Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks to reporters during a press conference. Credit: Michael Karlis

After a torrent of bad press, Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has turned to a San Antonio realtor known for making social media videos to help with damage control and bolster her public image.

Realtor MarkAnthony Ball revealed Monday on LinkedIn that he’s joining Jones’ communications team. Although he didn’t mention his specific role, Ball said his job will focus on “how the Mayor’s office communicates — with residents, with partners, and with the broader public.”

“Stepping into this role feels less like a pivot and more like a convergence of everything I’ve been building toward,” Ball, a U.S. Army veteran, wrote on LinkedIn.

Ball’s post doesn’t explicitly mention prior experience in local government or corporate communications. However, he does have 10,000 followers on Instagram and nearly 5,000 on TikTok.

The realtor’s hiring comes as Jones’ office has been wracked by controversies and political dustups in recent weeks.

Last month, both the mayor’s chief of staff and deputy chief of staff resigned within a week of one another, bringing the total number of aides who have left positions in the office since Jones was elected last summer to seven.

Jones also stunned observers by launching what some described as a politically motivated attack against District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito’s chief of staff, accusing him of leaking information about the mayor’s security detail to the press.

The attorney representing Gavito’s chief of staff described Jones’ assault as “character assassination,” while Alderete Gavito herself called on the mayor to stop “manufacturing conflicts that serve no public purpose.”

Last week brought fresh controversy after cameras captured Jones attending Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Finals after her interim chief of staff, Andrew Fuentes, said the mayor had declined an offer for free Spurs tickets.

Jones’ office still hasn’t disclosed how Jones obtained the tickets.

The mayor also faces an uphill battle in convincing her council colleagues to support a San Antonio Water System rate hike.

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Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...