More than 800 business leaders filled the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center’s Stars at Night Ballroom on Friday, April 12, to hear the annual United State of the City address given by Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
Similar to the State of the Union address given by the President of the United States every January, the State of the City is the mayor’s chance to enumerate the status of agenda items and hot button issues, and most importantly, explain how the city government plans to address the most pressing concerns of the residents of San Antonio.
The emphasized quality in the title of the event was ‘United’, which served two purposes. Quite literally, the event itself was a united effort from four different organizations: the San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, the San Antonio Hispanic Chamber, the Alamo City Black Chamber, and the Alamo Asian Chamber, who helped plan and coordinate the event. The second meaning reinforces Mayor Nirenberg’s platform of accomplishing goals as a united community and serving the interests of all residents.
“You understand that the way we do business in our city is through partnership and collaboration,” Nirenberg said. “Our city has a unique culture. We work together as one community, one team. We’re not flashy or loud, but quietly focused on real results.”
Mayor Nirenberg delivered his second State of the City address since assuming the office in 2017. He was introduced by former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives Joe Straus, who represented district 121 in northeastern Bexar County from 2005 to 2019.
Drawing inspiration from the Popovich era San Antonio Spurs, Nirenberg organized his address and his agenda’s priorities according to fundamentals—the basis for “building the city you deserve,” he said. These fundamentals include security, public health, energy, affordable housing, transportation, and workforce development.
“In my first term as mayor, we worked together to build a solid foundation,” Nirenberg said. “Over the last two years, we have bolstered our fundamentals. These investments are the foundation of a strong economy and the fuel of our future.”
The 2019 United State of the City was made possible by many sponsors and Chamber members who graciously lent their support and attendance. Southwest Airlines and USAA served as the event’s top gold sponsors.
You can see the Mayor’s United State of the City Address on the Chamber’s Facebook page.
