In May, San Antonians will have the opportunity to vote on whether to continue an aquifer protection program that collects one-eighth of a cent sales tax. After meeting on Wednesday for an initial discussion on the matter, on Thursday, the San Antonio City Council unanimously approved what will be propositions 1 & 2 in the upcoming municipal election. The combined maximum of $180 million collected from the 5-year-long sales tax will be used to purchase land in the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. That land will be protected from development. It will also be used to buy additional hike and bike trail space for the city’s greenway system. Since voters first approved the tax in 2000, 133,000 acres have been purchased, which amounts to about a fifth of what the city intends to buy. Annalisa Peace, the Executive Director of the Greater Edwards Aquifer Alliance, an environmental non-profit that supports the propositions, gave it qualified approval: “This program has protected about 6
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