San Antonio Councilmembers Teri Castillo (District 5) and Marc Whyte (District 10) are pushing for greater transparency in taxpayer spending. They submitted a Council Consideration Request (CCR) to create a Spurs Arena Project Accountability Dashboard, giving constituents a clear view of spending and commitments for the new downtown arena.
"The public expects the highest level of transparency when there are nearly a billion of their dollars at stake," Councilmember Castillo stated. According to the City of San Antonio, the dashboard would allow residents to track project progress, finances, construction milestones, and promised community benefits. It would also set a model for transparency in future major projects.
The CCR asks the Governance Committee to direct the City Manager to develop an online tool providing real-time updates on Spurs arena construction and spending. It would allow residents to track the nearly-billion-dollar project’s finances and ensure community commitments are met.
"This dashboard is a transparent, community-centered accountability tool that can set a new standard for how major projects are monitored and reported moving forward," the District 5 councilmember claimed. As reported by the City of San Antonio, the current process concerning the CCR will involve a future deliberation by the Governance Committee, after which further steps will be taken based on their conclusions. In the meantime, citizens can monitor its development through the City’s Council Consideration Requests webpage.
