On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho.

San Antonio is a fast growing, fast moving.

City with something new happening every day.

That's why each week we go on.

The record with Randy Beamer and the newsmakers who are driving this change.

Then we gather at the reporters roundtable to talk about the latest news stories with the journalist behind those stories.

Join us now as we go on the record with Randy Beamer.

Hi, everybody, and thank you for joining us for On the Record.

I'm Randy Beamer, and this week we are starting with Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

Appreciate you coming in.

Hey, Randy.

You've made headlines again, for a various number of things.

So we'll get to you in just a minute.

But first, I want to get to some of what you're looking ahead to right now.

Off-camera.

We were just talking about you're looking to table top, like, wargame.

Some exercises about what happens if budget cuts for next year.

Looks like health care cuts.

Federal grants are going to be tough.

So how do you look forward to that?

And what's the budget going to look like you think?

Yeah.

Well thanks Randy for for bringing that up.

So as you mentioned, we just closed out our budget for FY 26.

But if anybody watch those work sessions, I was always talking about 26 and 27 because the big cuts, the big gap that we've got at the city level.

And when we start to see the implementation of the reconciliation bill, we'll start to feel that in 27.

So our budget gap for FY 27 is 150 million, right?

So we've got to work to close that.

As you point out though, not only are we going to have a gap at the city level, we're also then looking at, cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, chip, snap, all cuts to the most vulnerable already in our community.

Now, those are if the Democrats don't threaten a shutdown and the Republicans.

Bring those forward.

No, no, no, those cuts are a result of the reconciliation bill.

Those are those are happening, right.

In addition to the 150 million that you're already.

That's right.

So, so so to your point, right, we're going to have less money.

We have we got to figure out how to close that gap, but less money to provide services on top of people in our community having less money in their pocketbook because of these cuts to Social Security, Chip, Medicare, Snap, etc.. And so as we look as we are looking forward, what I want to do, and I've asked our city staff to do is help us reduce the uncertainty.

As you point out.

Yeah.

So the Pentagon we would routinely exercise and scenario plan.

And so one of the things that we need to think about is MetroHealth, for example, have they've got an $80 million budget.

Half of that comes from federal grants.

If that if half of that goes away, if half of our budget for public health goes away, can we how do we respond to that?

Right.

What are the things that we as a, as a city council as, think are still important to provide?

And if we are if we do think that, then how do we pay for them?

This is going to be an important discussion, I think, as we also work with the county, who has some, has responsibilities on the public health side, but also Randy, our community partners, who are also going to be experiencing, cuts in their own funding.

Right.

We as a community have to understand what assumptions are we making in this space when it comes to, you know, again, Metro health testing, surveillance, monitoring, etc.?

Because the other thing is not just the reduction in our budget, but also, I'm concerned as much about the misinformation and disinformation around public health, meaning.

Well, I mean, you've got, frankly, significant leaders questioning long held, science around vaccinations and other things that have done so much to keep our, our community and our country safe and all of that.

These are the areas where communities are least resilient.

We can't just turn on a switch and say, hey, let's get more.

Let's get more folks, you know, provide more public health, an X, Y, or Z. This is an area where the the impacts of not being prepared, not being resilient are the most disaster.

Grants for that and money for that could go away or could part of it could go away.

That's where you're worried about it.

So the 1115 Medicaid waiver, that funding will go away at the end of September 20 to 26.

Not if it will go away.

And if you see some of these other cuts in federal funding, again, on top of what folks are experiencing with, cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Chip, Snap, etc., Social Security, as we continue to also see the impacts of tariffs and immigration policies.

Right.

So we're going into a very challenging economic environment, which is why, you know, whether it's our 27th budget or frankly, when we're also looking at these major economic development deals downtown.

Hello Spurs arena.

Like we've got to think about how do we shore up the general fund and help ourselves in the long term?

The Spurs arena, that's a big issue right now.

It's in, you know, you have lobbying on both sides.

Where do you stand on that vote in the county?

Well, I continue to think that it's important that if you pay twice, you should vote twice.

I think that's important for all the reasons that we just laid out.

Randy.

Folks are going to vote in November.

They will vote.

They won't have the benefit of that independent economic assessment that I said is so important.

And, we know our economy is going to get worse.

We know that.

So if we know that, then I think we should a vote closer to when you have to issue these revenue bonds, which is how we're paying for these, these revenue bonds.

A vote closer to when that happens allows us to get the independent study.

We have the benefit of the data and allows us a clearer picture of our economic environment.

In the meantime.

That would be in May if you can get that on the ballot in May.

Do you support the county's proposition A and B, and will you be out there saying anything before then?

