The San Antonio Botanical Garden says its core mission is on the line after Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones publicly flagged the popular nonprofit as a place the city might stop subsidizing altogether. Garden leaders warn that steep cuts to the city’s annual support would mean staff reductions and scaling back the very programs that make visits more affordable for thousands of local residents.
Ortiz Jones has argued the city should stop subsidizing institutions that charge admission while officials confront a projected $158 million budget shortfall. City staff have proposed trimming the garden’s annual subsidy from $1.2 million to $1 million, but Ortiz Jones told the City Council she wanted to take the funding “to zero” and pressed staff to identify admissions-charging groups for review. As reported by the San Antonio Express-News, the mayor framed the move as part of protecting core city services.
Garden Leaders Say Access Programs Are on the Line
Garden officials say the city’s subsidy helps pay for reduced-cost admissions, school field trips, transportation and free passes that broaden who can visit the 39-acre site. The nonprofit welcomed about 430,000 visitors in 2025 and says it is on track to serve roughly 50,000 people this year through accessibility initiatives, according to Texas Public Radio. The organization also says it operates on an approximately $14 million annual budget, and that admission fees cover only about 20% of operating costs; city support accounts for roughly $1.2 million, the garden told KSAT.
Jobs, School Trips and Free Passes Could All Get Cut
CEO Katherine Trumble has warned that eliminating city support would “absolutely affect our ability to deliver on mission” and said staff reductions could become “a hard reality” if the subsidy disappears. The Botanical Garden employs about 179 people, and officials say that with reduced public funding they would likely have to prioritize maintaining the city-owned grounds over education and access programs, according to KSAT.
Budget Battle Will Decide Garden’s Future With the City
According to the City of San Antonio budget calendar, staff and council members will move a proposed spending plan through work sessions this summer, with final adoption expected in September. The Botanical Garden has ramped up public outreach and media efforts in the wake of the mayor’s comments, hiring outside communications help to spotlight its “Garden for All” programs that lower barriers for low-income visitors, the San Antonio Express-News reported. The next several weeks of hearings and public comment will determine whether the garden keeps any city subsidy or is forced to lean more heavily on donors and ticketed events to keep its access programs alive.
