Interesting Facts About San Antonio:

• San Antonio was founded over 300 years ago during a Spanish expedition.

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• San Antonio was named for the Portuguese St. Anthony, whose "feast day" is on June 13, when a Spanish expedition stopped in the area in 1691.

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• The San Antonio River starts at "Blue Hole" spring, University of the Incarnate Word, San Antonio.

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• "Paseo del Rio" is the Spanish translation for River Walk, or literally Walk of the River.

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• The San Antonio River is 240 miles in length.

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• The original River Walk was built from 1938 to 1941 as a WPA (Work Project Act) at a cost of $430,000.00.

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• San Antonio is the 7th largest city in America and the 2nd largest in Texas. 

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• San Antonio enjoys 300 days of sunshine annually and an average temperature of 70 degrees.

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• San Antonio has the top tourist attractions in Texas: the Alamo and the River Walk 26 million visitors a year make their way to San Antonio.

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• The five Spanish colonial missions established along the San Antonio River are all active Catholic parishes, except for the Alamo.

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• The Spanish missions were not churches but Indian towns. In the 1700's native people learning to become Spanish citizens had to be Catholic; that is why the King of Spain sent missionaries to acculturate them.

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• The first cattle drives originated from the San Antonio Spanish missions. Vaqueros drove hundreds of cattle, sheep, and goats to Louisiana during the American War for Independence to supply American colonists.

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• The San Antonio River ends at convergence with the Guadalupe River, Refugio County.

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• San Antonio is the Military home to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base, Randolph Air Force Base and Brooks City-Base with Camp Bullis and Camp Stanley right outside the city.

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• Historic "Old Brack" Brackenridge Golf Course constructed in 1915, one of very few public courses designed by A.W. Tillinghast - opened in 1916 and was the first public golf course in Texas and hosted the Texas Open from 1922-1959.

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• San Antonio is full of spectator sports the San Antonio Spurs, WNBA Silver Stars, Rampage Ice Hockey, Missions Baseball and the PGA Valero Texas Open.

Q:     I own a small business how do I become a certified vendor for the County?

A:    Visit the Bexar County  purchasing website at www.bexar.org/purchasing and complete the bidder's application or contact the Purchasing Department at (210) 335-2211.  

Q:    How are the projects being monitored?

A:    Commissioners Court provides oversight and is charged with making the actual fiscal allocations based on each initiatives agreement with the County. In addition, the Commissioners Court also appointed Citizen Advisory Committees. One group for each of the three study areas:

• River Improvements
• Amateur Sports
• Cultural Arts

Q:    Is the County going to increase my property tax and any sales taxes I pay for merchandise to pay for this program?

A:    No, the venue projects are funded by a tax of 1.75% for  hotel/motel rooms and 5% for vehicle rental tax.

 Q:    How long will the tax be collected?    

A:    Until the bonds are paid out estimated to be about 30 to 40 years.

Q:    I am a resident of Bexar County, will I be charged the tax if I rent a car or stay in a local hotel?

A:    If you rent short-term, yes you will pay the tax of 1.75% for hotel/motel rental and 5% for vehicle rental these taxes will not apply to long-term rentals.

Q:    Who will own and operate the venues?

A:        

• Amateur Sports-  Each organization will own and manage the facilities independently.
• San Antonio River-  Is community owned and will be managed and operated by (SARA) San Antonio River Authority.
• Community Arenas-  Bexar County owns them, the AT&T Center is managed and operated by the Spurs, Freeman is managed and operated by the (CAB) Citizens Advisory Board and the Barns are managed and operated by (SALE) San Antonio Livestock Exposition Inc.
• Cultural Arts Venues-  The City of San Antonio transferred ownership of Municipal Auditorium to the Bexar County Performing Arts Center Foundation in July 2008. The Foundation will manage and operate the center. The Alameda and Briscoe will manage and operate their own facilities.

Q:    What is the end result of the voters passing the 4 initiatives?

A:    The $415 million venue bonds voters passed generates almost 3/4 of a billion dollars worth of projects that benefit all citizens of Bexar County.