‘It has been an honor’: San Antonio Councilwoman Ana Sandoval steps down, leaving seat open until March
District 7 Councilperson Ana Sandoval speaks as City Council meets to discuss and vote on the city's new annual budget, totaling $3.4 billion, on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. The main highlights included city property tax relief; large wage increases for city employees to stem the tide of people leaving and fill vacancies; police resources; and what to do with an extra $50 to $75 million in revenue the city takes from CPS Energy.
District 7 City Councilwoman Ana Sandoval wiped tears from her eyes as she said goodbye to staff, fellow council members and her constituents early Thursday afternoon. “The past five-and-a-half years have been as rewarding as they have been challenging,” Sandoval said. “No job has been as tough or as meaningful to me as this one. It has been an honor to serve on this council alongside you, council members, and many other talented council members who have moved on.” The council accepted Sandoval’s resignation Thursday and initiated procedures to select a replacement council member. But District 7 residents will have to wait until March 2 for representation after Sandoval steps down Sunday.With District 7 Councilwoman Ana Sandoval stepping down early, potential candidates are lining up Applications for the soon-to-be vacant seat will open on Monday, Feb. 13, and run through Friday, Feb. 24. After the applications are in, City Council will select up to three people at their March 1 meeting to be interviewed on March 2. The council will vote on a candidate, who will be sworn in and take office at the same meeting if they receive eight votes in their favor. The candidate will be sworn in 10 days later if they do not receive eight votes.“My hope has always been that the vacancy be filled as quickly as possible,” Sandoval said in a texted statement, “but ultimately the decision lies with the Mayor and other members of the City Council.” But even in the absence of a councilperson, staff members in the District 7 office will continue to work and respond to constituent concerns. It appears that officials are doing all they can to keep the filing period for the interim appointment and the May 6 election separate, possibly to prevent having a temporary appointee who would run for the seat’s full term. Because of the filing period for the May 6 election, the ordinance states, “the process for selecting the temporary Councilmember must be delayed.” The ordinance also states that no person filing for District 7 in the upcoming general election will be considered for the temporary replacement to avoid “any influence on the selection of the new District 7 Councilmember.” Several council members have said that the interim appointee should not be someone running for the May election because it could give them an unfair advantage or appear as if the council is trying to tip the scales.Interest in the seat Civil rights activist Rosie Castro already announced plans to apply for the interim role. Castro, 75, has lived in District 7 for more than 30 years. She is a board member for the Mexican American Civil Rights Institute and Texas Organizing Project, a liberal community-activist group. Castro does not have plans to run for the May 6 seat, and Sandoval quickly endorsed the mother of twin brothers U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro and former Mayor Julián Castro as the temporary representative. Dan Rossiter, an assistant program manager at Southwest Research Institute, is running for Sandoval’s seat in May and had wanted to serve in the interim position as well before the Council voted to prohibit people who are running in May from being in the interim seat. While Rossiter said he appreciates the Council’s desire to avoid undue influence on the full election, he feels that their approach “removes multiple qualified candidates from consideration.” “I believe District 7 residents would be best served by a process that is open to all and that selects the applicant best suited to serve in this capacity,” Rossiter said. “Removing most of the field of potential applicants based on considerations other than ability is unfortunate, in my opinion.” Marina Alderete Gavito is also running for the District 7 seat but does not plan to seek the interim appointment. Gavito is executive director of SA Digital Connects, a nonprofit looking to expand internet access in San Antonio’s lower-income neighborhoods. The interim appointment would be the council’s second since early December, when they picked former Councilman Mike Gallagher to fill in for Clayton Perry in District 10. Perry, 67, is accused of drunken driving and speeding away from the scene of a car crash he allegedly caused on the night of Nov. 6.Family first Sandoval, 47, announced last week that she will leave her seat to start a new job at University Health, working on health equity issues in the Bexar County-owned health care system’s research division. Her last day as a council member is Jan. 29, and she’ll start work with University Health the next day. Sandoval’s decision comes after the November 2021 death of her father and the birth of her first daughter, who is now 7 months old. Sandoval said her father’s death means that she is playing a more active role in her mother’s life. “I want to be able to provide for both of them and to be there for both of them, and that’s my priority,” Sandoval said last week. “That’s something I don’t feel I can do well while being a council member, so I have to choose between the two, and that’s what I’m choosing.”
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