In San Antonio, a cash deluge from the business-backed PAC Renew SA has underscored the financial imbalance playing out over the city's charter amendments, specifically surrounding Proposition C. According to KSAT, Renew SA has outspent the local firefighter union, the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association, by a factor of more than two to one, pouring close to $424,000 into the fight over the city manager's tenure and salary caps through Saturday.
Raising more than $544,000 to date, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News, major San Antonio businesses have signified their interest in reshaping the city's charter. In contrast, the Vote Against Prop C PAC, funded by the firefighters' union, reported expenses nearing $167,000. Despite being outspent, the firefighters have not been outmatched in this financial tug-of-war, with their standing PAC sitting on close to a million dollars before the current campaign began.
On the ground, the yellow-shirted, sign-toting firefighters have become a common sight at polling stations. Their efforts leverage the goodwill they enjoy as community protectors, possibly influencing voters like Joseph Almeter, who, after voting "no" on all six propositions, told KSAT, "I have only seen, I think, the fire department speak against it. So I kind of took that as a clue."
However, Renew SA’s aggressive campaign has not clarified the propositions for all voters. Citizens like Hector Romero encountered the propositions at the end of his ballot unexpectedly and chose not to vote on them due to a lack of understanding, as he indicated to KSAT. The PAC has been methodically investing in direct mail advertising and consulting to raise awareness and support for the amendments.
Business leaders have funneled their contributions through Renew SA, with significant donations from USAA, HEB, Frost Bank, Valero, the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and Silver Ventures Chairman Kit Goldsbury, each writing $50,000 checks. Even the former city manager Sheryl Sculley, who sat at the center of the 2018 charter amendment initiative with her $475,000 base salary, threw in $1,000, according to records mentioned by the San Antonio Express-News. The intense fundraising efforts by Renew SA aim at passing not just Proposition C but all six charter amendments proposed in the November 5 ballot.
In response to the hefty financial backing of the opposition, Joe Jones, president of the San Antonio Professional Firefighters Association, expressed his concern to the San Antonio Express-News, saying, "I think it's unfortunate they (Renew SA) could potentially just buy it since they’re throwing so much money at it." Jones emphasized the union's goals to educate the public to ensure voters are not being swayed simply by the financial weight of the campaign in favor of the charter amendments.
