On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho.

San Antonio is a fast growing, fast moving city with something new happening every day.

That's why each week we go on the record with Randy Beamer and the newsmakers who are driving this change.

Then we gather at the reporters roundtable to talk about the latest news stories with the journalist behind those stories.

Join us now as we go on the record with Randy Beamer.

Hi, everybody, and thank you for joining us for On the Record this week, I'm Randy Beamer.

And in this fiesta week of partying, we have a special show because a man who may be partying right now, who is on his way out the door as mayor, is long time Mayor Ron Nirenberg, wrapping up eight years as mayor for years as a city councilman before that.

Thank you very much for coming in.

Thanks for having me.

Ready and I'd like to start with something a little different than some of the other interviews that we've seen talking about what's going to happen next in the mayor's race, because of 27 candidates.

We could it's a crapshoot who will make the runoff.

I will ask you who you think should win and could win, but, first of all, do you worry that a brand new city council, largely new city council and a new mayor, whoever that is, will either undo or not follow the projects that, as you say, our works in progress.

Yeah, I think that's a little bit of a concern.

So, you know, to answer your first question about who should win.

I believe it's should be somebody who's listening to the community.

And if you listen to the community, the things that are in place right now with respect to investments in housing and transportation, workforce development, all of these things have been voter initiated, voter approved programs that are really changing the foundation of our economy in our city for the long term in a positive way.

And so the person who should become the next mayor should be, committed to continuing forward that vision from the community and accelerating and doubling down on it.

You're not making an endorsement yet in the mayor's race.

You have in some of the council races.

Will you make an endorsement at the runoff time?

To be seen.

You know, I think that obviously, I'm invested in the work of the city.

I'm a concerned citizen, and so I want to make sure that the right outcome happens for our city.

So if there's a clear, choice there, I may I may make an endorsement, but, Not sure yet.

We have to wait for, May 3rd to happen, and let's see how it shakes out.

I am a little concerned.

The turnout is is way down.

Obviously.

We need to we it's going to be on the battle of or.

No, Fiesta Flambeau Day.

Yeah.

I think there'll be a lot of analysis of why turnout is down.

It goes well beyond Fiesta.

But, you know, needless to say, we need people to show up and vote.

We need them to make their voices heard.

Because the future of San Antonio is not something we can take for granted.

You mentioned in that first answer there about some of the things that were voter initiated.

But those are your priorities as well.

Infrastructure.

Absolutely.

And, public education, you didn't mention job training, but obviously that's one of yours as well.

What are the the big successes that you count as part of your legacy here?

You know, San Antonio is a city of teamwork.

I think about the 2014 Spurs and how they were always counted out, but they won the championship in and and remarkable fashion, really by being the perfect exhibition of teamwork.

That's how San Antonio succeeds.

And what my, what I would consider the greatest achievement over the last ten, eight, ten years has been we have aligned sectors and jurisdictions and the community around these really important pillars of economic prosperity in our city workforce development and education, from Alamo Promise to pre-K to the Ready to Work program, which is bringing in adult workers back into the workforce.

Alamo promise the ACD.

That's right.

Providing college education for any Bexar County high school graduate, regardless of circumstance and finance transportation form, making sure that people have alternatives to move around the city, to work, to school, to recreation, whatever.

In a city that is sprawling and has previously required you to own them.

Automobile.

Thirdly, and probably at the very foundation is housing, people need access to affordable, safe housing in all corners of the city, and we are dedicated doing that.

We are now in year four of a strategic housing implementation implementation plan.

All of these are pillars to an approach that has required systems change and has been aligned on ensuring people have an opportunity to thrive in the city.

It's also, by the way, the key to ensuring that we attract businesses to relocate and to grow here.

You know, the what we hear from employers constantly is that they need to find they need to make sure that the the talent is available, that they have the workforce of tomorrow.

We want that workforce to come from our own community.

And so education and ensuring that there's available housing for folks, to live, that they can move back and forth from our city without, you know, breaking the bank.

All those things are important, and we're moving in the right direction.

