Fighting the Rise of COVID-19
Over 1,000 new COVID-19 cases have been reported in the past two days. To all those who wear a mask, wash your hands, and stay home as much as possible: thank you. As a community, we need to continue wearing masks, giving people space, and staying home when possible.
This goes for young people, too. A large part of our new COVID-19 cases are people between 20 and 29 years old. While most of them will recover, if they are around older people they may put them at risk. Older people are more likely to suffer the worst consequences of COVID-19, such as hospitalization, respiratory problems, heart problems, and even death.
At City Hall, I continue to push for the City to use every tool at our disposal to stop the spread of the virus. But even all the City's resources can't stop the virus without the community taking safety precautions.
City of San Antonio Updates Emergency Health Declaration, Closing Bars and Some Park Facilities
Today, Mayor Ron Nirenberg signed a third addendum to his Eighth Emergency Health Declaration ordering the closure of bars, consistent with Governor Abbott's latest executive order. The latest addendum includes the following updates:
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Restaurants (defined as establishments that have less than 51 percent of their gross receipts from the sale of alcoholic beverages) will keep their occupancy at 75 percent until 12:01 a.m. on June 29, 2020, at which time these restaurants may only operate at up to 50 percent of the total listed occupancy;
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Bars may not allow patrons, however may allow drive-thru, pickup or delivery options for food and drinks;
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Rafting and Tubing Services may not operate, including rental of rafts or tubes and transportation of people for the purpose of rafting or tubing;
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Hospital and Surgical Procedures Every hospital within the City of San Antonio shall postpone elective surgeries that are not medically necessary
Additionally, City Manager Erik Walsh announced the following changes to City-owned park properties:
- Beginning daybreak Saturday, gatherings of more than 10 will be prohibited in any city park or plaza.
- Pools and splash pads will not reopen next Friday, as previously planned.
As Texas and San Antonio continue to see a surge in COVID-19 cases, Governor Abbott has expanded the ability of mayors and county judges to implement additional public health measures. The mayor’s order reflects the changes made by the governor to his executive order.
The City of San Antonio will continue to monitor the warning and progress indicators as outlined at covid19.sanantonio.gov to determine whether additional mitigation measures are necessary.
Tips for Protesting Your Property Taxes
"How can I lower my property taxes?"
I get this question about as often as I get breakfast tacos, which is a lot. The answer is simple: protest your appraisal every year.
Every year, when homeowners receive their "Notice of Appraised Value" from the Bexar County Appraisal District, homeowners can "protest" the property value and get it lowered.
That raises the question: What's the best way to protest? I took this question to Camille Rodriguez Brigant of Motif Boutique Brokerage. She gave me her best tips and shared her guide with me on Facebook Live this week. Give it a watch if you're getting ready to protest your property value.
If you haven't already told the appraisal district that you want to protest, it might not be too late. You can sign up to protest within 30 days of receiving your property tax appraisal.
Setting Goals for Next Year's Budget
Today, City Council met for our annual Budget Goal Setting Session. We reviewed the SASpeakUp Survey results, which residents completed to tell us what was important to them. This year, we already have a record number of responses. So far, respondents have prioritized Public Health, Housing Affordability and Small Business Assistance. To complete the survey, visit SASpeakUp.com.
I want to thank the District 7 residents who have shared their requests and priorities for the budget, including those who participated in last Saturday's budget town hall. Every time you call and request a street repair, or a sidewalk, or a new park, you give my office critical information about District 7's needs. Your comments were on my mind today.
After today's meeting, City staff will spend July preparing a budget proposal. The proposed budget will be presented to City Council starting August 5. Council is scheduled to vote on the budget on September 17.
