Welcome to the choice for mayor 2019.

The final debate presented by the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and hosted by Kay LRAD.

I'm Jim foresight.

I'd like to welcome you to this evening's debate.

Less than 48 hours ahead of Saturday's critical city election.

I'd also like to welcome our candidates this evening.

Mayor Ron Nierenberg at District Six city councilman Greg Brickhouse thank you for joining us this evening.

A quick look at the rules.

The person I asked the question of will have two minutes to respond.

The other candidate will then have a one minute rebuttal.

We're trying to keep this conversational so feel free to speak up about what your opinions are on these issues but if you interrupt I will stop you because that's rude.

Can I start with the mayor Nierenberg.

To get this thing going this evening Mayor your climate change proposal has been the centerpiece of your first term and will presumably continue to be in a second term considering that the cost of this plan has been conservatively estimated at excess of a billion dollars.

Why are you willing to support this additional debt burden on taxpayers when Mexico and Guatemala which set greenhouse gases over San Antonio on the prevailing winds daylight are doing nothing to mitigate global warming not to mention huge global polluters like China are doing nothing.

Do you really think San Antonio can make that much of a difference on the world climate.

Well thank you for having me Jim and thank you for everyone tuned in here at our public television station Kayla and thank you for the question Jim.

So first I would say that that's one element of our agenda moving forward and that's a community based agenda.

The Climate Action Strategy for the city of San Antonio is a recognition that climate change is real but it's happening and that we need to be prepared for its effects going forward into the future.

It's a recognition that nearly every Fortune 500 company has come to that the military community has come to that medical professionals and scientists the world over have come to.

So what this is is a path forward and aspirational goal.

And looking at where industries are where our world will be going forward define a path that works for us.

It's not a set of mandates it's not a set of dictates it's a plan and a path forward for us to as a community to prepare for the future.

So as we move forward there will be cost benefit analysis of the actions that we choose to take as a community.

There'll be full public input and betting on every action and there'll be cost benefit analysis of not taking action as well.

So this is an important step in the direction that the world is moving that companies are moving to make sure that we're prepared for the effects of climate change.

Thank you Councilman.

Rock House Jim thank you.

Thank you to the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce and to Tequila and for hosting this today.

I think what you have to realize is anytime we have an opportunity to spend money at city hall we need to make sure we understand it's the people's money.

And I think it speaks volumes that Mayor Norberg over the last couple of months has postponed his Climate Action Plan until after the election.

I think that's a huge point that people need to pay attention to because he's postponing it because he does not have community input or buy in.

You cannot go out and roll out a plan and I'm sorry Ron you can't sit there and say this is a set of aspirational goals.

The truth is it will result in spending and ordinances and laws in our city.

Unfortunately the plan did not have any dollars associated with it.

That is a breakdown in leadership.

We cannot take the plan to the public without a clear no dollar sign of a value to it without making sure they understand it's their money and we have full public input in buying at this point we don't even know when the plan is going to come up because the mayors postponed it to the fall.

If we're gonna work on it climate action is real we got to do something about it.

There are things in that plan we can work on together.

But costs matter it's the taxpayer's dollar and want to make sure it's defended when we look at that plan.

I'm going to slow it down put the brakes on it assign dollar value to it bring the business community and our residential community together to make sure we spend the money where it matters most.

Mayor are you confident you do have a public buy in on this.

Well that's what's taking place right now in fact to this is a plan and a strategy for us to get the public input that's necessary for us to stand behind the path forward.

That's going to take the next 30 years.

So what we're doing is making sure that we're getting the public input.

That's why we've extended the opportunity for people to weigh in for businesses and organizations for neighbors to weigh in to ensure that we can stand behind this plan and we can implement it moving forward in every step we take.

Even some involving technologies that we don't know exist yet are gonna be four are going to be preceded by proper public input economic impact analysis Cox benefit that will all take place in the public with proper public vetting.

Councilman rock house if I could turn to you you are a businessman you have owned two businesses.

You talk about your business experience and your campaign promotions.

Why do you think the business community is not rallying to your standard.

Previously when we have had business friendly candidates I'm thinking of Joe Cryer Carol Schubert Richard Petty.

Now the president of the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce when they ran for office they had overwhelming and solid support from San Antonio's business community.

Why are you not getting that same support look at the end of the day the only person I'm beholden to is the residents of the city of San Antonio.

And I think the business community recognizes I have a plan and the things that I want to work on that I think are most important.

But that plan comes from the residents and we have to do this together Look the truth of the matter is the North us the North Chamber of Commerce has rated me twice more business friendly than than Mayor Nunberg.

I believe that we're the most anti business council we've seen probably in the last 25 years.

The problem is City Hall's role in business period and I think we're growing through a change and I'll tell you over the course of this campaign and I'm super proud of the work we've done in the campaign.

I think all the momentum is with us going into Election Day because we're talking to residents we're talking about the things that matter most and we're recognizing that the business community is an answer for us to help with our transportation issues with our climate issues with housing.

But we need to bring the business community together and I fought on the behalf of residents when I fought the streetcar program or even in the charter amendments.

There are things that I decided to work on that I felt were in the best interests of residents first.

But as mayor what I'm going to do on June 1st is make sure we understand that the role of city council the role of city hall isn't to create jobs in this community.

It's not to create the wealth and opportunity it's to build the playing field and then let's partner with the business community and help them get where they need to be.

We be less regulation at city hall because the problem is frankly we're not including anybody in there whether it's paid sick leave or whatever we talk about whether it's deals behind closed doors we cannot do that we must partner with the business community.

I look forward.

I got to tell you I look forward to building those relationships with the business community and making sure they understand I value who they are.

But at this point we need to bring it together we are a broken system at City Hall of backdoor deals and a lack of transparency.

The best thing we can do is understand our role as a council.

We don't create a single job.

The small business owner does on the west side the medium sized business the large businesses the credit humans the HBC those are the folks we need to be supporting and making sure we work through them with them to help build our community.

Mayor Marion Barry well so I'm focused on making sure we have a strong San Antonio for everyone that includes businesses that includes neighborhoods that includes every community organization and resident that's in this city.

