San Antonio Weighs $208 Million Stormwater Bond and Fee Increase

San Antonio's 2027 bond package, approved by council in October, includes $442 million for citywide infrastructure and $208 million for a stormwater revenue bond. Unlike the infrastructure and housing bond propositions slated for a May ballot, the stormwater bond does not need voter approval. Council sets it under state law, alongside any increase in the stormwater utility fee that property owners pay through their SAWS water bills, with a final project list expected in January.

This is the first standalone stormwater bond in about two decades, after the city's last such debt was issued in 2003 and 2005. Public Works Director Art Reinhardt said the city is facing a budget crisis, and without this approach, drainage would compete with streets and parks for limited general obligation funds.

The proposed fee path would raise rates by 5% in 2028 and 2029, 3.5% in 2030 and 2031, and 3% in 2032. The average residential customer would pay about $4.94 a month in the first year, roughly 25 cents more than today. Utility fee revenue, now about $57 million a year, can only fund stormwater work. The city's 20 proposed projects were ranked by the new Storm Water Management Advisory Board, with costs ranging from $26.2 million in District 1 to $1 million in District 9.

For developers and property owners, the practical implication is that drainage costs and flood-mitigation priorities in San Antonio may shift upward over the next several years.