San Antonio mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks during a City Hall press conference last month.
San Antonio mayor Gina Ortiz Jones speaks during a City Hall press conference last year. Credit: Michael Karlis

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones.

Five members of City Councilwomen filed a memo Monday calling for the censure of Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones, a move typically reserved for serious misconduct such as DWIs or other criminal charges.

The memo alleges Jones engaged in “repeated instances of unprofessional conduct,” including a reported argument last week with District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur over a vote about whether to close downtown LGBTQ+ nightspot the Bonham Exchange due to a fire code violation.

Jones allegedly yelled and cursed at Kaur when the two stepped away from last Thursday’s council meeting, the Express-News reports, citing three people familiar with the situation. After the confrontation, Kaur was absent from the dais for 90 minutes, during which time she holed up in a meeting room to regain her composure, the daily report, again relying on City Hall sources.

One source reportedly told the Express-News Thursday’s incident was the “last straw” for come council members tired of Jones’ confrontational actions against people who disagree with her.

The memo was submitted by District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran, District 5’s Teri Castillo, District 7’s Marina Alderete Gavito, District 8’s Ivalis Meza Gonzalez and District 9’s Misty Spears — all the women on the dais excluding Kaur and Jones.

“We all experience difficult days, but when a leader repeatedly fails to meet these standards, it is our duty to hold them accountable in order to preserve the integrity and trust of San Antonio’s government and the people we serve,” the memo states.

Even so, the signatories added that none of them questions Jones’ “desire to represent the City well.”

City Council members typically use censure votes to signal disapproval of a colleague’s action without imposing an actual penalty, such as moving for their removal or denial of committee assignments.

Jones said in a statement that it’s “no secret” that she’s disagreed with her colleagues how to best lead the city, but said she felt attempting to censure her was unnecessary.

“My style of leadership is grounded in my lived experience, and that approach does not always align with the traditional templates of female leaders or my colleagues’ views,” Jones said.

Next, an independent investigation will look into Jones’ interactions last week with Kaur, and a censure vote will be held no more than seven-days after the audit’s conclusion.

It’s not the first time Jones has butted heads with her council colleagues.

Since taking office in June, Jones has publicly feuded with council over her attempt to unilaterally change how Council Consideration Requests (CCR’s) are introduced, over her calls for a “strategic pause” on Project Marvel and about appropriate etiquette on the dais.

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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,...