SAN ANTONIO – Recent poll results have shed light on the knowledge and opinions of San Antonio voters regarding proposed charter amendments set to appear on the November 5 ballot.
The UTSA Center for Public Opinion Research (COPR) conducted a survey of 692 registered voters in Bexar County, focusing on various issues including downtown sports stadiums, federal elections, and the upcoming charter amendment campaign in San Antonio. The responses of 620 San Antonio voters were analyzed specifically for questions related to the proposed charter changes.
The poll revealed that a significant majority of San Antonio voters—80.6%—were unaware of the six proposed amendments to the city charter.
When asked about their support for the proposed amendments, only two changes received majority approval: modifications to the ethics code and updates to charter language.
However, initiatives to raise city council and mayor salaries faced opposition from the majority of voters, with 50.7% expressing disapproval.
An attempt to overturn the salary and tenure caps imposed on the city manager in 2018 also met strong resistance, with nearly 69% of voters indicating they would vote against it.
In response to these findings, a pro-charter amendment PAC questioned the polling methodology and data accuracy.
‘FLAWED METHODOLOGY’
The manager of the “Renew San Antonio” campaign, Kelton Morgan, criticized the poll, labeling it as flawed due to its use of registered voters instead of likely voters. He argued that the sample should have represented those expected to turn out on Election Day, estimated to be between 65% and 70%.
Morgan also pointed out discrepancies in the questions asked, noting that they did not align precisely with the ballot language.
Defending the survey, CPOR Director Bryan Gervais highlighted the center’s efforts to weigh the samples according to the anticipated voter demographics.
The CPOR plans to conduct a follow-up survey in October to further monitor public sentiment towards the proposed charter amendments.
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