Courtesy Photo / John Atwood
John Atwood is a tax attorney, small-business owner and business professor at Herzing University.
A tax attorney, small business owner and business professor at Herzing University online, Atwood told the Current his campaign will focus on correcting the city's looming budget deficit, fighting crime and fiscal responsibility.
"Our city is on pace for a multi-million dollar deficit, crime is on the rise and our taxpayers cannot afford higher taxes," Atwood said. "We must balance our budget to resolve these issues that are important to the city."
Indeed, San Antonio is facing a $36.6 million budget deficit over the next three years due to lower-than-expected tax revenue, according to KSAT. Although discussing spending cuts, council is expected to push forward with the city's proposed $4 billion budget this month — the largest in history.
What's more, council is weighing a proposal building a new $160 million downtown baseball stadium, and plans for a $1 billion Spurs arena at Hemisfair is also reportedly the works.
Atwood said reckless spending by the city is among his biggest concerns.
"I've reviewed financial statements time and time again of large businesses, small businesses, corporations, and typically the deficit is due to money not being handled properly," Atwood said. "So, I think we need the experience in the mayor's office to deal with this issue, because if we have a deficit, we're going to have a hard time fixing the issues that our city is facing."
Atwood also said fixing the city's dysfunctional Animal Care Services department will be among his priorities.
For those who have lost count, other candidates also vying to replace termed-out Mayor Ron Nirenberg include District 9 Councilman John Courage, District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez, District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia, tech entrepreneur Beto Altamirano and real-estate developer Robert Melvin.
District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda also is reportedly mulling a run.
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