Well, I been clear about what I, what I think is important for voters.

And making sure that they've got that data about this major investment in our community.

I am surprised, though.

I think folks would be surprised as well.

When you go look at the ballot language for proposition B, which is, again, do you support raising the the tax in order to pay to.

1.75 to 2%?

That's where the hotel motel.

So those numbers are there.

I was surprised to find out, though, that 311 million that number is not in the ballot language.

You'd want to know how much you know.

Well, it's a ballot language, although a lot of people who are against it are putting that out there.

And.

Yeah, but you want it on.

You'd want it on the ballot, you know that.

How about, some of the other headlines that have been in the news recently?

You're facing an ethics complaint from a top Republican official here about pushing to have the Democratic National Convention in 2028, in San Antonio and using city letterhead to do that.

What do you say to that?

Of course, the mayor would be involved in bringing a convention of that scope on that economic impact.

Of course, the mayor would be involved in that.

And secondly, I don't take many steps without having the lawyer look at things, and the lawyer looked at everything and found no legal issue.

So, this unfortunate, politically motivated attack is, is a waste of time.

Now, as vice chair of the Republican Party that filed the ethics complaint, said he'll pull it if you reach out to national Republicans as well as Democrats, that you're doing this for political purposes.

That's why he's opposed to it.

Would you reach out to Republicans keeping in mind that Houston, two years ago, already secured the 2018 convention?

Well, that's why it's a moot point, because it's already in Houston in 2018.

You expect that will go away?

You got this committee of Will.

I think on its face, you know, when when the lawyer has said, yes, the mayor can do this.

And of course, the mayor would lose use the mayor's letterhead to convey the mayor's message.

Some of the policy making rules, the cars that we talked about, the council consideration requests from the city council members, you had a meeting about that, a vote 10 to 2 to keep them as is, as I understand it, basically, you were one of the two that wanted to change them.

Got some criticism for that.

What do you say to why you wanted to change those rules that were in the ordinance?

Those rules weren't in the ordinance, actually.

Yeah.

They weren't.

So my, What an at the end of the day, I'm looking forward to making sure we've got good sound policy, whether you do that through a CCR or whether you do that through committee.

And traditionally, a lot of this good work has done has gone directly through committee without the need of a CCR.

And so I think, you know, as we move forward and are focused on good policies for our community, that that should be what we're focused on.

I think, you know, the pet abandonment, you know, ordinance change, which unfortunately was rushed through and, lots of miscommunication.

About what it would actually do and, who how would actually be implemented shows you the need for due diligence when we do these things.

And that's what I'm advocating.

That wasn't, a personality thing.

It wasn't.

It seems like some of the same council members who oppose the CCR oppose that, or were for that and were surprised.

And that isn't affecting in any way how you get along with the council.

And what are you going forward?

I think due diligence, due diligence is not a personality issue, right?

It's not as to not be a personal it should come to come down to.

Have we done our due diligence on this?

Is this something that's actually going to impact the community?

And let's make sure we make that community sufficient community input, whether you're talking about an ordinance change or frankly, whether you're talking about major economic development, you need you we need community input.

Major economic development.

And another thing you're working on right now, last time we talked about the Taiwanese companies or companies, the companies.

Yeah.

Tell us about that.

Yeah.

So the visit was great.

We're very fortunate I was able to bring together, again, those, frankly, major decision makers and our community and their spaces.

And really, the intent is, how can we show these these, international companies that we're ready to do business and certainly on advanced manufacturing.

So if you remember, it's the Taiwanese, it's the Electrical and Electronic Manufacturing Association.

So all of their, you know, they were specifically looking for partners for, electrical vehicles as well as for drones.

And so obviously we're ripe for those kinds of things.

I was thankful that we were able to bring together, somebody from San Antonio Manufacturing Association, Jim, from the port, both the heads of our utilities to again, show that, you know, we are ready.

We've got the resources to do that, manufacture that.

Maybe we as.

Well.

We can do a lot of things.

In my mind, though, it's really about strengthening the ecosystem.

I don't think we have a silver bullet.

I think the strength our strength is really the things that we bring together.

And so I'm excited that that visit went well.

So well that we are going to host.

There's a return visitor that is that is coming and interested in additional questions.

So we're excited about hosting now.

What else is in the pipeline, do you think, in terms of economic development, things that we don't know about, what are you targeting?

Well, I've been very clear.

I think advanced manufacturing is is a sector that we have to lean into.

You know, we'll continue to be, I think, unfortunately, challenged by some of the immigration related things.

But I think that we can't we can't stop selling San Antonio.

I want to make sure, though, and because, you know, there's things that are top of mind for me economic development, good jobs, etc.