But let me get this straight with regard to business community relationships.

Since I became mayor our employment rate now is at a 20 year low it's the lowest point it's been since 1999 since I became mayor.

Our economy has created 40000 jobs over 40000 jobs according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Many of them in targeted industries high wage careers and our wages are growing over two times faster than the national average.

Anyone looking at this objectively would score that an A plus.

That's my record and I'm proud to stand on Congress.

Councilman rock as you apparently don't get I. No I absolutely don't agree with that.

The facts speak for themselves in 2018.

We had the worst job creation we have had in the last 10 years.

And you can sit there and say we have the lowest unemployment but think about the people working two three four jobs to make ends meet.

I'm thinking about those people we need to work with the business community because if we can deregulate and build an environment where they can invest in their employees in benefits in workforce education and training then people's wages are going to rise.

City Hall cannot slow that down by overregulating the environment so my opinion Jim's pretty simple.

Let's get behind the business committee Let's partner with those of us they're are trying to do the good work and realize our role we cannot have the worst job creation in 10 years.

The mayor promised in 2017 late early 2018 was going to create 70000 jobs.

The truth is he created 11000 jobs.

And in reality though he created nothing because it was the business sector the business owners that create the work.

So let's get the facts straight the facts are pretty simple.

Worst job creation we must do better we cannot turn our backs on opportunity like Amazon like the Republican National Convention.

Jobs income and opportunity matter.

Let's go after the big things starting June 1st there.

That just shows a fundamental lack of understanding of how markets work.

Wages are rising two times faster than the national average here in San Antonio.

We can only create jobs as fast as people can move here and that's how fast we're cranium.

Just a few months ago CNBC reported that there are seven point three million postings for jobs in the country.

There are six point three million people looking for jobs you can't create jobs faster than people can be born stay and move to San Antonio.

That's what we're doing here and that's why our success in our momentum in our economy is moving very quickly.

Mayor if we could move on to another issue.

West Side Councilwoman Shirley Gonzalez who is one of your strongest allies on City Council recently openly questioned your leadership at allowing the Chick fil A and sick leave re-examination to come up so close to Election Day.

What does this say about your management style and your support among members of council.

We work through a lot of issues a lot of difficult issues at the City Council in City Hall and difficult issues throughout the city.

I'm proud of the record I stand on.

You can see it again in the economy booming.

You can see it in our crime rate coming down you can see us on working on difficult plans together for the future.

That's the record of building consensus and collaborating with my colleagues.

And I'm proud to stand on that record.

Councilman you're a member of that city council.

Well I think you know Shirley Gonzalez was exactly right.

Unfortunately Mayor Norberg let that Chick fil A issue spiral out of control into a national embarrassment when he could've paused it shown some leadership and said let's go back and make sure we have the facts before we make a bad decision.

But it's not just Shirley Gonzalez his political mentor said he gets an A for effort but an I for incomplete when it comes to actually doing stuff that is a difficult assessment I tell you what.

My son my 10 year old son comes home with an eye and a class.

There's no more screen time for him.

He's not watching TV.

He's in trouble until he gets something done.

That's the real world scenario.

So unfortunately the leadership style you're seeing is a lack of inclusive city.

The mayor is not bringing people in together on that council and we're off working on on our own trying to do the best we can for our district.

So I think what we have to remember here is look we're 11 different people we differ.

Where we gonna have to come together starting June 1st but we're going to work through the council members and understand that the decisions we make are about the people we represent not our personal moral values that we're going to try to put onto a business like we did with Chick Fillet but more about how as a team can we come to a good consensus and understand that we need to help each other.

The mayor falter because he didn't build that early or quickly in the term and that's something I want to focus on on June 1st when I'm elected mayor.

Councilman the mayor makes the claim repeatedly that in office you would be beholden to the police and fire unions and would use the mayor's office to essentially do their bidding.

Leaving for a second.

The fact that these are very very dedicated and very valued public servants.

These are labor unions with their own political agenda.

Your council colleague Ray Saldana went so far as to say giving in to the union's demands would lead to a financial crisis with their voice B the one that would be the loudest in your ear in the mayor's office.

Absolutely not.

I think what's important is that we remember.

Go look at the track record of District 6.

I fought for every neighborhood every resident the voice I carry to City Hall was the voice of district 642 neighborhoods.

What mattered most to them.

The potholes the streets the sidewalks the crime the graffiti.

It didn't matter what it was.

I took that message as.

As a council member two types of politicians one that goes down to City Hall and thinks you elected me to make the decision for you.

The other one is me.

I'm the messenger.

I'm going down to City Hall and fighting for the neighborhoods and the residents.

So when I do that I'm going to continue that across the entire city and that's why I'm running.

I am beholden to nobody.

At the end of the day I got to make sure that I answer to the residents period and all of us all council members have to come to this job with that map mindset mentally because it's 80 hour workweeks it's spending time away from your families doing the hard work so to get there.

We must work together and understand that the taxpayer period is number one and every conversation we have at city hall.

Mayor I think the record is very clear on Councilman Bronk House's indebtedness to the fire and police unions in this city before he became councilman.

He took 400.

They put four hundred seventy eight thousand dollars into his pocket so he could be in theirs as a councilman.

He's continuing to do their work whether it's charter elections or whatever else.

And now they're bankrolling his campaign.

He is not raising support from average members of the community from neighbor neighbors from business leaders.

He's raising it.

He's running a campaign through bankrolled entirely by our public safety unions.

That is not the kind of representation that will best represent you as a taxpayer in City Hall.

And that's one of the reasons why we have to defeat Burger Backhouse on November on May 4th.

Councilman you lot.

Well I mean it's just another long list of lies from Mayor Nuremburg and his attempt to hold on to his job at the end of the day I was a business owner I ran a business.

Two of my clients out of many were the police officers association.

So yes I fought for them and their rights as a client.

I brought in income and then I had expenses.

And the mayor doesn't understand that because obviously never ran a business apparently other than a gym out of his garage.

