Friends and Neighbors –
Happy New Year! It has been an incredible honor and privilege to serve as your Bexar County Commissioner over the last two years, and I am excited to continue that work on behalf of our community as we go forward. There is still much to come in 2025 and the years ahead.
My continued vision for Bexar County revolves around three key priorities. First, I am committed to prioritizing public safety by supporting our law enforcement and first responders, ensuring the safety and security of our streets and neighborhoods. Next, I will fervently advocate for fiscal responsibility, with a focus on lower property taxes and addressing wasteful spending to benefit our community. Lastly, I aim to drive economic development, creating opportunities for growth and prosperity within our county.
In closing, I pledge to remain unwavering in my dedication to the values and needs of our Precinct 3 community. My team and I are committed to providing excellent customer service and will do our best to resolve your issues and address your concerns in a timely manner. I am humbled by the opportunity to continue serving our great county and I look forward to the progress and successes that we will achieve together in the years to come.
Please reach out to my office if we can be of any assistance.
2024 Year in Review
In 2024, we achieved several significant victories that truly made a positive impact on Bexar County. I am proud of these accomplishments and remain devoted to serving our community for a brighter future. Here’s a glimpse at a handful of our big wins for 2024:
Debt action/Capital Improvement plan: In an effort to reduce our County’s debt (which is currently the highest debt per capita in the State), I supported a 2-year moratorium on new capital projects and further pushed County staff to scrub the 10-year Capital program to find projects that could be delayed or removed. These will be ongoing conversations, but action is critical to reduce our County’s debt.
$160M Topline Reduction in ‘25 Budget: A government’s budget serves as its guidepost for policy decisions, and each budget process will ultimately end in compromise. I supported the FY ‘25 budget because its positives outweighed the negatives, including the addition of law enforcement officers and a $160M top line reduction over last year. I will continue to advocate for fiscal restraint, reducing our debt burden, preserving our AAA credit rating, and prioritizing essential, statutory services. Governments at all levels must be better stewards of your tax dollars!
Summer Boost Investment: Our community secured the second-largest investment from Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Summer Boost initiative, aimed at bridging post-pandemic learning gaps. Seventeen local schools were selected for this opportunity. This $10M investment into underprivileged children in our schools was funded nationally based on the County contribution that we championed and secured in Commissioners Court.
Reducing Forced Deputy Overtime/Adding Unused Vacation Time Rollover: When we learned that we have Deputies being forced into overtime and then losing their earned vacation and holiday leave for that fiscal year, we knew we needed to rectify this issue. During Commissioners Court on June 18th, I led the effort to reverse this unfair practice that we’ve been fighting for over a year. This is a big win for our law enforcement and detention officers – and the issue of forced overtime has also been improved by adding additional officers over the past two years.
Fought For and Secured an Additional 41 Deputy Sheriffs and 12 Deputy Constables: I fought for and secured an additional 41 deputy sheriffs and 12 deputy constables in this new budget. Since becoming a County Commissioner, I have consistently spearheaded efforts to increase law enforcement resources, and in the two years that I’ve been in office, 136 new law enforcement officers have been added! This is a historic and unprecedented investment into public safety by our County. I will continue to ensure that our local authorities have the necessary support to keep our communities safe and secure.
SA to DC Direct Flight: I’ve been working our Congressional delegation and San Antonio leaders on securing a direct flight from San Antonio to Washington, D.C. American Airlines has stepped up to apply to provide the service. I brought a letter addressed to the transportation secretary requesting the federal government’s support of American Airlines providing service from SAT to DCA, and I gave it to the delegation to show my support of this effort.
911 Dispatch Salary Raise: Following extensive advocacy efforts, we have achieved a salary increase for 911 Dispatchers and implemented other initiatives to enhance the quality of service they deliver to the community. These professionals play a crucial role in ensuring public safety, and it was essential for us to prioritize their ability to respond when you need assistance the most.
One-year Reprieve Granted for Taxpayers Who Successfully Challenge Their Property Taxes: We partnered with conservative members of the Bexar Appraisal District Board to pass meaningful appraisal reform. The board approved granting a one-year reprieve for taxpayers who successfully challenge their property taxes through the appeals process in the previous year. This is a victory for taxpayers and will reduce the burden on taxpayers moving forward since they won’t have to fight through the appeals process every year.
2025: A Vision for Bexar County
I want to share with you some of the exciting plans and initiatives that I’ll be working on in 2025:
Jail Population and Criminal Justice System Reforms: Our jail population is a critical problem that isn’t going away, in fact our jail has been over capacity for months with inmates being held at surrounding county jails at an additional cost to Bexar County. We need to look at this problem holistically by addressing gaps and issues in the criminal justice system. Understanding the problem is the first step toward solving it.
Addressing Long-term Debt and Reducing Debt per Capita Ratio: I’m committed to maintaining a 2-year moratorium on issuing new debt but have advocated for a formal review of our 10-yr capital plan to address our long-term debt and reduce the debt per capita ratio in our county. These are the first steps toward ensuring a sound financial future for Bexar County.
Israel Trade Mission: I’m excited to lead our first trade mission to Israel in 2025. This will be a fantastic opportunity to explore new mutually beneficial economic development opportunities and potential partnerships in energy, water, medical and cyber.
New Precinct 3 Parks: Enhancing and expanding our community recreational spaces is important. We’re actively working on plans to establish additional parks and recreational areas in Precinct 3, so that our residents can enjoy more green spaces and opportunities for outdoor activities.
I’m optimistic about the positive impact these initiatives will have as we move forward. Stay tuned for updates and remember to follow me on social media for the latest news and developments.
Here’s to an exciting and promising 2025 ahead!
For Bexar County,
Grant Moody
Bexar County Commissioner, Pct 3
