Adriana Rocha Garcia: bigcitysmalltown Mayoral Questionnaire
1. What qualifications support your bid for the job as mayor of San Antonio, and how are you reaching registered voters with a history of participating in local elections? (Please cite campaign fundraising, media buys, community events, mailers, etc.)
I have raised $60,000 and have been actively meeting with neighborhoods, attending forums, talking to residents, and hosting events. I will also be utilizing direct mail and digital to hyper targeted areas.
2. What endorsements, if any, have you garnered?
- North Eastern Bexar Democrats
- Communication Workers of America Local 6143
3. What programs and priorities initiated under Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s four terms in office would you continue and/or change? Which ones would you discontinue?
I will continue working and improving our housing stock under the SHIP. I believe in continuing Ready to Work with making adjustments and following the lead of experts like Project Quest. I will also involve my council colleagues more on decisions and lead with collaboration.
4. What are your priorities for the city’s 2027 bond, which will be determined in 2026 by the new mayor and city council members?
5. Do you support the city’s proposed public-private investments in Project Marvel, or do you oppose them? If you support Project Marvel, what do you think is a fair private/public split on building a new Spurs arena in Hemisfair?
I do not support using public dollars on Project Marvel as is.I love the Spurs and believe they unite our city, I also know we need to ensure that residents benefit from Project Marvel. This would mean ensuring residents get an increased access to affordable housing, healthcare, and better jobs.This also means that residents need to have access to better streets, sidewalks and reliable internet access. I also want to ensure the Frost Bank Center is converted to where residents have access to opportunities in education, healthcare and housing. To finance the project we need to work with the County and Spurs ownership needs to pay as well. We need to explore all financing options.
6. What are your economic development and job growth strategies? Since the pandemic, more than 150 corporations have moved their headquarters to Texas, yet San Antonio has not shared significantly in convincing those companies to come here. How can we change that?
We must continue attracting business to the city, invest in our small businesses, and retain and expand our current businesses; all while diversifying our top industries. In order to do this we need to build our workforce by providing access to education and upskilling opportunities. We also need to ensure that we are taking care of our workers, making sure that companies provide fair wages. Through talent pipeline management, we can grow our workforce in a smart and equitable manner.
7. San Antonians worry that as the city grows, it could lose its unique cultural identity, much as Austin has changed due to rising housing and living costs. What will you do to grow the city’s job base while making sure what makes San Antonio special is not lost?
8. San Antonio has faced record heat, extreme drought conditions, and episodes like Winter Storm Uri, yet city leaders have largely failed to implement the 2019 Climate Action & Adaptation Plan. Federal and state political leaders largely ignore climate change and are rapidly defunding renewable energy projects while subsidizing the oil and gas industry. What is your position on this critical issue?
I believe we need to do everything possible to protect our natural resources and ensure that our cities are resilient and our residents are safe from extreme weather. At the same time we need to have a plan that allows for renewable energy and oil and gas and a transition plan as renewable resource technology grows.
9. San Antonio is experiencing worsening traffic congestion and air quality, with rising cases of asthma and other respiratory ailments. How do you plan to improve mobility in the city while balancing affordability and sustainability? What role should alternative transportation options play?
We’re increasing the number of bike lanes available, working with VIA to provide more public transportation options and pushing our public utilities to invest in cleaner, environmentally friendly resources. As the seventh largest, and fastest growing city in the US, we have tremendous opportunity to be a leader in providing our citizens with clean resources and living. We can and will be a model for the rest of the country to follow.