But at the end of the day at the end of the day I had a business and I did my hard work making sure that I performed for my clients and I did that work I had expenses like when I built a Web site or if I did that kind of payroll.

Those things happen in a small business environment it's unfortunate the mayor doesn't understand that.

But I can't teach him that in the next 30 seconds what I can tell him is a small business brings in income.

We have expenses and then the profitability sits after that.

So we got to stick to the facts and unfortunately Ron has taken this so far in the gutter that he's living in the muck of lies and misinformation.

I'm here to tell you the truth and the truth is I support the residents and taxpayers of San Antonio first.

Mayor Jim financial disclosures required by law show that Councilman Brock House was given four hundred seventy eight thousand dollars by the unions and their pension fund to do their work.

And now he's the union head was caught on tape saying that they're trying to get his their guy into the mayor's office to do their bidding.

I think that's clear evidence of who he will answer to.

Mayor if we could move on.

You've said repeatedly in speeches including in your state of the City speech just last month that it's time for San Antonio to take its rightful place on the national stage.

All of the nation's leading cities New York Los Angeles Chicago Atlanta have all hosted national political conventions.

But when San Antonio's opportunity came up a slam dunk considering we were invited to apply by President Trump's campaign manager you buckled at that opportunity.

Why did you do that.

So first Jim we are a tourism city.

We thrive on many industries but tourism is one of the more convention city would do very well.

The idea that any of us would drive out an organization for political reasons is laughable.

The truth of the matter is though we also have to be responsible to taxpayers.

And I'm not going to put taxpayers on the hook for a guarantee of the 65 million dollars that the Republican National Convention wanted to to have to hold their conventions here and that it would be true if the same deal came to us from the DNC.

But the truth of the matter is this is including all those major major cities that were offered the opportunity everyone passed for the same reason and so we make decisions in the best interests of taxpayers and that's how we handled it in this one too.

And it was also done in private which has bothered a lot of people.

Why did that happen.

We have executive sessions to talk about competitive matters competitive bids.

That was done strictly under the Texas Open Meetings Act.

And Councilman Brock House was part of that meeting as well.

Councilman what's your feeling about that turning our back on the Republican convention.

Well I hope the viewers at home court with the mayor said he said I told him no to the Republican National event and I would say no to the Democrats as well.

So he just said he'd make the same mistake twice.

The truth is it's a bad decision.

We're a welcoming and inclusive city.

We just came off the final four right.

The final four was a huge offer opportunity for us.

We accomplished it the Republicans wanted to come here.

We had the inside track to make it happen.

The sixty five million dollars that Ron talks about would have been privately raised and the reinvestment back to San Antonio would have been two hundred and fifty million dollars.

That was the economic impact in our response and our hour guaranteeing the opportunity.

So we have to believe this.

Look we have one of our own sons running for mayor for president United States right now.

He can't hold his convention in San Antonio.

How sad is that.

We must work together to understand.

And the same thing when Ron told Chick fil a no based on their religious freedom you can't turn people away from San Antonio because you don't agree with everything about them.

I was in the room.

The mayor is right during that decision.

It was behind closed doors.

There was nothing private that needed to happen about that decision.

But when people in that room use words like we don't want those people here.

That's not my San Antonio.

I grew up in and love.

I've been here my entire life.

My community embraces everybody.

We want every opportunity to do the best we possibly can.

On June 1st when I take the oath of office we will never miss an opportunity like that because I believe in San Antonio.

And it's sad to me that Mayor Ron Nuremburg hasn't for the last two years.

Was that a political decision that was not a political decision again.

He may talk about the 250 million dollars that again was a part of the pitch that was given to us but we have to be responsible to taxpayers and that's 65 million dollars it was required for the local community to raise was guaranteed on the backs of taxpayers.

Look we are a convention city.

We did host a very successful I would say the most successful final four in tournament history.

That's why we went up and we won another one and another one we're having the final fours come back.

We make strategic decisions in the best interests of the taxpayers that's exactly what we will continue to do under my leadership.

Councilman Brock House what do you see as your priorities if you're elected by your mayor.

Nierenberg has clearly articulated a vision for the city.

You may not agree with it but he's articulated a vision.

What's your vision.

Where do you see the city being in 20 30 40 years.

Well you know things send a mature over life as a candidate.

You have ups and downs in a campaign struggles and challenges and you learn more as you're knock on doors and talking to people and you get all across the city and you spend time in every district.

You start to realize what matters most.

The biggest thing I hear about which my initial issues were let's talk about property tax relief.

We're gonna do that fee relief.

Let's talk about crime and how we have the highest crime rate in the nation the top 15 cities we have to work on that we have to get after more police officers on the street got to talk about the infrastructure in the neighborhoods and the west side or on the east side that haven't seen a street or sidewalk in 40 years and repair has not happened.

We have to get after that.

Then we have to talk about wages and jobs and building opportunity.

We've touched on some of that already but at the end of the day there's a gap of trust now between City Hall and the neighborhoods and the families and that is changing.

And as a chicken sandwich the answer for that the mayor would like to believe it's about a fast food contract.

But what has been exposed over the last 60 days is that City Hall doesn't represent the values of neighborhoods and communities in our in our San Antonio.

So having lived here my entire life I can tell you this.

We have to make sure that the decisions we make reflect families in our communities have to respect faith and diversity and different opportunities of people we have and who we are where we come from just as much as where we're gonna be in the next few years.

That trust gap is going to be an immediate focus for me when I take office on June 1st and means we have to go out to the neighborhoods we have to take City Hall to the community.

It's not on the resident to do all the work now when there's broke trust.

It's on City Hall now to go to you and to make sure you understand we get everything that's important to you.

We cannot miss that again.

So while I had policy planks the property taxes crime.

Now it is risen to that is understanding that we must put a San Antonio that is reflective of San Antonio's families and neighborhoods back at city hall.

I'm going to work on that and that it's undefinable right now because every neighborhood you go to is different.

So we're gonna take City Hall to you.

We're going to rebuild that trust and make sure you understand.

We answer to you.

Mayor Nierenberg you asked the councilman what his vision was for San Antonio.

