What I’ve Done
COVID-19 & Public health
Focusing on Community Health and Equity
Serves as Chairwoman of the Community Health and Equity Committee which has brought forward innovative health policies including Tobacco 21 and Tobacco Free Parks, Fast Track Cities Initiative, and SA Kids B.R.E.A.T.H.E.
Boosting Public Health Funding
Advocated and secured a historic 30% increase in public health funding in FY2020 including an additional half million dollars for the Healthy Neighborhoods Program that assigns health workers to underserved neighborhoods in the City.
Educating the Community on COVID-19
Hosted COVID-19 Town Hall, Facebook Live Series, and provided regular email and social media updates regarding COVID-19 testing and vaccination efforts in San Antonio.
Leading Flu and COVID-19 Vaccination Efforts
Organized several flu shot clinics across District 7 and successfully led efforts to increase the number of COVID-19 mass vaccination sites in San Antonio, including in the westside.
Serving as Council's Public Health Lead
Served as the City Council Liaison to the COVID-19 Health Transition Team and Community Response Coalition to provide input and keep councilmembers updated on public health expert recommendations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Streets, Sidewalks, & Drainage
Securing Record Funding for Streets, Sidewalks, and Drainage
Secured a record $450M for streets, sidewalks, and drainage during first two terms on City Council (50% increase from previous four years).
Forging a Future for Bandera Road
Bringing together the City of San Antonio, Leon Valley, TxDOT, and state elected officials to solve traffic congestion and drive economic development along the Bandera Road Corridor.
Clearing Speed Hump Backlog
Cleared 15 year backlog of speed hump requests reducing neighborhood speeding.
Making Culebra Road Safer
Championing safety along Culebra Road including a comprehensive study to make vehicular and pedestrian improvements along the roadway.
housing Affordability
Teaching Residents to Protest Property Taxes
Hosted 8 Property Tax Appraisal Workshops to teach homeowners how to protest their property appraisals.
Holding our Appraisal District Accountable
Supported a comprehensive study to ensure the Bexar County Appraisal District tax valuation practices are fair and transparent.
Supporting Property Tax Relief
Advocated for a $5,000 Homestead Exemption in 2019 providing needed property tax relief to residents across San Antonio.
Ensuring Families & Renters Stay in their Homes
Supported the allocation of $74M in rental and mortgage, and utility assistance for San Antonio families during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Voted in support of Right to Counsel, Notice of Tenant Rights, and Right to Cure to ensure renters have protections to stay in their homes.
Jobs and the economy
Ensuring Small Businesses Stay Open
Supported the allocation of $41M to help small businesses stay open during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Providing Resources to our Small Businesses
Hosted Small Business Sanitary Supply Kit Distributions that provided over 400 small businesses in District 7 with the PPE needed to keep employees and customers safe.
Addressing Business and Employee Needs During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Co-chaired the COVID-19 Business and Employment Working Group which identified several ways local government can support small businesses including developing initiatives to encourage companies to buy local, providing financial and technical assistance to small and micro businesses, and expanding educational opportunities and skills training.
Public Safety
Supporting Our First Responders
Advocated and secured over 100 additional first responder positions during first two terms in office and secured an additional $40,000 for Fire Station 49 by Nani Falcone Park for the 2021 City Budget.
Improving Our Response to Health Emergencies
Supported the adoption of the Good SAM mobile app to improve our City’s response to health emergencies.
Addressing Crime Hot Spots
Coordinated with SAPD and neighborhood leaders to address crime hotspots in District 7 including at the former Fiesta Inn & Suites on Ingram Road in 2018.
Taking on Neighborhood Speeding
Advocated for new ways to address neighborhood speeding including the installation of lighted signage on Guilbeau Road in 2019 and pushing for a stronger response to street racing in 2021.
Neighborhoods & Zoning
Empowering Neighborhood Leaders
Graduated 43 neighborhood leaders from District 7 through the City’s Neighborhood Leadership Academy.
Holding Developers Accountable
Advocated for new zoning & housing policies that give neighborhoods a voice in shaping in our growth.
Because of my work, the City now considers whether a developer has held a meeting with surrounding neighborhoods when determining which tax-credit projects to support.
Keeping our Neighborhoods Informed
Held over one dozen Neighborhood Leader Meetings, attended hundreds of neighborhood and community meetings, and sent out over 200 print and email newsletters over two terms in office.
Climate, environment, & Greenspace
Preserving our Greenspace
Secured over 10 acres of new greenspace during first two terms including two new city parks – W Quill Park in Woodlawn Hills and Sutton Park in Donaldson Terrace – as well as the expansion of Nani Falcone Park and O.P. Schnabel Parks, including the reopening of the driving range.
Preparing for a Changing Climate
Championed the adoption of the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan paving the way for the City to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure emergency preparedness.
Pushing Climate-Friendly Policies that
Save You Money
Advocated for the adoption of cost-saving policies including the Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) Program to finance energy efficiency improvements on private property, the Community Rating System (CRS) Program to lower flood insurance premium rates, and CPS Energy’s Save Energy for Tomorrow (STEP) Program to incentivize energy saving practices for businesses and homeowners.
Transportation
Keeping VIA Moving
Supported Advanced Transportation District (ATD) Proposition A that rededicated a ⅛-cent share of local sales tax for public transit programs starting in 2026.
Encouraging Bike Riding in our Community
Piloted the Share the Streets Initiative in University Park to encourage residents to ride their bicycles in their neighborhood without worrying about through traffic.
Making our Highways Safer
Secured City funding for Highway Emergency Response Operations (HERO) Program partnership with TxDOT to provide free roadside assistance to stranded motorists in the San Antonio area.
Finding Commuting Alternatives
Advocated and secured funding for a Transportation Demand Management Manager in 2019 to develop commuting initiatives that reduce traffic in San Antonio.
Moving the Conversation Forward
Serves on leading transportation committees including the City of San Antonio’s Transportation and Mobility Committee, the Alamo Area Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Board, the San Antonio Mobility Coalition’s Executive Committee, and the National League of Cities’ Transportation & Infrastructure Services Federal Advocacy Committee.
Accountability & Transparency
Making Government More Responsive
Authored the first-ever Council-adopted resolution on improving meaningful public participation.
Making Government More Transparent
Championed efforts to livestream all City Council Committee meetings online, overhaul the Citizens To Be Heard process, and establish quality public participation criteria for high profile policies under development.
Ensuring City Manager Accountability
Led the adoption of mandatory performance reviews of the City Manager and hosted community input sessions during the City Manager selection process in 2019.
Education
Advocating for High-Quality Early Childhood Education
Supported the reauthorization of Pre-K 4 SA which has served over 13,000 San Antonio children since 2012.
Preparing Students for Back to School
Hosted annual Back to School Supply Distribution events to provide students and families with the resources needed to successfully start the school year.
Providing a Pathway to Higher Education
Supported the allocation of City funds for the Alamo Promise Program to allow local high school students to attend Alamo Colleges for free.
Senior Services
Keeping our Seniors Fed
Hosted the District 7 Thanksgiving Meal-To-Go event that provided meals to over 250 District 7 seniors during Thanksgiving Week 2020.
Keeping our Seniors Cool
Provided over 130 box fans to District 7 seniors to stay cool during the summer months of 2020.
Checking in on our Seniors
Conducted wellness check calls to District 7 seniors during the COVID-19 Pandemic to ensure they have the resources needed to stay safe and healthy.
