City Council approved a handful of changes to the city's Municipal Campaign Finance Code, including stripping out a requirement for quarterly campaign filings.Our spring member drive is happening now. Will you help us reach our goal of $50,000 by May 13 so we can reach even more San Antonio readersSan Antonio is gearing up for a high-profile municipal election in 2025, but residents will have less insight into who’s funding local campaigns than they did in previous years.
Council members have long grumbled about the quarterly reporting schedule and did not debate the merits, or the risks, of undoing it.for mayor in January — proposed putting the change into effect even sooner, noting that “most of the council members would not like to do an Oct. 15 report.” “I wanted to keep but I know my colleagues hate it,” said Rocha Garcia, who represents the Southwest Side.
“You can’t email sensitive information, and bank account routing numbers are pretty sensitive, … so we were keeping them in filing cabinets,” she said. Racca-Sittre hoped transitioning to the state’s reporting schedule of two reports in a calendar year, rather than four, would make it easier for the city to purchase a new software system. But she told reporters Thursday that even after the change council members made Thursday, existing systems the city could purchase won’t be compatible with its needs.
The city will likely have to build its own system in-house, she said, and will have to make a sizable budget request in the coming years.One change that generated more discussion from the council was a plan to expand the rules intended to stop donors from influencing who’s awarded city contracts.