at this the single most important when I start to think about is wages and jobs and the ability of people to earn more of their money right keep more of their money earn more money and Afford the services and the things they want in their life So for me that wages and jobs answers the housing issue, right? You make a few more bucks you keep more of your dollars you stay in your home or you afford an extra Apartment room in that apartment a little more square footage in the house you purchase wages answers that more jobs answers that we got a problem We've had the worst job creation in San Antonio in the last ten years 2018 We had the worst job creation in ten years, so if we got these people coming here We have to make sure we have the jobs and opportunity for them I'm more concerned about the 1.5 1.9 million people here now, but we're gonna have to bring these folks in so jobs Gonna answer that jobs are also gonna answer things like where you live and how your your lifestyle the crime rate all these things are Affected by your ability to earn more money and keep it so it's lower property taxes and those things So we have to build the environment in the community for these folks coming here But also remember we're here for the people here now the million and a half. That's the biggest focus for me We have to work on comprehensive Strategies and it's hard to pick out just one housing is an economic building block And it's important that we have an affordable sustainable supply of housing for everyone in this community But housing is in inextricably linked with transportation And that's why we're focusing on transportation Ensuring that people can get to and from work to and from school Ensuring that they get a safe and affordable way of traveling to all their destinations All these all of these issues are linked together and we need to work on them comprehensively in a Mr. Mayor in AARP's livable communities survey San Antonio age 50 plus San Antonians who are age 50 plus identified the need for programs that would enable Oh, no would enable residents to age in place in their current homes Specifically 78% of respondents identified that home repair service for low-income families and seniors was essential What policy or per program improvements are or changes would you make to assist those in with this need? And this is a great question I mean the whole concept of aging in place is about compassionate housing strategies And so that's where we're focused and we get a considerable about a considerable amount of funding From state and federal agencies to focus on priorities and where we need to focus our priorities increasingly is making sure that We have accessibility in our current housing stock So home repair home rehabilitation is a certain focus for our comprehensive Housing strategy in addition to that we have to ensure that there are dollars available for people who need it the most So we focus those priorities in those areas that we know we're having a challenge with the housing stock So implementation of the comprehensive shout Excuse me implementation of the comprehensive housing strategy and that starts with what we have in place as a model This is about access to funding and capital and the ability for somebody to age in place So for me we have to think about those things gonna revolve around disability access It's gonna revolve around something as simple as weather insulation and things that allow a senior resident to stay in their home and Live there and afford to live there as well right in a comfortable means and manner It just can't be that they hang on to the home at all costs So I think we as a city have to be very cognizant of taking care of our senior community and for them It's staying in their home. It's being able to raise their family their grandchildren there and visit them there So I would make sure we continue that investment process, but we got to make sure the money goes to where it matters most first and foremost This question comes from the audience and there's a degree of desperation and in this question It's simple, but very broad, but I'll I'll ask it. I am disabled. So I stay in my apartment What are you going to do about the east side? Wow, that's that is a you're right about that the question having a lot of depth to it There's many reasons what could be happening in that particular situation, but this I'll tell you It's a mentality to make sure that neighborhoods don't get left behind Communities aren't left behind and by the way what happens often in our politics You know who gets left that left behind a lot apartment dwellers people living in apartments We think oftentimes about voters and when you're in election cycles you go to doors You're not going to houses your neighborhoods. You're trying to get in the gated communities and guess who oftentimes get left out Apartment dwellers people living in apartments and when after you've lived your life a lot of folks We have senior living facilities in apartment complexes that are beautiful We're building one next to a YMCA off of Patranco Road Now the problem with that is is this person is telling a story that should scare each and every one of us if somebody's left Out on an island like that then the city has to think how am I going to get there? Right and usually through our delegate agencies the partners We do business with like meals on wheels like our health and safety departments right the Metro health department our outreach our Nutrition our education and our ability to get to them is very important This is a pretty deep question a couple things one is that we need to make sure that our community of differently abled Citizens has a