San Antonio Government – All About San Antonio Government | Blanco Rd CBD Store

San Antonio (“Saint Anthony” in Spanish) is officially the City of San Antonio, the seventh most populous city in the United States, and the second most populous city in both Texas and the Southern United States, with more than 1.5 million people. The town was established in 1718 as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost and in 1731 became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas. The region was still part of the Spanish Empire, and then part of Mexico. It is the oldest municipality in the Country, having celebrated its 300th birthday on May 1, 2018.

The City of San Antonio works under the governing council-manager structure. The town is divided into 10 council districts that are supposed to be of equal population. Through district elects one person to the municipal council, the mayor being elected on a citywide basis. All San Antonio City Council members, including the Mayor, are elected for two-year terms and are limited to four terms (except for those who were in office in November 2008 and are limited to a total of two terms). Houston and Laredo have similar term limits with San Antonio. As provided by Texas law, all positions are elected on nonpartisan ballots. Members of the Council are paid $45,722 and the mayor gets $61,725 a year. 

The council serves primarily as the legislative body of the city, with the city manager serving as its chief executive, responsible for day-to-day operations management, and implementation of council legislation. The town spreads into several congressional districts and is represented in Congress by the State Governor, the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

The San Antonio Foundation for Economic Development works with the City of San Antonio and Bexar County Departments of Economic Development. Through implementing policies, strategic planning, and collaborations with key organizations, each government entity is responsible for economic development activities.

The City of San Antonio’s financial position has been ranked ‘ AAA ‘ by two out of three major rating agencies for its general obligation bonds. The bond rating ‘ AAA ‘ is the highest possible ranking that a city can get.

San Antonio has a diversified economy, with around $96.8 billion in gross domestic product (GDP). It ranks Texas city fourth, and the United States 38th. The economy of San Antonio focuses primarily on military, health care, civil-government services, financial services, oil and gas, and tourism. The city has become a significant location for American-based call centers over the past twenty years and has developed a sizable automotive-centered manufacturing sector.

San Antonio is the gateway to the United States Basic military training for the air forces (AFBMT). The Air Force has only one station at Lackland Air Force Base for enlisted basic training: The 737th Training Unit. At Lackland, all new Air Force recruits undergo the same basic training. More than 35,000 new recruitments move through AFBMT each year. However, METC (Military Education and Training Campus), which provides medical training for the U.S. military at Fort Sam Houston, hosts 30 programs and more than 24,000 students per year. It is the world’s biggest medical education centre.

Annual events such as Fiesta San Antonio (the signature event of the city), Luminaria (a festival of contemporary arts) and Fiesta Noche del Rio add a variety of entertainment options to the area, as well as boosting the economy. The single economic impact of Fiesta San Antonio is $340 million per year. The town also plays host to the SAFILM-San Antonio Film Festival in August each year. Going on its 25th year, the movie celebration is the biggest event in South Texas.