Misty Spears will serve until 2029, and is expected to be a more conservative member on a progressive-leaning City Council body.
SAN ANTONIO — When newly elected San Antonio City Councilwoman Misty Spears underscored the importance of funding infrastructural upkeep at a budget planning session in late June, she wasn’t doing so in a vacuum.
Just two weeks prior, flash floods took the lives of 13 residents—mostly on the northeast side, not far from the boundaries of District 9, which Spears now represents. Her proclamation at the council meeting that the city “cannot wait for bonds” highlighted how infrastructure isn’t just about fixing annoying pot holes; as the June 12 floods showed, it can be a life-or-death issue.
Infrastructure was one of the top priorities Spears campaigned on this spring when she advanced to the June runoff and beat Angi Taylor Aramburu to succeed John Courage in District 9 (Courage mounted an unsuccessful bid for mayor). Spears collected 56.7% of the vote to win public office for the first time.
Speaking with KENS 5 on the eve of budget season reaching full throttle, Spears said she was still processing the victory but is eager to get to work on the priorities she championed during her campaign—beginning with what she calls a “back to basics” philosophy of city governance.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Spears said. “We’re still absorbing the win. The people voted, and they spoke loudly for what they want for District 9. I’m honored to represent everyone.”
Spears, who moved to District 9 in north San Antonio with her family in 1990 when she was about 10 years old, considers herself a lifelong resident. Raised in the Encino Park area, she’s witnessed the area transform from rural farmland to a hub of thriving neighborhoods.
“When we moved here, it was a two-lane road out to my part of District 9. We didn’t have an H-E-B nearby,” she said. “Stone Oak was still building out, and now they’re pretty well built-out. There’s a real sense of appreciation for everything that we have in District 9.”
Prior to her election, Spears most recently worked under Bexar County Commissioner Grant Moody as constituent services director, giving her a front-row seat to the daily concerns of residents in his precinct, which includes District 9.
“My husband did a lot of municipal law representing different governmental entities, so I did have a lot of background with local government,” Spears said. “But when I went to work with Commissioner Moody is when I was talking directly with our constituents all over Precinct 3… I feel uniquely prepared to address all those needs and concerns, especially given I’m from here.”
Budget discipline and ‘core services’
Spears campaigned on a fiscally conservative platform, focusing on smart and accountable spending—a focus given new dimension in a time when San Antonio is trying to realize a multibillion-dollar downtown sports and entertainment district while staring down a potential budget deficit.
“My whole platform has been “about getting” back to basics,” she said. “If we’re focusing on what we’re supposed to be providing as a city for our citizens, then as long as we do those things well, everything else will fall into place.”
Part of the equation, she says, is a commitment to continue backing core city services of police, infrastructure and small business growth.
She also acknowledges the balance between keeping up with San Antonio’s rapid growth and maintaining essential services, advocating for a reallocation of resources where necessary.
“I think we’re gonna have to look at cutting back on the things that are not considered core services so that we meet those basic needs,” she says, while also touting the importance of jumping at the right opportunities for long-term return.
It’s also, in the wake of historic and catastrophic flooding in the Texas Hill Country, about maintaining healthy infrastructure.
“As much as it is about streets and potholes and being able to get around town, it’s also about drainage. These are things we can’t overlook. These are things that are important all over the city.”
Reviewing Project Marvel from all angles
When discussing the city’s dream of a downtown sports district, most of the conversation has been centered around the possibility of a new Spurs arena where the Institute of Texan Cultures used to sit.
On the campaign trail, Spears made sure to note that the arena is just one “anchor project” of the larger initiative—and the others all present opportunities of their own. That includes a proposal to expand the Henry B. González Convention Center.
“There’s pieces to this,” Spears said. “I want to see, where are we missing out on? What opportunities do we have that draws in conversations? Where is it that we need to be looking out for San Antonio to remain such a wonderful place to live?
Balancing faith and governance
A proud woman of faith, Spears said her beliefs guide her approach to leadership while acknowledging the religious diversity of a council district that has mosques, synagogues, the Jewish Community Center and the “two biggest megachurches for non-denominational faith.”
As far as my personal faith, it just guides my decision-making,” she added. “I pray every morning, I pray over our city, all of our citizens. It’s truly important to me and it’s a big part of my life. I think that’s a good way to approach things as well.”
Spears joins District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte as part of a more fiscally conservative bloc on an otherwise progressive council, but she said she’s optimistic about finding common ground.
“Everyone has their heart in the right place and wants to do well for their district,” she said. “What that looks like is maybe different in some ways, but we focus on the areas we have in common. That’s how we move forward as a city.”
She said being conservative means remembering that public funds come from “hard-earned tax dollars,” and making decisions through that mindset.
“I never want to forget that,” Spears added.
‘An important part of San Antonio’
She will serve until 2029, the result of voter-approved City Charter changes impacting the mayor and council members. Spears sees it as an opportunity to be more strategic and less consumed by the demands of constant campaigning.
“This is the position closest to the people, so you need to be accountable,” she said. “We’re going to be able to focus more intensely on some of the things we want to see in our district and really advocate in those areas.”
By the end of her term, Spears hopes residents will feel heard and well-represented—and that other parts of San Antonio will better understand the people of District 9 as a result of her decisions.
“The perception that District 9 is kinda out on its own, that there’s maybe privileges that are afforded to people in District 9, is an inaccuracy to me,” Spears says. “It’s full of hard-working Americans, veterans, people that just are looking for their best life and they found it. I’m proud to be from District 9, and I hope that that shows.”