I got the impression somebody was searching in a dark room for the doorknob.

I don't know what his vision for San Antonio is but I know what my vision is for San Antonio it's been reflected in every community conversation that we've had in this community about being a safe city and equitable city a more prosperous city.

I remember thousands of neighbors from all over the all corners of the city coming together in 2010.

During the essay 2020 process of talk about the community's vision for the future.

That's the vision that we're delivering on.

And in my office and throughout our city hall working together as a community for bold action on transportation on economic development on equitable investment on our neighborhoods on on fighting crime.

These are the things that were developed that we're doing that we're executing we're making progress on.

I ran for mayor in 2017 because we weren't taking bold action.

We had lost our momentum.

But guess what.

The progress and the momentum is back.

And that's why I'm asking for your vote for re-election.

Mayor one thing I was gonna ask it later but I think it's probably come up real well now because Councilman Brock has mentioned it during the campaign ahead of the firefighters charter amendments last November.

If I heard once I heard a thousand times from people who live all over the city I'm voting for the firefighters amendments because it's time to send a message to city hall because they don't listen.

And I heard that from people all over the city young and old all different racial makeups both genders.

Is there a communication problem that the city hall at least have the perception that you don't listen to the public.

So this is an issue throughout our nation that institution the trust in institutions is at a low our time low and something that we have learned in civics and engagement in our communities is that people's expectation for transparency and access have grown faster than institutions being able to give it to them.

But I will say this about city hall we are listening.

I go out in the communities every single week not just during campaign time.

I go out and make sure that we're having town halls in people's schools having meetings in their houses to understand what are the concerns of every part of town.

That's why we developed an equitable budget.

That's why we're working on making sure that we have public transportation in places that didn't have any before any quality public transportation.

That's why we finally made housing and reduction of property taxes a priority in the city in city hall.

These things are happening because we have been listening doesn't mean that we're done or that we couldn't do better.

Absolutely not.

We've got to continue to work towards more access and more transparency.

It's one of the reasons why I'm very proud to work with one of my colleagues Councilwoman Sandoval on refining the public participation process in the city of San Antonio so we can remain a gold standard.

But our vision and the progress that we're making as a community has to do with us in the community listening to each other working together across boundaries across districts across all parts of the city to make sure that we build an equitable city for everyone.

Councilman Brock House Well what I'm hearing is exactly the opposite of what Ron just talked about.

And the truth is he didn't answer the question because answers yes.

People are sick and tired of business as usual city hall.

They're tired of the backroom deals and the meetings outside of the public eye.

And I hear it every day in every district.

We walk around and I'm sorry Ron.

I've been out there.

You are not out in the community trying to earn your job.

You've got to do the job.

You've got to be out there in the neighborhoods and streets and you're not.

And that the breakdown comes from thinking that just because you have the answers right the city you deserve.

I think the slogan Ron's slogan alone tells the story San Antonio is the city we already love and have I want to make us a better version of ourself I'm not thinking about the next million people come to San Antonio.

We have to plan for that.

I'm worried though for the million and a half people that are living here right now in neighborhoods like nobody here where families can't afford their homes anymore.

On the south side at Indian Creek or up where I live off our district 6 and 151 communities are left behind.

The truth is Ron they don't trust us and we need to fix it immediately.

Mayor you want to respond to that.

Well no.

Well what I will say is this it's it's fine to recognize neighborhoods that have been under invested in that have been left behind for a generation.

It's fine to recognize it but you have to do something about it.

That's why I work together with my colleagues to deliver for the first two for the for the first time in our city's history and equitable budget.

That means that more of our resources are going into places like Indian Creek like the Eastside that have needed them been waiting for a generation for the the only person that fought against that equity in our budget.

Councilman Brock House.

Mayor.

You've made and you mentioned it earlier the skyrocketing cost of housing which is displacing people from their homes making it very difficult for millennials to buy that critical first home.

You've made that a key issue in your first term but every builder that I talk with agrees that one of the biggest barriers to construction of low income housing is the city from the tree ordinance to impact fees which raise the cost of building is dealing with the rising price of housing.

Important enough that the city might take a second look at some of the things it's doing to drive up the price of homes.

So all of these regulations and ordinances come through a lot of public debate.

I would say this.

One of the comments I get most frequently up on the north side is that people want to see more of their trees preserved so there is a reason for having tree ordinances now we have to do it in a balanced way.

The reason why we have a comprehensive housing policy though is that we do recognize that red tape and reduction of cost and time for helping the private development community make sure that they build homes is part of the calculus.

And part of the way we're going to get more affordable housing market this is very important moving forward.

Councilman Bronk House has fought us on every point when it comes to dealing with the housing situation in city of San Antonio but now through the Mayor's housing policy task force we have a model policy framework that is being modeled other where in other parts of the country it's being used as an as the National League of Cities model and one of our task forces to bring this nationwide because every single city in the United States urban communities are facing issues with housing.

It's become a crisis we can get ahead of it though if we do nothing which is what Councilman Brock housing advocates then that would be destructive and would lead to more affordable affordability crises throughout our community.

Councilman do you agree we should do it.

I think well actually that again just another lie.

At the end of the day we can't be all talk and no action.

So we have to do the things that matter most in the original original point you made Jim was very important.

The cost of what the city of San Antonio was doing to people in the business community and development community.

Who do these things.

Ron Nuremburg and I aren't laying foundations for houses office 16 0 4.

We're just not at the end of the day the business community is the hardworking employees of our city are.

And we need to make it easier for them to do that.

That means we do have to deregulate a very important point here is this anytime a house gets built in our city already before one piece of wood goes up there that house already costs thirty thousand dollars because of all the regulations and fees we want to preserve trees.

That's very important.

We want clean air but we also have to have roofs over our head and somebody has to pay for that.

I think the mayor doesn't understand that when we regulate when we overregulate we put more cost on a home.

Guess who pays that.

It's not the developer.

It's the homeowner.

So is our ability to deregulate and streamline opportunities for developers brings them back into San Antonio.

There's a reason why people don't want to build inside 69 for taxes fees and it costs too much money.

