In a move aimed at tidying up municipal government, the San Antonio City Council is set to vote on a new code of conduct following a trifecta of censures against council members for various misconducts including drunk driving and an ugly confrontation following a love affair gone sour. In the past 14 months, the council has publicly reprimanded three of its own, sparking controversy and claims of arbitrary discipline.
According to the San Antonio Report, the newly proposed code spans four pages and enumerates "City Council’s values" in their interactions with one another, staffers, and the public. In an attempt to formalize and make consistent the expectations of the council member's conduct, the document includes stipulations ranging from the use of proper language to the disclosure of intimate relationships with city or council staff.
The council's crackdown on behavior coincides with the recent booting of Councilman Mario Bravo by voters in favor of Sukh Kaur, who will take up the mantle for District 1. Bravo, hit with a no-confidence vote and a censure last November, attributed his loss to these actions, admitting, "I think it had everything to do with it," he told the San Antonio Report.
Amidst the recent ethical turbulence, Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, a notable advocate for the code of conduct, expressed shock in an interview at the lack of decorum among the council members, which she witnessed firsthand. "I asked if there was a code of conduct because I’ll be honest with you, I just couldn’t believe some of the things that were coming out of council members that I thought was just so disrespectful towards one another," Rocha Garcia said.
Bravo's seat loss to Kaur is a tangible sign of voter sentiment, with Kaur seizing a commanding 59% of the vote in District 1. Marina Alderete Gavito also emerged victorious in the District 7 runoff, securing 62% and poised to replace Bravo as the less progressive shift on the council begins to take shape. With Kaur's historic win as the first person of South Asian descent elected to the San Antonio City Council, City Hall is bracing for a power shift with a female majority of 6-5 forecasted.