I'm also though very cognizant of, you know, when I go into and I have a town hall, folks, when asked to meet, asked me about, hey, what's up with the flooding projects, right?

So here's a big thing I'm also focused on, and I've asked our staff to look at, because in the 26 budget, the only item that we have, the only funding we have in there for flooding, is to help repair the damage from June 12th and June 13th.

Right.

And so if we repair that, if we had significant rains, again, that same damage would happen.

So, you've heard me talk about those 14 major projects that we have on the states, that we have on the state's flood plan list.

And in the end, altogether, if we were to, to cover those as currently scoped as $411 million, so as, that's currently scoped, that's, that.

Could be a bond issue in May.

Well, I mean we'll have to see.

And so this is the question right.

So one let's get a let's get a we need a good handle of all the projects, the major projects like that.

The projects that we know about that are also major public safety challenges as well.

As, you know, when I go to a town hall, I can't I can't leave there without getting at least 1 or 2 questions about the local flooding in some of these community that, not only is a nuisance, but also affects their property value, frankly.

So I asked Eric, hey, let's let's help folks understand, how we are going to prioritize these projects, as importantly, how we're going to pay for them.

Right?

Because to your point, the bond that was another thing that came out of our budget, say, a budget season, when you looked at historically that the bond that we do every five years, if you look at that historically, it was 800.

In 2017, it was 1.2 billion in 20 in 2022.

So historically, we would have estimated that to be a $1.9 billion bond.

It is not based on the economic conditions.

We are at 500 million.

So that's like Randy saying, hey, you're going to the grocery store.

You say you're going to buy $20 worth of stuff.

Actually, no, you're only buying $5, $5 worth of stuff.

And I just told you those flood projects, if we wanted to do all of them as currently scoped 411, that downtown infrastructure development related to, the downtown development, they're going to scope it.

But the the last estimate was 220 to 250 million.

Obviously, there's still a whole lot of interest in another affordable housing bond.

So you see, we've busted 500 very quickly, which is why.

All of that could be on the, agenda or the ballot in May.

It can't be because we can't pay for it all.

So we got to figure out.

We got to figure out to our community how we're going to prioritize these things.

Where, in fact, do we have additional resources.

What goes to the bond?

What?

And frankly, you know, we as I shared with you before we started, we already went through the the look under the cushion exercise.

There's not much there.

We're done with that.

So we got to look for new.

Resources as you walk in and look for more resources and those cushions, you're going to have to grab more.

Good luck with all that.

Thank you very much for coming in.

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

Thanks.

Thanks.

I do.

Coming up Monday night here on Carroll, and there is a fascinating new documentary about a battle, a big battle in the history of Texas.

You probably don't know much about.

But here to tell us all about it is the producer of The Battle of Medina, part of his series The History of the New History of Old Texas.

Brandon Seale, thanks very much for coming in.

Thanks for having me ready I love history.

Tell us about the Battle of Medina and why we don't know much about it, but it was very important.

So August 18th, 1813, approximately 1400 Theranos Native Americans, Anglo-Americans marched down south of the city and engaged with about 1900 Spanish Royalist soldiers in what is the biggest, bloodiest battle in Texas.

This is a rebellion that was going on in 1813 we haven't really heard about.

This is part of the war of Mexican independence.

And so after Father Miguel Hidalgo does his grito on September 16th, 1810, his his revolution goes really well.

At first he marches on Mexico City, but then he's retreating and eventually retreats back into LA.

And he's trying to get to San Antonio, because basically from 1811 to 1813, Texas is where the flame of the revolt of Texas, of Mexican independence is burning most brightly.

And there's this incredible series of events that leads up to the battle of August 18th, 1813.

This is why there was a new Spain.

That's right.

This is still the crumbling of the Spanish Empire in North America, in Spanish North America.

But it's also this period of immense unrest in the western part of the United States, too, in Louisiana, the part west of the Mississippi, the Aaron Burr kind of rebellion has just just has just happened.

And so there's these leaders, these two leaders from San Antonio, from the Rio Grande Valley, who build this multi-ethnic army.

They call it the Republican Army of the North.

And they start it in Louisiana.

And in 1812, they march across the Sabine, they capture Nacogdoches, they capture Goliad, they capture San Antonio, they defeat 3 or 4 Spanish armies until by April 6th, 1813, they actually issue the first Texas Declaration of Independence.

It's actually the first Mexican Declaration of Independence is here or here in San Antonio.

They write it right here in San Antonio.

About ten days later, they publish a constitution.

And so they form this government and become arguably the first province in the Spanish Americas to have rid themselves entirely of a Spanish royalist presence and to have declared their independence and formed a government.