That's a shame and we need to work on that immediately.

Ok.

The 64000 dollar question as I said back in the 1950s and probably the thing that is on the mind of most people who are watching and listening here tonight is that notice they got in the mail last month talking about how much their property is worth and how much their property taxes are going to rise.

Councilman Brickhouse what is the best thing this city could do right now to help those people by giving them tax relief.

Well we have to do it's really a two pronged approach.

One is we have to fight for property tax relief period.

Over the last two budget cycles I have motion for and voted for property tax reduction.

We only control about 25 percent.

But we can start with our fair share.

Ron Nunberg voted against it twice.

Councilman Clayton Perry and I have fought for a city wide homestead exemption every big city in Texas has won except for San Antonio.

That is a shame and we must implement that.

Ron Norberg worked against it but it's election time so now he's for a city wide homestead exemption.

But beware on May 5th if he gets re-elected that will not be one of his items property tax relief is important.

Ron Norberg voted against his working at Austin against property tax caps because he's worried about not being able to jack up your rates as high as he possibly can to grab more money at the end of the day.

We have to fix the valuation system as well.

We appoint someone to the Bear County Appraisal District.

We have to make sure we appoint people that defend and fight for taxpayers.

We can lower our rate and I don't care if it's two three four five dollars a month.

We must start somewhere in recognizing that the dollars at City Hall don't belong to us and we can't have this iron fist on them to where we can't let them go.

Because the truth is if Ron Nuremburg is not willing to give back two dollars a month to you what is he willing to give back.

The answer is zero.

So we can't.

We have different leadership that offers property tax relief that goes to Austin and fights for it and also the school finance system needs to be fixed while you offer property tax relief.

We have to make sure too that school districts can continue to afford to put good quality education in front of our children.

It's a balancing act that we have to get out there and fight for.

But at the end of the day when I hear about almost everywhere I go to no matter where it is whether it's a fifty thousand dollar home or five hundred thousand dollars they all talk about property taxes and that generational wealth in their home.

And when we price them out of that it hurts them.

Period.

That is their home their castle.

We don't recognize that and therefore we don't reduce property taxes or fight for it in Austin.

As your mayor.

Property tax relief will happen in my first term.

I guarantee it.

Mayor what we a deal at day one to help property owners get some tax relief.

What you've just heard from Councilman Bronk House is that is the reason why people are frustrated with property taxes.

It's all talk and no action.

I am the only one up here is actually successfully reduced your rate in the city of San Antonio.

The truth of the matter is this is very complicated San Antonio does have a senior exemption we have homestead exemption we have to work harder to make sure that we get proper tax relief and what that will require is us doing several things.

One of some of them are already underway.

We have a top down review of the Bear County Appraisal District process underway so that the government praises your property for what it's worth not what it thinks it needs.

We know that we're out of line we've got to see some data in that and we have to work with our legislature advocate at the state level.

And I'm doing that with our governor and our legislature to make sure that they deliver.

Get over the finish line with school finance reform 50 percent of your property tax bill is local school district taxes that have been raised periodically throughout the last 10 15 years because the school has or the state has slowly backed away from its portion of school of funding public schools.

We have to address that but we are working at the local level too.

I've reduced your tax rate back in 2015 and we are working hard to make sure we can offer property tax relief wherever it can be found.

Property tax relief is a priority for everyone in this community.

Just don't buy that sound bites look for action Councilman broadcast you have to don't buy the soundbite folks.

I agree with that 100 percent by the vote the record.

He voted against it twice.

You cannot run from that.

You own that vote.

Two times you voted against property tax relief.

It's not a soundbite.

It's a recorded vote Ron mayor is having a restaurant in that Chick fil A spot in the airport that is open seven days a week and is not closed on Sunday.

Is having that worth the potential fine that the city might face which would be at least six figures if the Texas attorney general does in fact rule that that chick fil a vote violated the city's own anti-discrimination ordinance as well as state law.

So we are very confident because this this vote was not taken for religious purposes.

This was a vote quite simply on the economics of our airport work.

We have 10 million visitors in our airport every single year a million and a half of them on Sunday.

It's very important in our airport with very scarce retail space that we have all that space operational.

So when visitors come you see it full of real array of options in addition to that in a contract that emphasized local smoke shack.

We have local coffee.

We have a spur store we have a luxury let's have local there.

The truth of the matter is the councilman continues to bring this up for political theater because he has nothing else to talk about.

He has no vision to share with the city of San Antonio.

We're going to continue to make sound decisions in the city for the right purposes and that is what's best for the airport what's best for the customer and what's best for the city of San Antonio.

Councilman broadcast I I'm just I cannot believe every time I stand with Ron on this issue he's doubled down on his triple down on it.

Now he's quadrupled down on the fact that this doesn't belong in our airport because of economic reasons.

Go watch the videotape.

The words that were used symbol of hate anti LGBTQ.

They donated as a faith organization.

The record speaks for itself Ron.

You cannot now all of a sudden grow conscious on it because it's election time and you realize that it's the topic at every poll site in our city.

People care about it.

You know why they care about it San Antonio is a city of faith folks.

You know and I know it.

We were built on it founded on it 300 years ago our tri Centennial just ended a city built on faith that turned away a business because of their faith.

Those are the record words used and by the way nowhere in that contract.

Nowhere was their hours of operation that required anybody to be open or closed on a Sunday.

In fact the profitability was guaranteed.

The fact is folks on that council attempted to push a moral value vote.

The mayor didn't just vote against Chick fil A once he voted against it twice and he still stands to this day with that massive discount remember a couple of minutes ago.

I hope all the viewers caught this as well I said there's a disconnect between what matters to families right what matters to people and city hall.

Now you see the disconnect once again with Ron Nuremberg.

He doesn't get what matters to families.

The vote isn't a chicken sandwich.

It's not a contract.

It's a faith based piece of who we are.

Ron we have to believe in ourselves and own to know that that's who San Antonio is.

Be with us on that and let's fix this no matter what.

It's the faith of who we are and it's all inclusive and let's do this together Ron.

Mayor so first my faith cannot be found in a fast food menu.