Job training is one of those places that they're one of those things that you have been criticized for, or at least the program has been criticized as not going nearly as well as you had hoped at the beginning.

Well, yeah.

And so let me just state ready.

The Ready to Work program is the single largest investment workforce development at the local level in our nation's history.

If there was a city that needed it, it's San Antonio.

We need to bring people who are underemployed, who are unemployed back into the workforce.

That is painstaking work.

Life presents barriers to people, and it prevents them from getting the skills and education that they need to obtain jobs that are, and largely that are largely unfilled in our community.

We are doing that.

We're doing that at scale.

We're doing that thousands upon thousands.

We've had almost 11,000 people enroll in this program already.

3000 have completed and 2000 of those are placed in jobs.

It takes an average of 35 days for someone to graduate and ultimately be placed into a job.

Several thousand, you know, that's but a fraction of what we had hoped or, well, you'd hope for the beginning.

So what I would say to that is the initial numbers that came out.

This was four and a half years ago, were based on how much money was available to train folks.

And we at the time, the thought was, well, we have this corpus of money will be able to train these these many folks as soon as we bring the money in, will train them.

It doesn't work that fast.

And that's part of what the life experience is.

But we are going to reach our goals.

In fact, we're on track now.

Our goal is to reach 28,000 folks.

We are well on our way.

As I mentioned, we've already had, almost 11,000, 12,000 people enroll in the program.

So the challenge is this Randy, if we are focused purely on numbers, we're missing the point.

This is about changing people's lives and ending cycles of poverty.

It doesn't happen overnight.

These are individuals who are going from a life in which they are requiring 2 or 3 jobs just to make ends meet, their children suffer and are more likely to be in their own cycles of poverty later in life.

Now we are taking folks who on the intake are making $14,000 in their household per year, which is a life of dependance on social programs.

When they leave these programs, they're and they're in a job making $44,000 a year on average with benefits.

That's changing the cycle of poverty, making allowing for someone to thrive and the generational impact that follows that is going to be profound.

And I'll just say this, Randy, it's not 100 people.

It's not 500 people.

It's thousands of people who are now experiencing this.

This is community wide change that's happening, a transformation.

We need to stick with it.

If it was going to be easy, would have already been done.

We're sticking with this.

Is it, what you'd hope to do in 4 or 5 years now will be done in how many years?

The projection is.

So let me also say this.

We, the average cost per participant is around $6,000 a year.

So imagine again the household change that's happening with $6,000 a year.

That is much, much less than than would be required over time to assist that that family with food, with transportation, with housing.

So it is much less expensive than the alternative.

So roughly, we have about $200 million in the corpus.

It'll take about 8 or 9 years based on current projections and speed for us to, spare down that from now.

That's right.

But money does not get spent.

A single dime of this.

Money does not get spent unless someone has actually been through the program.

So this program is one of the smartest investments we can make in a community.

If we are if we are sincere about breaking it down.

Where did it all this money come from?

Bond money mostly.

And will there be any federal, concern about the federal money grants drying up or.

This is not.

This is the beauty of San Antonio.

We have been, resilient and resourceful.

This has been approved by the community, and it's our money locally.

It's not impacted by federal grants.

You know, federal executive orders.

We are working on this program because we have the wherewithal and voters approved, voters approved money to go into job training for their neighbors.

Will there be, a council next, mayor that could say, no, we don't want this.

This is not our priority.

Like the Trump administration changing.

It's not a.

It's already.

Voter approved.

It's not up to the whims of another new round of politicians here.

This is a voter approved program.

It would take voters to undo that program.

But I will tell you that there is not a better purpose in, in our public, resources than to ensure people can thrive, because if they can't, then we see all the other social ills that we are experiencing.

We see people who are desperate, who require social assistance.

We see crime go up, we see poverty.

So those are the things that we're working on.

If we're sincere about addressing those issues, we will work on things like investment in education and in housing and transportation.

That's why I'm so proud of the work San Antonio has done.

Some people might see the other end of the spectrum project Marvel that it is spending to help, business community that the Spurs that they won't get much out of it.

