D6 Councilwoman celebrates FY2024 as the Year of the Edgewood Budget
Published on September 14, 2023
SAN ANTONIO (September 14, 2023) –The San Antonio City Council approved the City’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget with its vote today. Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda issued the following statement:
“I want to thank the City Manager and his team for their work and dedication to our City.
“This has been the Year of the Edgewood Budget.
“The Edgewood community is one of our city’s legacy communities, it has a rich history and culture, and it has been left behind for many years. Any win for Edgewood is celebrated. This year, though, the wins are big.
“There are two major Edgewood funding initiatives to celebrate. One is funding for the design phase for a new Senior Center, another is the $1 million for Cuellar Park Improvements. These projects will transform the Edgewood community and the lives of our seniors and children.
“Other District 6 wins include a funded plan to index sidewalks for the next three years. Sidewalks will be graded and prioritized for maintenance and reconstruction. The entire city has aging sidewalks that need care, and the sidewalk index project is a solid step to get that done.
“D6 residents close to Grissom Road and Old Grissom Road will be happy to know that the traffic light they’ve been asking for will soon go up. This is a dangerous intersection that has had deadly accidents and it took their persistence and several traffic studies to get it done.
“Among the city-wide funded projects that merit mentioning are Safety Corp/Hero Like Her and the Urban Champions Academy, both of which support and enrich the lives of our city’s youth.
“Support for our first-responder mental health is another big win. Firefighters and police have very stressful jobs, and they need our support to do their work day-in-and-day-out. I’m also happy to see the increase in Fire and EMS personnel. The budget calls for an increase of 117 police officers, 100 of them will go to patrol. This was one of the top priorities at community meetings, surveys, and daily conversations I had with the people of San Antonio. Safety and policing are major concerns and this budget responds to that need.
“Funding for the Police Department’s Cellubrite technology is a definite win. This technology will modernize the SAPD’s investigative workflow. This makes our Police Department better, our police investigators more efficient, and our city safer.
“Another top community priority has been more ACS officers, especially considering the recent dangerous dog attacks. The funding also includes a veterinarian position.
“Another serious challenge is regarding women’s health. I’m happy to see funds going towards women’s health and I strongly support the funding of the Reproductive Justice Rights fund.
“Funding of Morgan’s Wonderland speaks loudly about our community’s compassion. There is no other place in the world that provides the entertainment, legal help, and services for people with special needs that Morgan’s Wonderland does. It’s a model for the entire world to follow.
“Funding for the enhanced library card expansion to all the library branches in the city is a worthy and needed initiative. The enhanced cards can be used as identification that will help many of our more disadvantaged friends and neighbors. This is a solid benefit that this budget brings to the community.
“I believe this budget, this document, is a reflection of the San Antonio community. This budget is how San Antonio bets on its own future. There is only one chance to meet the challenge, to innovate while meeting the city’s basic needs. This budget answers the challenge.
“I’m proud of all of us for getting to this day.”