Period.

The councilman continues to put words in other people's mouths.

And the truth of the matter is we have to make rational decisions at the City of San Antonio.

And when the councilman continues to bring it up even after the contract was signed he asked for a new vote.

We cannot do that.

That's not leadership that's pandering.

And that is making sure that we never get on with our business.

And that is ninety nine percent of the work that we do.

Streets sidewalks public safety all the things that we build a great city on.

Councilman Broncos continues to ignore so we can talk about fast food contracts.

Councilman House speaking of leadership it seems like everybody but the people agree that mass transit is a priority for the future.

What are your ideas for maybe whittling down a little bit this.

I have to drive alone in my car to work mentality that this city has and to open the door for what everybody agrees business as necessary as we add a million people to the next 20 years.

And that is some sort of sustainable mass transit.

Well I think at the beginning and then we have to start with the We Are the transportation expert and we have the Alamo Area MPO we also have Sam Coe and different organizations that are built around this.

The mayor put together another one of his infinite task forces this one called Connect S.A.

so he AB abdicates and pushes out leadership opportunities I get it I understand that he wants other people to do the work but this work continues to get planned and by the way it's spending opportunities it's more taxation you know in the connect us a plan they are trying to trumpet potentially a ten dollar user tax we don't need to continue to pay for streets we already have built and paid for in our city.

At the end of the day let's be smart about the resources in money.

Let's put it into video.

We put 10 million dollars into VR over the last couple of years we've seen increase usage increased turn times more people excited about it v receives half the funding of the other big authorities the transit authorities in our state.

That's unacceptable.

We have to ramp up that funding opportunity ramp up turn times in the quality of work.

I believe in VR and I believe they have the opportunity to do the good work to get people from point A to Point B and that don't forget the last mile first mile piece.

My son was working part time and he didn't want to take the bus because it was a two mile walk.

We have to close that gap for him because he said he can't afford a car right now because he's working hard to make the money but he didn't want to do it so we would take him in the morning and then I realized that conversation to what small technologies what game changing technology are we going to implement there and get him from point A to Point B. My son can walk.

He can get there but I'm thinking about the 45 year old single mothers trying to get it done and think about the grandmother trying to get to her senior center.

How are they going to get to a usable via transportation system with great Wi-Fi the great air conditioned a great customer service.

They need more money.

The first step in any massive transportation plan is not gonna be light rail it's not gonna be taxation or user fees.

It's gonna be implementing increases for visa so that they can get the work done.

We're gonna champion that fight that 10 million is not enough.

We have to find the money and we will to put visa at the forefront of doing everything we need to do in transportation.

Mayor.

This is a key priority of yours and we'll see this on the ballot this fall.

What's your feeling about how we can make that happen.

Yeah well it's a recognition that if we do nothing we're gonna be stuck in more traffic.

So we are doing something that starts with improvements in our our budget our city budget over the last two years we've doubled the resources going into basic street maintenance and we've prioritized the projects in the most congested areas.

That's a start.

Now we continuing to work.

Councilman Gronkowski talks about task forces.

These are citizens coming to the table to make sure that we have the right formula that we have the right plan for transportation reform in San Antonio.

So connect essay is a comprehensive multi-modal transportation plan the first ever in the most innovative for the city of San Antonio.

That will be on your ballot next year.

What it is is a combination of better bus routes better pedestrian networks safe bicycle routes that are separated from vehicular traffic.

The linear Creek way systems inclusion of last mile first mile technology like you're seeing develop through the innovations that are made available through the market and for the first time ever an advanced rapid transit system for the city of San Antonio.

All of those elements working together seamlessly in a networked transportation system that you will be able to to to vote on next year because it's been built by citizens just like you.

It's about time for closing arguments I have one more question since I asked Mayor Marion Barry the first question Councilman Brickhouse I'll ask you the last question.

What is the most serious problem that San Antonio faces in your opinion that is not being adequately addressed right now.

You know when I'm sitting here thinking about it it's neighborhood building.

I just think we need something as simple sometimes and it really depends.

Neighborhood by neighborhood.

Mean like I said it's risen for me over the course of this campaign over the course of the last few months.

It's building the trust gap and make sure people believe in City Hall.

When I walk neighborhoods and one of the things I did when I got elected to the district's seat was I kept walking and knock on doors in neighborhoods period.

I didn't stop I go to voter doors not voter doors I go to everybody's door to make sure I understand what matters most.

That gap is what we're seeing that right now in the election cycle I think about 8 percent of our community has voted.

That is a total breakdown and it's a disconnect between what we're doing at City Hall.

If we don't implement trust back in that a lot of times people will blame the lack of voter interest on the voter themselves without recognizing that we're broken at City Hall that trust gap is the reason why people don't show up and push the button.

We're not doing a good enough job of getting in front of people we're not doing enough good enough job of having people believe in us so that we understand it's that pothole that matters to you on Oklahoma's street.

When I go to dig nobody heals that you understand.

You can still afford your home in those property taxes.

If I'm over on Hack Barry then I understand sometimes it's the criminal down the criminal activity down on MLK or the criminal activity off of Westover hills the car break ins.

It's different everywhere you go.

The biggest issue we face is making sure we understand those priorities and city hall gets back to that it's showing right now folks it's showing in the turnout for our election.

If we don't fix that engagement if we don't put trust back in the system then we're gonna fail and that's the biggest thing I want to work on when I get in the job is to make sure we're doing the things that matter most.

So you do show up that next election and that at this point who you vote for.

It just matters that you come out and even in this election just get out and have a conversation about it and let's get that engagement back in.

It's so broke that 10 percent's what we're looking at are 11 percent.

We can't have that in our city.

It requires leadership in the neighborhoods and streets and that's what I'm looking forward to doing as your mayor.

The number one problem that is not being adequately addressed today.

Well it's hard to pick one but let me name two it is the issue of generational poverty in our community and it is the epidemic level of domestic violence in our city.

Both of them need focused addressing focused solutions for our city and we're going to get to work on those we are working with our community on those right now.

Ok it's time for your closing arguments.