Project marble, if you could explain it and explain the name where it came from, is also about the convention center, the Alamodome, a new convention center, hotel, other improvements downtown.

Do you think that's not getting the attention?

And where do you think project Marvel is kind of under water in the UTSA poll?

You know, it's still a really project.

Marvel is a concept.

It's not a plan yet.

And that's what we have to work on.

And we're working on it with the public.

There's so much speculation.

The thing is, Project Marvel is a collection of projects that we would already be doing.

UTSA is moving downtown.

We're rebuilding the HemisFair, redeveloping HemisFair.

We've got a convention center.

It continues to need and will sustain upgrades.

We've got the Alamo Dome.

There's a lot of things happening in downtown.

Project Marvel is about bringing all that together into a cohesive vision, and then ultimately facing the reality that the Spurs are not going to be at the Frost Bank center forever when they leave.

Where do we want them?

I think downtown San Antonio would be the right spot in that ITC spot.

And, you know, so we're working with the working on this with the community to come up with the right plan.

But of course, with so much speculation and, you know, nerves, there's going to be some concern.

And, I have no doubt, though, that this vision can come to reality.

It should.

It's a big vision, but we have the resources and the wherewithal to do that.

How much of that will be specifically helping the East Side in that area?

Nobody wants the, Frost Bank center to become the Astrodome is sitting there like a big or empty how much would be Willow Springs golf course development?

Retail development, housing?

Yeah, that remains to be seen.

So the East side, planning process, and it's a very public planning process, is being driven by the county, obviously the Frost Bank center.

The future of that will have to be determined.

We already know that the rodeo is you're one of the most successful and long running sporting events in our city.

It will likely grow if there's an opportunity.

But redevelopment of Willow Springs, you know, the opportunity to bring retail and housing to the community, those are things that the community's been asking for for decades, regardless of the Spurs.

And so my expectation is the public is going to really weigh into the East side plan with the county's process, and we're going to be all in city.

County spurs the entire community in on making it a reality because, you know, frankly, the Eastside residents who who were, assumed that, and were told that the Frost Bank center, formerly AT&T, would be, the catalyst for all this.

We're left, with a lot of, unmet expectations.

And we we owe it to our entire community to make sure that this is the right thing for everybody.

Are you going to be part of pushing for that?

I, you know, vocally and out in public before an election in November, as we expect I.

Expect I will be, assuming that the rest of the process plays out prudently with the public input.

And I have no doubt that it will.

So, you know, this, again, is a concept.

It's a big idea.

It's time has come for San Antonio.

And it's about quality of life for all residents.

We have the wherewithal to do it, and I'll be a champion of it.

Assuming everything comes.

Together.

On your first day back in 2017, you went out and fix some potholes.

I guess with a group.

And some people have since then, criticized you with the liberal label, the progressive label, the, going to defund the police side of the spectrum, Which is something that just boggles my mind because that's not anything we ever did in San Antonio, nor would we, these kinds of labels and Partizan politics and rhetoric serve no purpose.

And we define we defy all of those labels here in San Antonio, which is why all of these political types that try to apply these labels scurry for the next thing.

Some would say LGBTQ, amendments, things like that, helping people, with abortions, that that isn't something even the public housing some people have said that's not something that a city should do.

Well, which one do you want to talk about?

So so, you know, number one, everyone in this city deserves to be treated with dignity.

Part of that is making sure that they have their voices heard.

Part of that is treating them with respect enough to, treat their tax dollars with, with, with the proper stewardship that it deserves.

So we're going to do the fundamentals first, which is why we pave potholes and we fix their roads and streets and, and we employ police and fire, and we will continue to do that to adequately protect public safety.

But look, there are other things that happen to this community that are as a result of bad decisions being made elsewhere.

One of the the chief, responsibilities of this of the city over the last five years has been to keep people alive in the midst of a pandemic.

And so as we look at our strategic health plan, ensuring access to, basic preventative health care, vaccinations, you know, emergency health care for folks is has been a challenge because there's so many gaps at the state level.

So when it comes to the Metro health plan, we're going to fund things that, that, provide services to people who need them in our city.

