Councilmember Whyte votes in favor of amended SBEDA Ordinance

Published on December 05, 2024

Councilmember Whyte votes in favor of amended Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) Ordinance

SAN ANTONIO (December 05, 2024) – During Thursday’s San Antonio City Council A Session, the City Council voted 7-4 to amend the Small Business Economic Development Advocacy (SBEDA) ordinance.

Councilmember Whyte expressed gratitude and shared key perspectives:

“First, I want to thank City staff and our SBEDA board members, including District 10 representative Roy Schauffele, for their tireless efforts. The ultimate goal of SBEDA is to make itself unnecessary over time. I believe the best way to evaluate the merit of these changes is to gradually scale the program back. Today’s decision should not cause concern. The program has been effective and will continue to promote small businesses. In order for it to continue, the ordinance must comply with the law as we have done with today’s amendments.”

Moving forward, Councilmember Whyte voiced a hope that construction around San Antonio will become more efficient:  “Heading into 2025, the City must continue to keep an eye on which contractors are receiving City work to ensure that the goals of our SBEDA program continue to be met and small businesses benefit.  Additionally, residents and businesses are demanding that city construction projects be completed on time and within budget. Our future analysis of city construction projects should include a review of these metrics, and going forward it should strive to only use contractors that are consistently meeting our expectations in this regard.” 

The City Council plans to review the program's progress in 2025.