People who have not voted are going to go to the polls on Saturday.

Mayor if we could start with you give us a couple minutes on why two more years in the corner office at city hall is what this city needs.

Well thank you very much for tuning in.

Thank you Jim.

Thank you to the chamber.

Thank you to kill our for having us this evening.

I think we provided you a clear choice.

I am the candidate that has a proven record of getting things done for City Hall and also a vision for the future.

You see the track record and the things that we've accomplished.

Our economy is booming we've created jobs.

We have the crime rate is plummeting.

We're working together as a community on on transportation reform.

You see the vision unfolding in making sure that we have a city that can educate every single one of our citizens.

We have we have the keys to the future in our city right now with the plans that have been undertaken at the direction of citizens just like you.

This is a city of two and a half of.

Excuse me.

This is a city of a million and a half people.

We have a two and a half billion dollar budget and 13000 employees that work on your behalf.

It takes considerate thoughtful deliberate leaders to make sure that we move our city forward.

I'm asking for your vote on May 4th or continue working hard every single day to continue to keep our economy booming to continue to stay vigilant on our epidemic levels of violence and domestic violence and fighting crime.

We have to continue to forge forward on innovative solutions to our transportation problems.

We have to continue working together to build the city you deserve.

So I'm asking your vote to continue as your mayor on May 4th.

Thank you very much.

Councilman Brickhouse your closing argument to the voters.

Jim I want to thank you and Carl are in the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce.

I think it matters exactly who you choose on May 4th because it is a change election no matter what at this point.

And it is a stark difference between Ron Nuremberg and myself and I run this campaign as best I can talk about the issues.

There's ups and downs.

I go to neighborhoods I'm knocking on doors and I'm trying to figure out with my team my family my wife my kids trying to figure out what matters most to San Antonio residents and look at the end of the day if you believe your property taxes are OK and everything's working for you.

And you'll like the valuation system.

Vote for Ron Nuremburg if you believe crimes okay in your neighborhood.

We don't have any issues with it.

You see enough police officers vote for Ron Nuremburg.

If you think traffic's great and everything's working again pull that trigger for Ron Nuremberg at the end of the day you can even sit there and say Do you believe religious freedom is welcome in San Antonio.

If you think so.

Vote for Ron Nuremberg.

The decision is very clear what I want to do is I'm not trying to build that the city you deserve.

I believe we have the city we want and I believe it because I've lived here my entire life.

I'm a veteran a graduate of John Jay High School Southwest Texas State University.

My family and I've lived here in this community our entire lives and what we know matters most is that we love San Antonio.

We just have to get better at it for each and every neighborhood that matters and I've mentioned if you dig nobody Hills I've gone down on the south side I'm up on the north side and at the end of the day the same conversation still stands.

What are you doing at City Hall for us if we don't close that gap folks.

We're going to be broken for a very long time if we go further into it.

You don't take my word for it.

Phil Harburg a former mayor Marburger said the mayor gets an eye for incomplete.

We can't have another two years of incomplete.

What we need is two years of let's get things completed.

Let's do that do the things that matter most to you the residents the family the people.

Those issues are by street by neighborhood.

I'm going to listen to you.

I'm going to be there in your neighborhood in your family with you in your house making sure we understand at city hall that we follow you.

I look forward to that opportunity and I'm asking for your vote on May 4th.

Thank you very much for your civil debate and a civil campaign and don't forget to vote on Saturday.

Thank you to Mayor Ron Nierenberg city councilman Greg Brickhouse.

And please join us right now.

We'll have instant analysis from our panel of business reporters posted by case at 12:00.

Ursula Perry thank you for joining the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce for the choice for mayor 20 19.

The final debate you have now heard directly from the leading mayoral candidates who've expressed their thoughts and feelings about issues that are important to the business community and to San Antonio in general.

We hope that this information will help you make an informed decision.

Now you will hear from my panel of experts who provide additional commentary and analysis on what you've just heard.

Once again thank you for joining us tonight I'm still appearing with case at 12:00.

I'm joined here by three very distinguished business folks who are connected to our business world here in San Antonio.

First up we have Greg Jefferson he's the business editor for The San Antonio Express News.

We have Molly Cox who is president and CEO of S.A.

2020.

And Tony Casado the editor in chief of the San Antonio Business Journal.

Thank you guys so much for joining us.

We watched the debate just feet away from the candidates.

Now tell us what was your initial thought about how they performed today.

Let's start with you Greg.

Yeah I thought the differences just in style were couldn't couldn't have been clearer.

I think we we we see in Greg Brickhouse a very kind of populist politician who is you know he he connects with voters kind of in a more visceral way.

His policy recommendations it's hard to say at the end of the day exactly what they are.

On the other hand you have Mary Nierenberg who you know he's he's he's kind of renowned for giving a lot of thought to public policy really thinks through the issues but does he connect with voters in a in a meaningful way.

Can he can he make his vision felt by voters rather than just kind of understood.

They do have very different styles.

Molly What was your impression.

Yeah I mean I think when you look at a debate it sort of set up for soundbites and to rebut each other it's automatically set that way so they're supposed to do it that way.

There's a little room for nuance there's little room for sort of giving full pictures of stats that we're sort of tossing out at each other.

So I was interested in the fact that it was sort of that type of banter which is exactly what you're expecting in a in a debate not in a conversation right.

Right.

And how about you.

I think what strikes me is something like this is so fast paced.

They're trying to throw out so much in it kind of washes over you you're taking notes and you and but you start at the end of the day before the cameras turned over in this direction.

You try to think well what what are we just hear.

What are what are they really battling on.

And I think it comes down to things like trust the transparency leadership questions and they're both explaining why they have those things.

And the other one doesn't sometimes they're using the same words back at them.

So it becomes a little bit challenging to figure out where they're coming from.

It is going to be incumbent on voters to not just take what they heard today but really study because these two guys are very different.

They do have very different worldviews and city views about things that the city needs to do moving the community forward versus action versus inaction.

So it's it's not just about what happened tonight.

I didn't hear them actually agreeing on a couple of things property tax relief very much needed the need for a better transit system.

