San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones during a town hall meeting earlier this week. Credit: Michael Karlis

San Antonio City Council voted 9-2 Thursday to postpone a discussion of a proposal by Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones aimed to boosting local voter turnout.

Council was initially set to approve Jones’ request to form the Mayor’s Commission on Voting without discussion as part of the consent agenda. However, that derailed after District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur pulled the item for discussion.

Jones first floated the idea of creating the commission during a Feb. 27 press conference — the same day council cast its historic vote to censure the mayor over what members allege was a profanity-filled tantrum she delivered against Kaur.

Under Jones’ proposal, a 13-member panel would submit a report to the City Council by July 4 with recommendations on how to improve the Alamo City’s lackluster voter turnout. Turnout in local elections here routinely falls well below 20%. Only 17% voted in last year’s mayoral runoff, for example.

The commission — which would include three members appointed by the mayor — would continue to meet biannually to review and adjust its recommendations, according to Jones’ vision.

While a panel created to boost voter participation seems relatively controversy-free, District 2 Councilman Jalen McKee-Rodriguez was the only member of the dais during Thursday’s meeting who voted to move ahead with the proposal.

Other members expressed skepticism.

District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte dismissed the commission as unnecessary.

“Getting more people to vote in San Antonio is extremely important. I’m all for it,” Whyte said. However, “I also absolutely hate boards and commissions that are either redundant or don’t really serve a relevant purpose anymore.”

Meanwhile, District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran said the commission, as proposed, is too vague. She said she needs more information on how members are appointed and a better timeframe for the program.

Council will next hear a briefing on the proposed commission in April or May, assuming Jones still wants to entertain the idea and is willing to provide a more fleshed-out plan.

Council’s decision to circle back on Jones’ commission is the latest setback for the mayor, who’s spent considerable time butting heads with others on the dais. Jones’ primary legislative win during her first 10 months in office was a narrow 6-5 victory on moving municipal elections to November during odd years.

Sign Up for SA Current newsletters.

Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | Or sign up for our RSS Feed

​

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,...