Leon Valley’s longest serving mayor is staring down a serious challenge, with a three way race for the city’s top job turning into a local referendum on how to handle homelessness and how City Hall spends taxpayer money.
Incumbent Mayor Chris Riley is being challenged by Evan Bohl and Jed Hefner, who have taken aim at the council’s enforcement first approach to homelessness and recent spending decisions, according to the San Antonio Report. The mayoral contest is on the May 2 Bexar County ballot as part of a broader slate of suburban municipal races, per KSAT. Bohl, a familiar name from previous mayoral bids, has used social media to argue that current policies have “wasted millions,” while Hefner has labeled the city’s homeless ordinance too harsh.
Riley first won the mayor’s seat in 2004 and has led the city for more than two decades, according to the City of Leon Valley. Her official biography highlights years of civic involvement and council work, making her a constant presence in the suburb’s political life and a well known figure to regular voters.
Homelessness Policy And Outreach
The council’s 2023 ordinance, which makes it illegal to sleep in a public space, stand in a traffic median or sleep in a vehicle, has become the central flashpoint in the campaign. Critics argue it effectively criminalizes people who are unhoused, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News. At the same time, Leon Valley and Bexar County teamed up with Haven for Hope on a pilot street outreach program aimed at connecting unsheltered residents with services, a KSAT report shows.
Budget, Taxes And Services
Riley has defended budget moves she says are about protecting core emergency services. She backed a 6 cent tax rate increase that the city said paid for three new firefighters, and Leon Valley also adopted a 20 percent homestead exemption in 2023, the San Antonio Report notes. Those choices are now a campaign fault line, with challengers arguing the city could find the money by cutting waste or shifting how existing funds are used.
Who Else Is On The Ballot
City council seats are also on the May 2 ballot. The city’s current roster lists Betty Heyl at Place 2 and Rey Orozco at Place 4, positions that will help shape policy regardless of what happens in the mayor’s race, per the City of Leon Valley. In a small municipality where turnout is typically light, campaign messaging and get out the vote efforts will likely decide whether an enforcement first or outreach forward vision wins out.
The final tally will reveal whether Leon Valley voters stick with continuity under a long serving mayor or opt for a new direction on homelessness and city spending. Results and local reaction will follow once polls close on May 2.
