Friends and Neighbors –
As we move through the spring of ’25 and into summer, I’m proud to share several key developments and initiatives that have shaped our community over the past couple of months.
Big Wins in Court
We’ve had three significant court wins recently — first, in one of the most impactful economic development projects in recent history, Bexar County is leading the way on engineering the renovation of a Fort Sam Houston building that will be able to house hundreds of new Defense Health Agency (DHA) employees, providing billions of dollars in economic impact for Bexar County over the next decade. This is the first step in bringing these jobs to San Antonio and consolidating military medicine in Bexar County and San Antonio.
The second win for Bexar County is better food options for people serving on jury duty through a new cafeteria/food service called the Daily Docket. When our residents are called to Jury Duty and dutifully report downtown to fulfill their service to the justice system, they are often met with the dilemma of where they can grab food at a reasonable price. For years, the options were limited nearby, but now with a new food vendor, Jurists, County employees, and the public will have a good, affordable option right within the justice complex. We started pushing for this over a year ago and it’s finally happening!
And last but not least, we’ve made a big step forward in reducing the projected costs of the new Animal Care Services facility. What was originally priced at a sky-high $100,000 per kennel is being value-engineered thanks to smarter planning and our push for cost-effective alternatives. I believed the County could have pushed for even more cost reductions, so I ultimately voted against the project, but the initial pushback saved our taxpayers between $1.5 – $2 million. Saving your tax dollars is always a top priority, and this project is now set to cost significantly LESS than originally planned.
State Capitol & Legislative Work
At the end of March, I headed up to Austin to meet with lawmakers and push for legislation that protects Bexar County taxpayers — including HB 1554 and SB 511. It’s crucial that our local voices are heard when decisions are being made at the state level, and sometimes the state of Texas can correct bad policy choices that are made locally too. HB1554 (SB1005) which we helped champion, would ban taxpayer funds for deportation defense of criminal non-citizens. Unfortunately, this bill did not survive the legislative process, but we are confident that the state will continue to study this issue and bring back an even better bill next session. This is simply commonsense and it’s unconscionable that we would spend tax dollars trying to keep felons from being deported.
SB511 (HB1489), which we also helped drive, would ban taxpayer funds from being spent on voter registration efforts. This bill just passed the Senate and is now headed to the House for consideration. It still has a chance to be passed. This was in response to the $261,000 Bexar County wasted on voter registration efforts in the fall of 2024 while only registering less than 1,000 new voters. I was very clear at the time that a county’s roll is to administer elections. Counties don’t lead voter registration efforts, and we never have before. Bexar County should focus on our constitutional responsibilities and leave the politics and voter registration efforts to parties, PACs, candidates and the over 900 volunteer voter registrars in Bexar County today. If you agree with this bill, contact your House representative and any others you may know and tell them to support SB511!
Supporting Education Across Bexar County
Education is the cornerstone of opportunity, and I’m committed to ensuring every student in Bexar County has access to a quality education and that parents have options. That’s why I once again championed a local contribution of $150,000 to Summer Boost funding which will unlock up to $16M in national and philanthropic funding, support more than 88 local schools, and help close post-pandemic learning gaps. This initiative is expected to serve more than 9,000 Bexar County students in 2025!
On that note, I was honored to receive the Education Advocate Award from the School of Science and Technology for the work my team and I have done in supporting initiatives for transformative change within education.
I’m dedicated to continuing our work with charter schools, public districts, and community organizations to provide every student with the tools they need to succeed.
Community Events & New Team Member
Our first annual Easter Egg Hunt was a hit! We had 600+ happy kids, 8,000 eggs, games, and fun for the whole family at The Rock at La Cantera. It wouldn’t have been possible without the help of our generous co-sponsors: The Spurs, Frost Bank, The Rock at La Cantera, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and Pct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich’s Office. My team and I can’t wait to do it again next year.
We’re also excited to welcome Taylor Puente to our team! As the new Director of Outreach, Taylor joins my office after working for a mix of federal and local government officials. She’s already jumped in to help keep things running smoothly and serve the community. We’re glad to have you with us, Taylor!