voice at the table and we have committees that make sure that when do we do policies that they Everyone has taken into account but also with regard to the east side We need to protect our neighborhoods and so as we move forward on reinvestment of vital infrastructure We have to have things in place like an anti displacement or a displacement prevention policy as well as the risk of mitigation tools for people who are experiencing displacement to have a community safety net No one asked a scooter question, but I'll ask one. So where are we? Why are we do we have so many scooters downtown? There are menace help us. What can you do about it? Well, this is I knew the scooters were going to come up The scooters are a market-driven solution to a transportation problem. This is technological innovation We can expect it and we can expect more of it in the future So what does the city do about it previously to the scooters arriving in San Antonio? It was a totally unregulated environment. So your city council smartly wisely I believe took a look at this onslaught of new technology and said, okay The market is going to create solutions But we have some basic things that we need to do Protect for public safety and sure that our sidewalks are not getting cluttered and ensure that people Pedestrians people in wheelchairs strollers are able to access the right of way that they have already paid for through their taxes So we developed a pilot program. We knew that we couldn't get the regulations right the first time So we developed a six-month pilot regulation program and we've been tweaking it along the way And in the meantime, we're getting lots of public feedback And we're going to use all that feedback to perfect the policy moving forward But this is a glimpse of the future and we need to be ready for it The scooters are everywhere. They're not just downtown. I saw one the other day on 151 I had no idea what he's doing there, but we have to be very careful We learned a valuable lesson Right the technology came in that didn't work with the city and now we're living with this problem downtown I think we have to move towards banning from the sidewalks and have and holding them accountable from a public safety perspective Can't leave them laying around if you are a bad actor if your business has come as in don't take care of your scooters We should yank your permits and get rid of you They need to be adhered to the city policies and procedures and they need to put public safety first off the sidewalks into bike lanes Or whatever means a transportation, but the pedestrian needs to come first Okay, councilman you get this next This next question and this is a question that keeps coming up I mean more of the cards deal with this question and we dealt with it, but it's another way to address it. Oh Okay, well, sorry about that How will you protect our existing neighborhoods from the negative effects of gentrification? We have this one does keep coming up and you know what people are generally concerned about it because they can't stay in their homes It's affecting everybody right now all of us are struggling to figure out the right answer I think it comes back to how we focus as a city where we put our investments and where we want to grow our community We've perp that pearl examples is exactly how you lose the community Homes that were seventy five thousand dollars five years ago or four hundred thousand dollars now Developers and speculators are coming in every day harassing our seniors to sell their properties It's misinformation and it's taking advantage of our senior community So we have to do is make sure that as a city we educate and we put the dollars across the entire city So developers are out working everywhere for far too long We focused in certain areas and we've lost them for all time people the average San Antonio residents They're making forty eight thousand dollars a year for a family for can't live in some of these areas If you're a senior on a fixed income Good luck affording that payment and you're what you're doing You're basically holding on for dear life as everybody around you is pricing you out of your home So it's where we put the money it's spreading the incentives and making sure the entire city is supporting and opposing that gentrification movement from our resources like We need to focus on targeted relief to ease the cost burden of houses of homes for people who are the most disadvantaged And so that comes with the work that we're doing at the local and the state level And we also have to ensure that there's a community safety net That's why we're developing and we are implementing the comprehensive and compassionate housing strategy that includes a Displacement prevention strategy as well as a risk mitigation tool that allows for us to have resources in place when people are displaced Investment is occurring and we need to be ready for it so that we can revitalize communities, but not displace our residents Mayor this is more of a statement than a question, but I'll give it to you Do not take away money from the Edwards aquifer to fund transit Water quality is just as important to health and quality of life as mass transit. This one came from YouTube. I Couldn't agree more and I have been proud to champion the aquifer protection initiatives We are Over one of the great gifts of God with the Edwards aquifer that keeps us supplied with clean fresh water Very affordably for our community and has been for 400 years and we need to continue to champion our efforts to protect the Edwards aquifer We also it's not a choice. We don't have to choose between transportation and the Edwards aquifer We can have both if we do