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May 11, 2009 · Julian Castro enjoyed a wide margin of support on election night, but amidst the celebration, the mayor-elect of San Antonio was also thinking about the challenges he will face.
As early voting numbers were reported Saturday evening – the celebration began at Castro campaign headquarters. The 34-year-old former councilman handily defeated his opponents with 56 percent of the vote. As he emerged to greet a throng of supporters, Castro was already contemplating the course of his administration during its first weeks. With the news that Minneapolis based Medtronic will bring more than 1000 jobs to San Antonio, Castro says building the local economy tops his list.
“The number one priority is to take the momentum that San Antonio is getting from the investment that Medtronic is making here and keep going – refine our economic development model to continue to attract jobs and grow jobs in San Antonio,” said Castro.
The mayor-elect faces strapped city coffers and will have to find create ways to keep the government running.
“We have a challenging budget this year – we’re looking at an 11 million dollar shortfall – so we’re going to have to make important decisions about how to get that into line – to make sure that I establish good relationships with the new city council and that with the city manager we build consensus on the big issues for San Antonio,” said Castro.
Castro will follow one of the city’s most popular mayors in the modern era. Phil Hardberger leaves office with a high approval rating. The mayor-elect will be working hard and fast to show the people of San Antonio that he can live up to the Hardberger legacy.
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