The Civic Weekly Brief
Fortune 500 shuffles, a data-center rush, an eighth exit from the Mayor's office
What We’re Watching This Week
Texas leads the country in Fortune 500 headquarters. San Antonio just “lost” one. The new Fortune 500 list is out, and Texas now tops every state with 57 headquarters, passing California. It’s a genuine accomplishment for the state—but look at how we got there. The current multi-year story is one of relocations: companies like Tesla, Oracle (and soon-to-be listed SpaceX) and others planting their flags elsewhere in the Texas triangle. None came to San Antonio. Meanwhile we went from three Fortune 500 companies to two. Valero and USAA remain; Rush Enterprises dropped to just outside the top 500. It’s not a perfect measure of prosperity, but it’s worth noting. We’re watching because it’s the whole argument in miniature: a rising Texas tide doesn’t automatically lift San Antonio.
As a reminder, here’s our weekly column on what a Virginia-based Fortune 500 company, Boeing, has built at Port San Antonio.
Data centers are expanding around San Antonio. Denver-based Tract is developing three campuses covering more than 3,500 acres, representing over 5,220 megawatts of planned power capacity, stretching from the South Side through Medina County toward Austin. Brant Bernet, an executive vice president at CBRE, puts it plainly: “Texas is going to be the number one data center market in the world.” We’re watching because data centers, and the water and power they consume, are becoming an increasingly politically charged issue, and that argument is coming to San Antonio’s local politics. It’s also why we’re publishing an investigation into San Antonio’s water security later this month.
The eighth staffer leaves the Mayor’s office. Policy advisor Sophia Alejandro’s last day was May 29, making her the eighth departure from Mayor Jones’s office since she took office a year ago. Two chiefs of staff and a deputy chief of staff are among the others who have left. Turnover happens in any administration but this many departures in such a short time period is a clear pattern. We’re watching it because continuity is necessary for competence—it is hard to govern properly when your staff keeps leaving.
The Reframe
Passenger traffic at San Antonio International keeps falling (Aviation Dept.) → "Economic uncertainty" is a strange explanation when Austin is doing great. SAT is down nearly 6% in April year-over-year and 4.4% so far in 2026, extending its first annual decline since the pandemic. The airport cites "economic uncertainty” but that economy covers Central Texas too, and Austin-Bergstrom is up 2.77% in January and set new monthly records in February and March. Same region and headwinds, opposite results.
San Antonio businesses shoot to score big during NBA Finals (KENS5) → A national broadcast window like this is an asset, and there’s no sign anyone is running it as one. San Antonio is certainly celebrating the Finals. But look at what’s visible: the watch parties, the pep rally, and the River Walk bridge art are the Spurs organization and its partners. The most visible contribution from the City has been the Mayor trading churros with Charles Barkley on the pregame show. Pleasant enough, but not a real strategy. This run is probably too late to fully leverage but deep playoff runs will be recurring, and a national audience is a recurring asset. The city should establish a standing task force now, with all major stakeholders, to have a marketing plan in place for the next time so San Antonio can capitalize on the attention.
San Antonio dog bite cases rise despite $15 million budget increase for Animal Care Services (SA Current) → No city with major ambitions should carry a reputation for a dog problem. Despite a $15 million increase in the ACS budget, dangerous-dog cases rose 73% between FY2024 and FY2025, dismissed cases jumped 53%, and bite and scratch cases climbed from 3,090 to 3,810. The department points to new changes showing some improvement, and that’s great. But "dangerous dogs" should not be a problem residents and visitors associate with San Antonio. No one expects that of a major American city. It's the kind of reputation that quietly undercuts every pitch we make.
A 54,000-acre Hill Country ranch will become Texas' second-largest state park (TPWD / Texas Tribune) → One of San Antonio’s strongest assets continues to be its access to Texas itself. The state acquired nearly 54,000 acres in the Hill Country—canyons, limestone cliffs, river frontage on the West Nueces, a 30-acre spring-fed lake that will open as Silver Lake State Park, second in size only to Big Bend Ranch. The future park is located about two hours west, within day-trip distance. Worth saying amid a week of fiscal concerns and staff exits: one of the underlooked categories where San Antonio quietly beats its rivals is access to Texas, the place. The Alamo, the River Walk, the greenway trails, and soon a 54,000-acre state park within driving distance. That's a real competitive asset.
The Pick
Our weekly recommendation for what’s going on in San Antonio
The Orchestra San Antonio: Summer Tales
If you’re looking for something to watch this weekend other than the Spurs, the Orchestra San Antonio closes out the week with Summer Tales at the Tobin. The dramatic music from Carmen, a graceful cello showcase from Tchaikovsky, and Scheherazade, Rimsky-Korsakov's lush retelling of the 1,001 Nights stories. Guest conductor José Luis Gómez leads, with young cellist Cameron Renshaw as the soloist. Show up at 6:30 for the pre-concert talk, where the musicians walk you through what to listen for, a nice primer if a symphony isn't your usual weekend.
Saturday, June 6, at the Tobin Center for the Performing Arts (100 Auditorium Circle). Doors at 6, talk at 6:30, music at 7:30. Tickets start at $27.
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Enjoy your weekend, go Spurs go, and see you Tuesday.
- Philip Reichert
Editor, The Civic
Great roundup. The recent decline in airport travel isn’t a great indicator. Likely do to increase in cost related to oil prices