SAN ANTONIO – Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said during a recent Town Hall that she has directed the city manager to begin pursuing all businesses and entities that owe San Antonio more than $1 million, and at the top of that list, she says, is Spurs Sports & Entertainment, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The issue centers on nearly $5 million tied to a Toyota Field agreement that local governments say SS&E still owes the city and Bexar County, even as officials weigh hundreds of millions in public funding for a proposed $1.3 billion Spurs arena.
The Express-News reports the payment stems from a 2015 deal in which the city, county, and SS&E jointly purchased Toyota Field in hopes of landing a Major League Soccer franchise. Under the agreement, SS&E was required to repay $5 million if an MLS team was not secured by 2021.
That condition was not met, and San Antonio did not land an MLS expansion team.
According to information City Manager Erik Walsh provided to the City Council, as reported by the San Antonio Express-News, SS&E has repaid $250,000 toward its obligation but has missed about $1.75 million in scheduled payments. Walsh said that, after factoring in interest, the outstanding balance now totals more than $2 million.
Mayor Jones has argued that recovering overdue payments is especially important as the city faces potential budget pressure and possible cuts to public services.
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SS&E has previously disputed full responsibility for the payment, citing MLS territorial decisions, and the matter remains unresolved because related lease changes have not been finalized.
