San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks during a town hall at the Central Library.
San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks during a town hall at the Central Library. Credit: Michael Karlis

The San Antonio Botanical Garden is pushing back at Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones’ proposal to end public subsidies to the nonprofit as the city looks to rein in a looming $158 million budget deficit.

During a meeting last week, Jones said she wants to drop the city’s subsidy to the garden from $1.2 million annually to “zero” — a move officials with the research and conservation facility said would hinder its ability to sustain itself and limit low-income residents’ ability to visit.

“City funding is what helps make our efforts possible,” Botanical Garden President and CEO Katherine Trumble said in a two-page letter disputing claims by the mayor. “A drastic reduction in that investment not only puts at risk annual programming, but community accessibility initiatives that serve those who depend on them the most.”

In a Thursday statement to the Current, Jones’ office doubled down on her proposal, saying she’s “laser-focused” on closing the city’s budget deficit and protecting city services without raising property taxes.

“So, yes, that may mean city taxpayers will no longer subsidize the operating costs of private entities like Fiesta organizations and the Botanical Garden,” Jones’ spokesperson said in the statement.

The mayor’s office didn’t respond to questions about whether she has ever visited the Botanical Garden, which won the prestigious Pollinator Garden of the Year award this year.

Jones has argued that nonprofits charging for entry and receiving ticketed revenue shouldn’t be entitled to public subsidies, because they already generate sufficient revenue

However, in their rebuttal letter, Botanical Garden officials dispute that claim.

“Last year, the SABG welcomed 430,000 visitors, but ticketed revenue alone cannot sustain the year-round programs that support education and public access,” officials wrote.

If city subsidies evaporate, the Botanical Garden may need to pull the plug on its ‘Garden for All’ initiative, officials added. That program removes financial, physical, transportation and social barriers for guests, according to the visitor destination.

Since “Garden for All” was initiated, the site has been able to cut admission prices, triple student attendance and offer free passes to groups such as students enrolled in PreKforSA — a program Jones identified as a key priority when she took office.

“The impact is real, it’s immeasurable, and it speaks for itself,” Botanical Garden officials said of the proposed subsidy cut.

The Botanical Garden isn’t the only local institution Jones has suggested going after with a weed whacker. The mayor has also suggested defunding the San Antonio Book Festival and certain Fiesta activities to help the city overcome its budget problems.

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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,...