San Antonio proposes fee increases, contract monitoring additions for convention and sports facilities

City staff presented a proposed FY27 budget for the Convention & Sports Facilities Department that relies on a combination of hotel occupancy tax transfers, fee increases and capital investments to sustain operations and pay for maintenance.

Patricia Cantormuzkis, director of the department, told the council the current hotel occupancy tax (HOT) rate "in San Antonio of 17%" and said the city's portion is used for capital projects, arts, Visit San Antonio and convention facilities. She said FY27 HOT collections are projected at $109,400,000 and recommended a package that includes $2,900,000 to Visit San Antonio, $12,800,000 for capital improvements and $64,000,000 to daily operations across the Alamodome and the convention center.

Cantormuzkis also explained two program changes to offset rising costs: $1,800,000 in new or adjusted venue fees and a suite of incremental parking and ticket-fee changes at the Alamodome (including a $724,000 parking/ticket adjustment) intended to cover increased traffic-control support for SAPD. She said the department is trimming $600,000 by reducing contracted cleaning services and adding an in-house staff position for contract monitoring to oversee more than 80 departmental agreements and to respond to recent audit findings.

Council members asked staff to supply more detail on the capital scope and timing for convention-center improvements and what the fee increases mean for residents. Patricia said the convention center is operating near practical maximum capacity and that competing cities are investing heavily; she and Visit San Antonio staff urged planning for an eventual expansion to retain large group business.

The presentation led council members to request a follow-up memo with a clearer breakout of HOT transfers, the capital list, and comparative fee benchmarking.