Standing Up for Fiscal Responsibility
Last month, I testified at a City Council Meeting and read a letter to the mayor and City Council expressing my strong opposition to the City’s decision to use taxpayer funds to pay for out-of-state abortion travel.
It’s an issue that raises serious legal and ethical concerns, and I believe local dollars should be spent on services that benefit all San Antonians. City resources should be directed toward initiatives that strengthen our economy, improve public safety, and enhance City services — not towards efforts that promote abortion through government funding.
Focus on Criminal Justice & Jail Overcrowding
The overcrowding in our jail continues to be a serious challenge. Right now, over 1,600 inmates are still waiting to be indicted — adding to a backlog that’s now costing taxpayers nearly $600,000 a month to house inmates in other counties. That’s not sustainable. We’ve approved extra overtime for our detention officers, and we have had to delay necessary infrastructure updates at the jail because there is no room to move inmates to open areas to perform the work. The time for action is now. We must gather the necessary data to evaluate the short-, mid-, and long-term fixes needed at the jail to continue to provide the highest level of public safety for our community, and to reduce the cost burdens on our taxpayers.
I recently joined TPR’s On the Record podcast to talk more in-depth about the jail issues and what needs to happen next — give it a listen if you haven’t already.
Parks Progress
We’ve made some great updates at Bullis Park and Raymond Russell Park recently.
Bullis Park received a major upgrade thanks to the generosity of the Parrish family and their collaboration with our Pct. 3 team. Dan Parrish’s vision was simple: renovate an old sandlot so generations of children could practice and play on a safe, modern turf field. The park improvements also include new dugouts and bleachers, enhancing both player and spectator experiences. Whether it’s a weekend game or a casual practice, the upgraded field — now named the “Parrish Family Ballpark” — is ready to host local teams and families alike.
Raymond Russell Park now has two new, much-anticipated restroom facilities. In fact, its recent ribbon cutting ceremony represented the culmination of more than THREE years of dedicated planning and perseverance though construction complications. The new restrooms will now greatly improve the experience for families(no sports teams at RRP) and regular parkgoers.
These improvements are just the beginning and are part of a significant new investment in our Pct 3 public parks, ensuring they stay safe, clean, and fun for everyone.
Economic Development: Israel-Texas Trade
Early last year, I had the honor of traveling to Israel to deliver a proclamation from Bexar County, standing in solidarity with the Israeli people following the October 7th attacks. As a Marine veteran, it was a deeply personal and eye-opening experience to witness the destruction and resilience firsthand.
That visit wasn’t just symbolic — it also opened doors for future partnerships. I’m proud to share that we’re now planning Bexar County’s first-ever trade mission to Israel. This mission will focus on building strong economic ties in areas where Israel leads globally: water management, energy, cybersecurity, and medical technology.
We have a real opportunity to bring innovation and investment back to Bexar County while also sharing the best of what Texas has to offer. This is about creating jobs, opening new markets, and ensuring our county is part of a global conversation about growth and resilience.
Recent Events
I had an incredible time at the 14th Annual Our Community Salutes San Antonio ceremony and dinner to honor the young men and women that are enlisting in the military after graduation.
My team and I enjoyed having our board appointees over to our field office for Breakfast w/Boards and Commissions.
San Antonio Board of Realtors invited me for a moderated discussion and Q&A session to discuss policy matters effecting local real estate.
During this Coffee and Conversations, I shared insight on priorities to address infrastructure and development needs as the County continues to see population growth. This topic comes up frequently in conversations with our constituents, so it was great to be able to discuss it with some of our local real estate professionals!
Quarterly FM 3351 Taskforce Meeting
If you recall, I created a Taskforce to bring Comal, Kendall, and Bexar counties together in discussion with inTxDot to provide input on the future expansion plans for FM 3351 from I10 to 46.
This particular meeting was focused on the intersections at Dietz Elkhorn Rd and Ammann Rd.
Construction may be a few years out, but planning is moving forward.
600+ happy kids and over 8,000 Easter eggs hunted!
We had a great time engaging with our community and meeting so many local families at our Easter egg hunt at The Rock!