But south of San Antonio.

What happened?

So.

Yeah, so.

So, during the summer of 1813, the Spanish royalist forces, the Spanish forces of the king, they get their act together.

And so they start putting down pieces of the revolt in Mexico.

And they eventually start marching north towards San Antonio.

And so by August of 1813, you've got a very well-trained army under a very accomplished general, Joaquin Arredondo, who marches up to San Antonio.

And basically in these last days prior to August 18th, 1813, each army is trying to lay a competing ambush for the other one, the the the revolutionaries, the insurgents, the Republicans marched south of the Medina River or right on the Medina River.

Try to set trying to set an ambush for the Royalists.

But the Royalists are able to spring the ambush early, and then they're able to lure the republicans into another fight further south.

And it's a thousand men die on the field of battle that day.

After battle, the Spanish royalist army marches into San Antonio, kills another couple hundred, which they massacre.

The women, and relatives of the insurgents they imprisoned in a building called La Quinta, where they're kept for 654 days and made to grind corn basically for 20 hours a day.

It's it's terrible, traumatic, and there were about the same number or 1400 to 1900 on the Spanish side, the Spanish, the Spanish may have may have slightly outnumbered the the Takano forces the exact numbers aren't known.

But although we have recreated as a part of this project in the research, the names of at least 400 participants on the Takano side of the battle out of potentially 1400, which is fascinating, too, because that's an interesting window into later Tejano motivations for participating in the 1836.

And it was also Tohono, and Anglos and Anglos and Native Americans.

Yeah, it's this really fascinating multi-ethnic alliance.

And it arises at this time where there's sort of this, this brotherhood of revolutionaries in the Americas.

They all call each other Americans.

And this idea is that, well, you know, we're all fighting together against these European powers and these old European ideals to create something new.

But the Spanish had, I guess, an advantage in terms of horses.

I mean, truthfully, both of the armies were at least half the men were mounted in the battle, which, by the way, contributes to some of the challenge.

We think that has persisted for 100 years or so in finding the battlefield itself, because half the men are mounted.

It's moving around a lot.

It's, it's it's really hard to put one spot on a map where, where this could have happened.

But I mean, what the Spanish have the advantage of is, is provisions and training.

You know, these are regular troops, not necessarily regular in the sense of we think of, you know, Napoleonic men in bright uniforms lined up in lines, but still they have a lot of experience.

And the Republican army, the revolutionary army is in a little bit of tumult.

There's they had a coup d'etat where they've kind of replaced the commanding general that had won all the battles for the first year.

So there's a new general in place, there's mistrust.

And of course, it ends tragically.

And in San Antonio they readied for this.

And we had 1400 troops here.

We had I mean, this was the center by then of the revolution.

This this was absolutely.

And so once news of of the defeat of the insurgent army makes it back to San Antonio, San Antonio collapses into chaos.

So, you know, half or more of the people of San Antonio try to flee to Louisiana.

Some of them make it.

A lot of them make it.

A lot of them don't.

Some of them are caught on the Trinity River where there's another massacre and East Texas.

Some flee up to the Comanches or the Lipan Apaches, where they'll reside for for several more years.

But I think it's interesting the way that two shows, the places where they flee, shows where the alliances were, where the lines were drawn.

There were accounts of this at the time, contemporary accounts, but we don't know much about it.

Other than that.

You think that's why it's been overlooked in the history as well?

It's because the Alamo came after it.

What's fascinating about this battle is you can read all of the contemporary or near contemporary accounts of it in the course of an afternoon.

You know, there's there's less than ten, really.

And what's frustrating about it, though, is that each one contradicts in some minor detail.

This is part of what made it so challenging to find the battlefield itself, at least you strictly using the archival resources.

You know, the other thing is that after the battle, San Antonio was effectively occupied by Spanish Royalist troops for the next nine years.

You know, it's a city that the under occupation people can't talk about the tragedy of this.

They have to bury it.

And even after Mexico wins its independence, it's a little unsatisfying.

And there's never a reckoning kind of kind of for this event.

So partly I think it's a trauma response where people are reluctant or uncomfortable talking about it, but also to to your point, to, you know, it gets overshadowed by by the events of 1836 that that ultimately, you know, do win, win independence.

Good luck with that.

It's Monday night killer in 9 p.m.. Brandon Seal, producer, New History of Old Texas and the Battle of Medina.

Look for it Monday.

Thanks.

Ready?

On reporters roundtable this week.

This fall, Bexar County voters are going to look at two propositions.

One, to renovate, restore the area around the Frost Bank center and the Freeman Coliseum, the other for a Spurs arena downtown.