There were some areas of agreement I thought it's just an approach it.

And yet you hear them try to make a disagreement and try to find ways to disagree.

I agree.

Yes exactly.

Yeah that was interesting one of the hot button topics that were brought up.

The National Republican Convention as well as Chick fil A. Which of those or do they resonate with the voters do you think Chick fil A definitely does.

Yeah I mean it.

And who knew you know who would have guessed three months ago that Chick fil Lay would be.

We've been talking about Chick.

Exactly.

Exactly.

But I mean you know I think as mayor Nierenberg has seen you you kind of dismiss Chick fil A as an issue at your peril.

I mean to voters to whom that's important it's really important.

It is you know it's it's being framed by Greg Brock House by Pastor John Hagee of of Cornerstone Church and in other other ministers across the city as you know this is this is a moral judgment the council made.

And you know there's a lot of resistance to that of those topics.

Molly did you think that they made their points.

Well I I don't know.

I think that the challenge right always is as soon as Chick fil A comes up it becomes such a hot button issue that it on either side get very passionate and it again goes back to sort of this mentality that we're hearing so much information.

And I think this chick fillet the moment you say it you fall on one side or the other right there you are pickles no pickles right.

That's where we stand.

So I think that the challenge with a conversation like Chick Fillet again it's sort of an opportunity for us to have a broader conversation about why that is such a major hot button issue.

It seemed as though the discussion though regarding chip flight taking it to the next level which is what happens next if the state wins its lawsuit and we are found in violation that actually isn't passionate.

That's dollars and cents.

What do you think of that Tony.

Well I think the the the ramifications of that.

You know we're not going to learn that right now so it's hard to judge that you can you can presuppose what it's going to be and then make a judgment based on your presupposition and that's perfect that anybody can go to the voting booth and do that.

And yet it still moves past and takes our eye off of all these other issues that we talked about how many pages of notes did you take.

We're talking about taxes we're talking about transportation.

We're talking about crime we're talking job easier job creation.

Right.

And they're disagreeing about the numbers you know they're telling you my numbers are true.

My numbers are true.

Right.

He's lying.

He's lying.

So that's why it can take a lot of study on the voters part.

But we we really need to focus on all those other things because at the end of the day this district really thing will play itself out but it won't affect any of those other issues.

They really won't.

And you're right about that.

They were talking about a very different economic movement in San Antonio you know worse job creation as opposed to best unemployment.

Which of these that resonated you know that San Antonio having the lowest job creation in 2018 of the last ten years that that is true.

Those are figures born out which ones matter that.

Well I mean you know with the city growing at the pace it is.

I mean you know we had job growth.

I believe it was one point eight percent last year.

That's not keeping up with the rate of population growth.

That's significant.

I mean in the short term it doesn't mean much but you know if if if we continue kind of bouncing along at that rate you know that the population growth is going to by far outstrip the number of newly created jobs.

And that's a problem.

And that's of particular interest to you with us.

2020.

It is.

I mean I think the challenge right again is we're seeing industry growth in our target industries we're seeing job growth we're seeing our unemployment rate.

Everybody uses unemployment rate as a thing and we know that that doesn't tell us the full picture because underemployment rate as well.

But I do think that there's a conversation to be had around population growth right.

We are recruiting people from out of town.

People are moving to San Antonio or second in college educated millennial growth right.

We can toss that sort of stuff out and at the same time we have a workforce problem in San Antonio Texas.

So I think the fact that we again as we sort of weed out these like numbers what is most about one of the things you can you could talk about is when you talk about recruiting people to come to San Antonio often in a lot of cases that's because the jobs are vacant.

So it's not a question of right how many jobs were creating in some cases the that the discussion is how many jobs can we not fill that already exist.

And then we're bringing people here to do that.

Exactly.

And we also have an issue with a poorly trained workforce.

We have a situation where a manufacturer like Toyota for example they will always have X number of open positions that they're going to have a really difficult time filling because they can't find workers in San Antonio with the qualifications or the skills needed for those positions and those are good paying jobs.

So you know part of what you can do in City Hall.

I mean I think we can we can all agree.

You know city government doesn't actually create jobs but it creates a really good.

It can create a good environment for job growth.

You know more workforce development right.

Absolutely.

Would be huge.

That would be a very big deal of the two candidates we listened to tonight.

Which one is more pro-business Oh that's it.

I'm like Yeah.

You know it's something that's in keeping with what you were saying Tony.

Just that it's very hard to tell.

Well at the end you know there's both spouting out different types of statistics.

It is it's with Councilman Brickhouse.

There's a lot of there's a lack of specificity about what it is his agenda really is.

But I think the business community is looking at him and you know his his alignment with the police and fire that scares the business community and that's why I think you know he said that he lacks the support.

Yeah.

He has this.

Exactly.

Yeah.

And I mean he you know if he is elected mayor he's going to you know he you know he's going to have a lot of work to do in building those bridges with business leaders.

Well we only have just a few more seconds.

I know.

Molly you wanted to add something.

I was just saying the idea that we frame it as pro-business and not pro community.

Right.

Obviously if I'm for my community I'm also for businesses.

So I think there's a reframing in some of these conversations that we have as well.

And you Tony I think when with the business committee ultimately wants us to be included in the conversation.

Sure.

Ok.

So whoever can can can can gain that sort of confidence that they will be included.

Whether it's on this climate action plan whether it's on property taxes whether it's on workforce development whatever incentives for it for recruiting corporations any of that if you get if you get the business community believe that they're part of that they will they will buy in.

If you if you if you just kind of make yourself either totally cerebral or totally populist right.

That doesn't appeal to me either.

All right.

Well thank you all for being with us.

Judd Gregg Jefferson from the Santa and express news Molly Cox wrote essays 2020.

Tony Casado with the San Antonio business journal I mean most of all I want to thank you for joining us and letting us help you make your decision for Saturday's vote for mayor.

Special thanks go out to our sponsor of the San Antonio Chamber and our host Kay LR.

And I'm Ursula Perry and thank you again for joining us.

Be sure to get out and vote on Saturday.