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The Source: A Looming Budget Battle | The Legacy Of Bill Sinkin

City of San Antonio

In the first segment:

A budget and contract battle looms as the city task force in charge of evaluating future finances takes a hard look at the pension and health benefits of city fire and police forces. The task force finished its work yesterday and is scheduled to be presented to council on February 19.

The terms of these benefits, which are far more generous than other municipal workers, were agreed to more than 20 years ago.

Projections are showing that the entire general fund would be taken over by payouts of this kind by 2031 according to the city manager’s office. The Express-News reports that the task force is expected to recommend big changes to how the numbers are made to work, with fire and police employees expected to contribute more.

We'll talk about the task force, what could be coming and how we got here.

Express-News reporter Brian Chasnoff has written several columns on the task force. He informs us on how the sometimes-contentious body concluded.

Also joining us is Lou Fox, former city manager of San Antonio, who tells us how San Antonio came to these agreements with police and fire employees.

In the second segment:

140204-source-bill-sinkin.mp3

William Sinkin -- civic leader, entrepreneur, a worker for social justice, and a solar energy advocate -- died yesterday at the age of 100.

Sinkin was largely credited with bringing the World's Fair to San Antonio in 1968. He was an advocate for integration, employing African Americans in his banks, and more recently he founded Solar San Antonio, a nonprofit advocacy organization -- he was also honored by having two solar farms named after him by CPS Energy.

We tell stories and celebrate the legacy of a giant here in San Antonio with his son, Lanny Sinkin, who is executive director of Solar San Antonio. Rick Casey, host of Texas Week on KLRN and columnist for the Houston Chronicle, also joins us. 

*The Source airs at 3 p.m. on KSTX 89.1 FM -- audio from this show will be posted by 5:30 p.m.

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Paul Flahive can be reached at Paul@tpr.org