And joining us to talk about that is staff writer of the San Antonio Current, Michael Carlos.

Thank you very much for coming in.

It's great to be back.

Tell us, about what you.

Well, a great recent article fascinating about this vote.

And and I guess the mailer is part of it.

The Spurs and other business people pushing for the Spurs arena vote.

Right.

So the Spurs are, I would say playing a game of catch up, really.

But a lot of people in San Antonio got these mailers right here on the table in their mailboxes over the weekend.

And, it's had some interesting feedback.

I took one up to, Austin to UT, where I'm getting my masters to show some of my advertising professors and get their feedback, and they thought it was pretty funny.

You know, it starts funny.

They thought it was pretty comical.

It starts off like a Luann platter.

San Antonio families know a good deal when they see it.

And they said, well, if you're trying to drum up support for $1 billion arena, citing a, twice bankrupt, cafeteria chain maybe doesn't set the right.

Well, that's a view from Austin.

I guess it's more nothing's more San Antonio than Luby's, H-e-b, that kind of thing.

Yeah, but they're trying to convince people it's a good deal, right?

Well, it's.

And then it's cheaper and a good.

And so how are they trying to do that?

Well yeah.

So let's get into my biggest criticism of this, this mailer.

And this is also what other people have told me.

On the back it says what San Antonio Spurs pay $2.1 billion.

That's misleading at best.

If you really look into what the project entails, right.

What the Spurs are going to pay is $500 million towards a new arena.

As the term sheet is written today, all they have to do is facilitate another 1.3 billion.

And by facilitate that does not mean the Spurs are paying for it.

And if you really look at the term sheet, the only thing they really are supposed to facilitate is the construction of a boutique hotel, about 700 rooms where other NBA teams could play visiting teams.

And there's so they're working with developers, the expectation is in that area, the tax increment and reinvestment zone to invest that much money.

Right.

But they're not investing in other.

They're going to bring in other people to to invest in it.

And a lot of, economists and academics I've spoken to have a lot of concerns about approving approving that term sheet as written, because there's not a lot holding the Spurs to that commitment of that economic development.

And if that economic development doesn't happen, then the city or the county has to come up with the rest of the money if that tax revenue isn't generated.

But then, on the other hand, there is expected to be just a lot of development naturally in that area.

And so would that help it qualify for the 1.4 billion?

Well, sure.

But expectations are different than reality.

I mean, you know, the economy is kind of stagnated.

We're at a serious risk of a recession if you read the latest economic reports.

So I think what people and I've been on the street, I've been talking to people as part of my citywide project Marvel Listening Tour, will be at the North Star Mall this weekend.

But people have read the news and they're concerned that that hasn't been hashed out.

And I think the Spurs would have a better chance of maybe winning this election in November if they came out and said, here is the exact bullet point list of the economic development that we're going to bring to the table.

It's a little confusing because that term sheet is separate from what we're going to be voting on in the fall, which is just the county's part of this.

And when people say no Project Marvel and you see the signs, this isn't on Project Marvel per se.

This is on the arena and, stocks on Rodeo Ground.

So you're right.

It's just on the arena and the renovation to the stock show on rodeo grounds.

But if this vote fails in November, then that term sheet is null.

So you are just voting on the county's share, but it's all tied together.

It's all kind of one lump sum unit.

And that's hard to get across to people and voters.

I think actually that that's the easiest thing to get across to voters is that, you know, November, if it passes, we're going to move forward.

If it doesn't pass, we're going to fail.

But what's interesting is the biggest concern that people have that I've talked to you, I've talked about 50 people from all sides of town.

We went to Market Square.

I talked to people at the Pearl this week.

Their biggest concern is actually traffic.

That is the number one issue on San Antonians minds.

And personally, I have written about that a lot of I haven't seen anyone else right about that.

Although that will be expected to be on the ballot.

The $211 million for that, bond issue in May, it's expected to be.

So that's going to be a whole different set of mailers out there, probably by the Spurs.

If it passes, you think it'll pass?

I will say, based on what I've heard from people, if this vote was tomorrow, I am not confident that it would pass.

Here from Austin.

I live here, okay.

I just want to make sure, because people are going to say, oh, you got an Austin guy wants to steal it.

Thank you very much.

Michael Kalas of the San Antonio Current lives here.

Thank you very much for coming in.

And, you can see his stuff in the San Antonio current.

Thanks.

Thanks for having me.

And thank you for joining us for this edition of On the Record.

You can watch this show again.

Any previous shows?

You can download it as a podcast, at KLRN.org I'm Randy Beamer and we'll see you next time.

On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho.