The June 13th Runoff

Friends, Many people have asked me to endorse a candidate for Mayor of San Antonio.    When I kicked off my campaign on a rainy day in November, I took an important pledge to not endorse any other candidates. The purpose of that pledge was to keep the highest office in our city out of the partisan fray. My willingness to set my party aside as I pursued the nonpartisan office of Mayor allowed many Republicans to support this former Democratic legislator. Though I am no longer a candidate for Mayor, I consider this promise binding.   In the days since the first round of voting, I’ve met with my supporters who have made compelling cases for why each of the two remaining candidates is the better choice. Our campaign was a unique mix that spanned political parties and brought together fiscal conservatives and social liberals. Listening to these passionate voices has convinced me that each and every one of them is capable of making a smart decision about who to vote for. They won’t all vote one way, and they don’t need me to tell them how to vote.    If I offer any guidance for my supporters, it would be to select the candidate who best upholds the principals that our campaign stood for.   Financial responsibility: Which candidate will best make responsible financial decisions with our tax dollars? Specifically, who will best control the contract costs of our police and firefighters while keeping the overall goal of public safety in mind?   Equality: Which candidate will be a voice for the average person? Who will protect all our people against discrimination in all its forms?   Embracing innovation and technology:  Which candidate will welcome change and innovation in the way the city provides services, including allowing the private sector to compete?   A recurring theme of our campaign and a question I ask myself is: how will we make this city a place of opportunity for our children, and for 20- and 30-year olds seeking a place to start a business or a family? I find myself returning to that question as I contemplate who will be the best leader in this important moment for our city.   I encourage my supporters to not only vote in the June 13 runoff, but also to stay engaged because that is how we move our city forward.    Mike www.MikeVillarreal.com PS: Please consider making a donation to help us retire our campaign debt. For those that reached the maximum amount during the campaign, the $1,000 per person limit has been reset during this runoff.

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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CORRECTED: Thank You

Friends, I'm writing this morning to thank you for your support in this election. I also appreciate all of the phone calls, emails, and text messages I've received from many of you over the last few days. It's meant more to me than I can say. There is at least one consolation. We shaped the debate. We talked about the need to strengthen our workforce and end San Antonio's brain drain of young talent. We made clear how critical a fair police and firefighters contract will be to the city's future fiscal health. We put the spotlight on why rideshare is important to San Antonio. Other candidates picked up on these themes. Hopefully, the next Mayor will act on them. A good campaign is an ongoing conversation between a candidate and the people. I started this conversation with you a year ago. I wanted to know what your dreams were for San Antonio and what you saw as its challenges. You weren’t shy. You spoke up. We came together as community leaders, business owners and executives, workers, artists, physicians, teachers – people from all walks of life and all parts of our city, collaborating on a shared agenda. Because of you, I have a deeper understanding of and love for San Antonio, and I thank you for that. To everyone who became part of this campaign, who believed in me and our vision for San Antonio, and who joined me on this journey, thank you, thank you, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am so deeply grateful. Saturday’s election results have not diminished my call to public service. I’ll find new ways to help improve my community. This journey we’ve been on together isn’t over. Our city needs us to vote in the June 13 runoff and make our voices heard. We all need to stay engaged because we love San Antonio for what it is and what it can be.   Sincerely, Mike www.MikeVillarreal.com   PS: Please help us retire the campaign's debt. Click here to contribute.

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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Thank You

Friends, I'm writing this morning to thank you for your support in this election. I also appreciate all of the phone calls, emails, and text messages I've received from many of you over the last few days. It's meant more to me than I can say. There is at least one consolation. We shaped the debate. We talked about the need to strengthen our workforce and end San Antonio's brain drain of young talent. We made clear how critical a fair police and firefighters contract will be to the city's future fiscal health. We put the spotlight on why rideshare is important to San Antonio. Other candidates picked up on these themes. Hopefully, the next Mayor will act on them. A good campaign is an ongoing conversation between a candidate and the people. I started this conversation with you a year ago. I wanted to know what your dreams were for San Antonio and what you saw as its challenges. You weren’t shy. You spoke up. We came together as community leaders, business owners and executives, workers, artists, physicians, teachers – people from all walks of life and all parts of our city, collaborating on a shared agenda. Because of you, I have a deeper understanding of and love for San Antonio, and I thank you for that. To everyone who became part of this campaign, who believed in me and our vision for San Antonio, and who joined me on this journey, thank you, thank you, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am so deeply grateful. Saturday’s election results have not diminished my call to public service. I’ll find new ways to help improve my community. This journey we’ve been on together isn’t over. Our city needs us to vote in the June 13 runoff and make our voices heard. We all need to stay engaged because we love San Antonio for what it is and what it can be.   Sincerely, Mike www.MikeVillarreal.com   PS: Please help us retire the campaign's debt. Click here to contribute.

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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We're Ready

Friends,   Our campaign office on South Alamo is filling up with volunteers, and the pizza will arrive shortly. We'll work late into the night, taking care of all the last-minute details. We're ready for Election Day. We're confident. I've looked forward to May 9th for a long time. I've been running for mayor for a year now, criss-crossing this city to talk with voters and try to win their support. We talked in doorways and over kitchen tables and conference tables. We talked about work and the economy, streets, libraries, public safety, traffic jams, the lack of transparency at City Hall, and much more. I built my agenda out of my convictions and the stories these San Antonians shared with me -- such as the mom and dad whose daughter left town for college and didn't return because she had too few job opportunities in San Antonio. Or the single mom barely scraping by in a low-wage job. Or the factory owner who couldn't find enough skilled workers to fill his job openings. Together, we will make San Antonio a city of opportunity for all of our people. I will work tirelessly to ensure our college graduates can launch their careers here and workers who learn new, 21st Century skills can get ahead. Everything I do as Mayor, I'll do to accomplish that goal. Thank you for your support. Have a good evening, and we'll see you at the Election Night Watch Party! (It's in the Monte Cristo Room of El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel, 110 Lexington Ave. Doors open at 7 p.m.) Mike www.MikeVillarreal.com

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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My Priorities are Straight

Friends,   I believe that homeowners should get a fair shake if they protest unfair property appraisals. As a state lawmaker, I heard too many stories from property owners who challenged high appraisals and felt ignored or slighted by the Appraisal Review Board. I did something about it. Two years ago, I wrote and passed House Bill 585, which makes review boards more accountable to homeowners and makes it easier for property owners to protest their appraisals. Bottom line, the law puts more power in the hands of the little guy. With home values exploding in San Antonio, I’m proud of the work I did to even the paying field for homeowners. And I see Leticia Van de Putte’s attack on the law for what it is – an attempt to divert voters’ attention from the fact that she voted against the bill. She was one of only three lawmakers to do so in the entire Legislature. Not because she thought it would somehow harm homeowners – as she’s claiming now – but because her friends in Bexar County government worried the law would mean fewer taxpayer dollar for them to spend.               Political insiders were more important to her than property owners. I have my priorities straight, and I respectfully ask for your vote.   Mike www.MikeVillarreal.com

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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Our Response to Van de Putte's Desperate Attack

OUR RESPONSE TO VAN DE PUTTE’S BASELESS, DESPERATE ATTACK Two years ago, Mike wrote and passed a bill to make it easier for homeowners to appeal unfair property appraisals. Leticia Van de Putte voted against these reforms. With San Antonio home values skyrocketing, she’s now trying to distract voters from that unpleasant fact. Van de Putte's manufactured story flopped Tuesday because there is nothing to it. So her campaign talked somebody into filing a bogus ethics complaint. It's nothing more than smoke and mirrors. We did not coordinate with a third-party entity. Our marketing firm hired a subcontractor who happened to also do work for an outside group. Van de Putte voted against Mike’s House Bill 585 – not out of concern for homeowners, as she’s now saying, but because she was worried about a “negative impact” on Bexar County government. In other words, she thought county government would collect fewer tax dollars. This isn’t spin or innuendo. It’s a matter of public record. Mike is the only major candidate in this race who has been meticulous in his record keeping. He hasn’t hidden sources of income or inappropriately shifted dollars to his campaign from unrelated accounts. Now, spin and noise aside, here is what H.B. 585 really does: Requires that ARB (Appraisal Review Board) members to consider additional evidence supplied by homeowners; Review board members can be removed if they demonstrate bias against the homeowner; If a homeowner wins an appeal one year, the next year, the chief appraiser must offer more evidence to increase the appraisal; The chief appraiser no longer gets to choose the review board members; Homeowners cannot be forced to wait more than 2 hours for a hearing; Taxpayers must be compensated if they overpay their tax bill   Greg Jefferson, Mike’s communications director

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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Help Mike Keep Up the Momentum!

Friends, Today is the last day of early voting. Mike needs every possible vote, so if you haven't cast a ballot yet, please go to your nearest polling site -- and take an entourage of friends and family members who haven't voted yet, either. This is also the last day you can contribute to candidates for the May 9 election. Our get-out-the-vote effort has kicked into high gear across San Antonio, and we'll keep charging ahead until the polls close Saturday at 7 p.m. We have the momentum in this race. Please help us keep it going. Click here to contribute. Thank you!   Roger Garza Mike's campaign manager www.MikeVillarreal.com

 

Pol. Ad. paid for by the Mike Villarreal campaign. Mike Beldon, Treasurer.

Mike Villarreal for Mayor Campaign
P.O. Box 830551
San Antonio TX 78283 United States

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