“Everyone in our community who values safe neighborhoods is grateful that the City Council today approved a City Budget that rejects those who have been calling to ‘defund police.’ While I’m thankful to our Council Members, and look forward to working with them on ways to continue to improve public safety in our city, we should all be aware that, at this very moment, there are radical groups out there working to collect signatures for a ballot initiative to strip away important police officer employment rights. Having lost the fight on the city budget, these groups are now gearing up for a larger battle – to repeal our civil service and collective bargaining rights. The City Council, and the people of San Antonio, should make no mistake: this ‘repeal’ movement is just one more way to ‘defund police!’”