Where do Your Property Taxes Go? Health Services

A Recap of City of San Antonio revenues and spending. So $1,074.42 of your property taxes goes to the City of San Antonio.

The City of San Antonio receives revenues from several sources: Property taxes (25%), Charges and fees (20%), Revenues from Utilities (17%), Grants (usually federal) (15%), Sales Tax (14%), Hotel/Motel Tax (4%), Other Taxes (Short Term Rental Tax, Bingo Tax, etc) (2%), Fines (Library Fines, Traffic Tickets) (1%), Miscellaneous (1%), Intergovernment (0.6%), Permits/Licenses (0.4%)

The 2010 Budget for the City divides general fund expenditures in the following ways: Police (36%), Fire/EMS (26%), other services (Aviation, Community Initiatives, Historic Preservation, Solid Waste Management, Military Affairs, etc) (11%), Convention, Tourism and Culture (9%), Streets and Infrastructure (7%), Environmental (5%), Parks & Recreation (6%), Agencies (4%), Library (3%), Health (1%), Municipal Courts (1%), Neighborhood Services (1%), Economic Development (0.5%), Animal Care (0.5%). I will take you through each of these items in separate posts. If you feel that you have a better way to spend the money you can post your suggestions on the online Budget suggestion box for the 2011 budget.
(For links to all items in the CSA budget, see past posts.)

So 1% of the city of SA budget goes to the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.  The Health District is responsible for food inspections of restaurants, school cafeterias, grocery stores and any establishment that requires a food license to operate.  It also operates the  Environmental Health and Wellness Center which is responsible for the childhood lead poisoning prevention program, and air quality.  It also established the public emergency preparedness program for bioterrorism attacks and outbreaks of deadly infectious diseases.

The Health District also runs dental clinics and health clinics that provide low cost immunizations for the flu and childhood vaccines.   It has also started the Steps to a healthier SA program to promote healthier life styles in SA.  The District is also responsible for insect control, issuing birth and death certificates, and running the Women, Infant and Child program (WIC)  , a supplemental nutrition program for low income families with young children.