The art of budgeting. The City’s Department of Arts & Culture has identified an opportunity for public art in District 2. This public art initiative will be located at the Greater Love Multi-Generational Cultural Community Center. Input is sought to help determine what kind of public art community members would like to see at this Eastside location. Photo: City of San Antonio.

The art of budgeting. The City’s Department of Arts & Culture has identified an opportunity for public art in District 2. This public art initiative will be located at the Greater Love Multi-Generational Cultural Community Center. Input is sought to help determine what kind of public art community members would like to see at this Eastside location. Photo: City of San Antonio.

By Jade Esteban Estrada, Staff Writer | San Antonio Sentinel

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

  • The City of San Antonio’s 7th annual SASpeakUp on the 2022 budget survey has been extended through July 23
  • Residents can share their input on priorities related to City services and on restoring programming from budget cuts made in FY 2020 and FY 2021

The City of San Antonio’s 7th annual SASpeakUp on the 2022 budget survey has been extended through July 23, 2021. More than 9,000 residents have taken the budget survey. Residents can share their input on priorities related to City services and on restoring programming from budget cuts made in FY 2020 and FY 2021. 

As the City begins to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, City leaders are carefully approaching the budget to provide both critical services to residents and prioritize needs. Feedback collected from the survey will help the mayor and city council understand and priorities needs for the entire community. 

“This year’s budget process will be challenging with budget constraints and more needs in our community due to the pandemic,” said City Manager Erik Walsh in a press release on Friday. “The key to crafting and balancing the budget is to understand what our community’s needs and priorities are. This extended timeline will allow City staff to deploy a grassroots approach to reach residents who may be impacted by the digital divide or rely on fact-to-face interaction to share their input with us.” 

City residents can take the survey on www.saspeakup.com or by texting SASPEAKUP to 55000 to take the survey on their mobile devices. It is available in English and Spanish. 

The city manager will propose a budget on August 12. Following the presentation, the City will host a series of community meetings with the council to gather additional community input in August and September. The city council will then adopt the Fiscal Year 2022 Budget on September 15, 2021. 

Residents can stay updated by visiting www.saspeakup.com for upcoming dates and times or to opt in to receive SA Speak Up updates by texting SASPEAKUP to 55000. 

“This budget belongs to our residents, and we want to hear from everyone,” said Walsh. “Please speak up, San Antonio, and share your ideas.” 


Jade Esteban Estrada is a staff writer for the San Antonio Sentinel, where he covers public health and other citywide issues. jade@sasentinel.com | Twitter: @getjaded