SAN ANTONIO — As the year comes to a close, many San Antonians are reflecting on the past year and decade, taking stock of achievements and making plans for the future. That includes Mayor Nirenberg.
“It’s amazing how far we’ve come in ten years,” Mayor Nirenberg said. “And I’m even more excited about the potential we have for the next ten years, knowing where we are and the groundwork that’s been laid.”
KENS 5 Eyewitness News asked the mayor what he saw as some of the city’s most significant policy achievements over the past year. He cited the Climate Adaptation and Action Plan, a framework passed after years of groundwork and months of research, debate, meetings and discussion.
“It will really help us deal with the impacts of a changing climate,” Mayor Nirenberg said. “And also help us gain some of the economic rewards of being proactive.”
Now, the city will begin discussing the individual items laid out in that framework; each will need to be passed through the proper frameworks.
Another milestone the Mayor cited was the creation of AlamoPROMISE.
“We launched the AlamoPROMISE program,” Mayor Nirenberg said. “As a community we can ensure that every Bexar County high school graduate is able to access post secondary higher education regardless of the circumstances from which they came.”
The Mayor also noted the passage of the homestead tax exemption, and lauded the passage of a comprehensive plan meant to prevent domestic violence.
Heading into 2020, the Mayor hopes San Antonio will work together to continue forming building blocks toward a brighter future.
“I’m really looking forward to invigorating an era of mobility in San Antonio,” Mayor Nirenberg said. “Not just physical mobility — transportation — but its also socioeconomic mobility. Of course we have work underway for the multimodal transportation that, hopefully, voters will approve; but we know transportation is a link to breaking the cycle of poverty - making sure people have a way to get to school, get to work on time.
He also asked San Antonians to prepare for the 2020 Census process - a major priority for the coming year.