it wisely And so as I've said when we invest in mass transit It will not come at the expense of the Edwards aquifer protection program I championed it in 2015 to bring it back to the ballot where it was voted on and approved by the largest margins ever And as we move forward as mass transit gets funded We have to ensure that the Edwards aquifer protection initiative continues on at the same or a faster pace We just have to make sure that we're putting the money and using the money that matters most I believe in via and the transportation upgrades I believe we need to put more money into it where that money comes from the beauty of it is It's going to be voter approved So at the end of the day you're going to be able to make the final decision what scares me is funding Via with future bond dollars or funding our turning around or funding our transportation or housing with future bond dollars So we don't have to take down debt to answer it I think we have the cash now to do it We need to be wise with it and choose the right mechanism to fund it and we should protect the aquifer at all costs But we need to make sure that we do these together in unison and it's a total policy and spending plan Let's give them a big round of applause because we've gone to the end of our questions now each will make a Two-minute closing statement and we'll begin with the mayor Well, thank you all for having us today It was a great honor to be in front of you and to be working with you over the last couple years as your mayor I think we presented a very clear choice today I'm the only candidate on the stage that has a proven track record of getting things done for the city You see that with the work that we're doing on Transportation the fact that we've doubled our resources and our transportation system is now getting the funding needs it You've seen that in the plummeting crime rate You've seen that in the economy that's booming and creating jobs in all sectors I'm also the only candidate has a clear and articulated vision for the future Connect SA the most innovative transportation plan the city has ever seen will be on your ballot next year You see that with the Alamo Promise program as we work towards a community college system that offers tuition-free college education for every Bear County student that comes through our high schools You see that with the equity budgeting which is planning to invest in working with you to invest our resources where they can be most Impactful and have the most benefit for our community. That's what you have seen from me over the last two years That's what I will provide moving forward and I hope you will agree that we need to continue to keep our economy booming We need to continue to stay vigilant on crime we need to continue to forge ahead on Transportation solutions to our traffic problems and I hope to earn your vote to continue working hard every single day on The city you deserve. Thank you very much Thank you For the time to be here today. Thank you to ARP Elaine for the opportunity And thank you again to Ron for continuing to stand with me and debate the future of the city I'm gonna push back on Ron obviously I have had great success My team and I have done wonderful things in District 6 and we work hard But you know what the key to our success is I answer to the neighborhoods and communities. That's number one with me I'm sorry. I'm not downtown 90% of my time 90% of my time. I'm out in the neighborhoods. I'm block walking I'm talking to communities. I know where the potholes are. I know where the problems are I know the streets and sidewalks suffer. I know the senior who's not eating on old I way 90 I go out there and I live the community. I am a messenger for District 6 I go down and fight for that every day and I'm proud of our success whether it's putting bond dollars into street repair maintenance It's a homeless initiative. It's a community cleanup plan. You name it We continue to fight hard for neighborhoods residents and that's the type of council person I'm gonna be I'm not gonna answer downtown and live my life down there as your mayor I'm gonna live it out in the neighborhoods and in the communities and by the way We're here today because these are over 50 senior issues. We need to honor that We need to put those dollars and our resources into our senior community and into our babies That's the future education here education there opportunity here and then over here as well We cannot leave behind those who built this community from the ground up And that means we need to be there for you and push those resources out into the neighborhoods We don't have a difference of opinion Ron and I that we love San Antonio. We both love it We just have a different viewpoint of how to get there doesn't mean I don't have accomplishment You notice I don't say Ron's not accomplishing anything What I say is I don't agree with this plan and I think we need to get back to basics lower property taxes and fees jobs And wages focus on public safety and fully staff that department and then in this room Right make sure that seniors are at the top of that priority list like I talked about at the beginning with those super senior centers The city can make policy and do things in the goodwill manner and still hurt people and leave people out as your mayor with your vote On May 4th, I will not leave you out I will be the biggest supporter and champion for the senior community will continue fighting for the things that matter most to you Thank you Let's give now cast essay and AARP a great big round of applause for bringing us here today Okay, here's the quiz when does early voting start? April 22nd an election day vote