Permanent supportive housing is one of those where people might not even understand what that is and what that should do for at least part of the homeless population.

Yeah.

So you're shifting gears on me, right?

Yeah.

So sorry.

So permanent supportive housing.

It was a gap in our homeless services ecosystem.

And so what we need to understand is that if we're going to address homelessness in our city, we've got to have places for people to go who need rehabilitation, whether that's addiction services, whether that's, mental health services and permanent supportive housing as a safe place where they can stay while they're receiving those services we hadn't done before.

And we're finally building it as a result of public approval.

And I'll just tell you, we now have seen the unsheltered homelessness population in San Antonio dropped by 50% as a result.

So San Antonio's homeless service system is much better than it was.

And it was doing well five, six years ago.

Even though the visibility people still see a lot of homeless people on the streets and, and maybe downtown is more so than in their neighborhoods.

So we have fewer unsheltered homeless than we ever have in San Antonio.

Since we really started the process with Haven for Hope, and there was a sea change there, what people are seeing is a lot more serious challenges with related related to mental health, addiction, etc.

we are working on that.

It requires a community wide effort.

In fact, it requires a whole of government effort.

What I wish, Randy, is that we would stop fighting fake battles at the state legislature and start focusing on core issues, mental health.

But per capita has been defunded over the years in the state legislature.

The state has turned their back on the responsibilities of protecting our communities, and all those issues fall down to the cities, into the local community to deal with them.

San Antonio has been resourceful and has actually made a difference.

I mentioned the unsheltered rate, but we need some help.

And, you know, we're going to do everything we can.

But the headwinds from the state and at the federal level at this point are our greatest.

Challenge bringing up the state and the federal money we have lost something like 300 million in this area, as I understand it.

Tell us about the battles with the state, the Death Star bill.

In the past, legislature.

And there's another one in the works that would, would, make it tougher to issue bonds.

Right.

Well, big city, this is really an issue.

It's not so much Partizan, Democrat, Republican.

It is urban, rural.

And so the state legislature, for the last several sessions has tried to dictate policy to urban communities through a rural lens.

And we've had legislators far removed from urban communities like San Antonio create legislation that effectively nullifies our home rule authority.

That was the Death Star bill.

There's a similar one on the finance side this year that would essentially, prevent us from being able to do capital improvement projects for the next ten years because we rely on voter approved bonds to do those projects.

So, you know, there's a lot of challenges with state, I would say, misapplied attention.

We we know what their main responsibilities are.

Their responsibilities are for the education system, which they have systematically defunded.

Their responsibility are for the health care system of this community, of the state, which they have systematically, defunded.

They are requiring their, emergency management is important.

We have communities who are still waiting for their checks from Hurricane Harvey.

There's a lot of things that they could be doing that they're not doing because they're playing these culture.

It almost sounds like you're a candidate for something, and we'll get to that later.

But what are you going to tell the next mayor about?

To use the words successes, failures?

What kind of, admission would you give to.

Oh, I wish I'd have done this.

I couldn't I did the wrong thing.

You know, so it's hard for me to think about what we could have done.

Because what I focused on doing from day one is to focus is to fortify the fundamentals of this community.

We've talked about, housing, transportation, education.

We have largely done that, and we've done it through a pandemic.

You know, the the things that I wish we could have done differently is not falling into some of the traps of the political rhetoric that we've experienced.

You know, we've been distracted by issues that really had no, no bearing on the future of the city.

You know, the airport concessions issues and things like that take up so much ink in the media and and chips away.

Yeah, that was a needless distraction for the city.

So those things need to be avoided.

Obviously will not be able to avoid all of them.

But I'm very proud of the city, Randi, for being able to navigate through some of the most challenging times in our lifetime, from, you know, pandemic to winter storms that knocked out the entire state of Texas to, you know, a racial reckoning that we really needed to address.

How about immigration?

Did all of the immigration, immigrants coming in first by the busloads overnight?

Did that distract you from doing other things?

I know you said you were focused on immigration and New Wave, and then you're coming in.

Not at all, really.

And I would count that as one of the things I'm proud of, that this city stayed true to its values.

Number one, the Migrant Resource Center, I have to point out, is not a result of, things that we weren't doing right in the city of San Antonio, federal law that has not been changed in immigration.

The ones that Trump and his ilk don't want to touch are the reasons why people come to, you know, cross the border and are given legal status in limbo.

They are here legally by laws that Trump refuses to change.

So that's fact number one.

But I'm very proud of how San Antonio and other communities responded.

We stayed true to our values.

We're going to protect public safety.

Number one, we're going to maintain an orderly process and deal with some of the chaos that comes with lots of people coming at the same time.

And we never we never wavered on our commitment to treat people with dignity and respect.

When you said Trump and his ilk, that brings up, maybe a candidacy for a federal office.

Now there has been, even when City Council Nancy Pelosi was quoted, as you wish you would punch back more than me.

You bring great arguments to a knife fight.

I read an interview you described as, moderate, low, tone, measured, rhythmic kind of thing.

If you run for something else, in this attention, you know, information age.

And it would also be Partizan.

Is it going to help that it's 2026?

And do you do you plan to do that?

Well, so first I am going to focus on finishing the job ready.

And this does require total attention, the job of mayor.

And my hope is that I will leave it to the next mayor with lots of momentum and in a good position to continue the success of the city as it relates to the positions I've taken and to the, you know, debates I've gotten in.

You know, one of the challenges of our political system is that, our civic discourse is in the gutter, and we do nothing to educate our communities about the real issues that are at hand.

I'm going to continue to be myself.

I'm not sure what it means in terms of whether I'll be in, politics in the future.

I think you have not heard the last of me.

You've been quoted as saying public service you've fallen in love with have that sounds like politics.

Well, you know, and so we'll figure that out in the future soon.

But, you know, the truth of the matter is I have enjoyed, serving.

It's been a honor to serve because I've been exactly who I am from the very beginning.

You know, honesty and sincerity, I think are are scarce resources in politics.

And if people have enjoyed my leadership, it's because they've gotten exactly who I am.

In the meantime, are you going to write a book?

You're going to get a think tank.

Are you going to be, teacher?

I mean, you would have a year basically less than that for a primary.

Well, I'm thinking through a few things right now, but I have enjoyed an opportunity to serve the city.

And I don't think, you know, again, I'm done with public service, but I'm not sure what that means.

I've also read that you want to on the next day, after a year and not mayor, get on a plane, go to a beach, spend some time with the good books and a glass of wine you heard.

You heard verbatim, accurately what I've done.

Summary.

So that is my one plan is that I am going to get into a meditative space.

Just for a moment.

So some of this adrenaline can wash out of my body.

People might not realize that you have a background in communications, different kinds.

You were a sports intern at channel four when you were at Trinity here.

Remember that?

And then you went on to the Annenberg School of Communication and the Annenberg School of Public Policy or Institute of Public Policy.

I believe.

Yeah.

Which is a little broader, is that when you first got the political idea, or was it because when you got the job at NFL films, or you're offered that job, there was a woman you met?

Yeah.

So yes, I did and perhaps may still want to be in sports journalism.

Who knows?

I still that was my dream job, but I went to the Annenberg School for communication.

I got very involved in just the more human communication side of things.

And I ended up working at the Annenberg Public Policy Center for almost a decade, doing civic engagement work.

That's where I perhaps learned skills in public policy and political communication.

But it wasn't until my son was born that I got a calling, to serve this community and to do what I can to make it better for him and his peers.

That's still what drives me, ultimately.

But politics wasn't something I designed my life to do.

I had no interest in it.

But now that I've had the opportunity to serve, it is something that that I've really found in my heart.

Thanks very much.

Mayor Ron Nurnberg on his way out short time or with the big short time smile.

Appreciate it.

And thank you for joining us for this edition of On the Record.

You can see this show again or any previous shows.

You can download the podcast.

Just go to klrn.org I'm Randy Beamer and we'll see you next time.

Long live public television.

On the record is brought to you by Steve and Adele Dufilho.