On March 4, the San Antonio City Council received a briefing on CPS Energy’s fiscal year 2026-27 budget. During the briefing, the City Council explored available funding options to take the place of any potential rate increases.

The overview: According to city documents, CPS has an approximate proposed budget of $5.26 billion in FY 2026-27, with an estimated $5.21 billion in revenue. Currently, the proposed budget has a $50 million gap, which is around 1% of CPS’s projected budget.

Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones pushed CPS Energy officials to consider treating the shortfall internally instead of raising rates.

Zooming in: Elaina Ball, CPS chief strategy officer, said the proposed budget for FY 2026-27 expenses is broken into three categories: a capital budget of approximately $1.7 billion, the non-fuel operations and maintenance expenses of approximately $1.1 billion and the transmission financing structure capital totaling roughly $70 million.

She explained that these three infrastructure cost categories fund different aspects of CPS’s services.  

In the March 3 primary election, former four-term Mayor Ron Nirenberg secured the majority of votes in the Democratic primary election for Bexar County judge against incumbent Peter Sakai.

Nirenberg had 111,719 ballots cast in his favor, or 62.27% of the vote, while his opponent Sakai had 67,890 ballots cast in his favor, or 37.80% of the vote.

“This victory is a testament to our community, which overwhelmingly supported our bold vision for Bexar County,” Nirenberg said in a statement to Community Impact. “We still have an election to win in November, but I’m confident our campaign has the energy to deliver.”

Nirenberg will run against Republican Patrick Von Dohlen, who ran unopposed and received 64,167 votes.

Stay tuned: Voters will be able to cast their ballot for either Nirenberg or Von Dohlen on Nov. 3.

A law practice serving clients across the San Antonio metro has changed its name following a new partnership.

What you need to know: As of March 2, Valkenaar PLLC is now Valkenaar O’Donnell PLLC following the addition of Micheal O’Donnell as a managing partner alongside attorney Lauren Valkenaar, according to a news release from the company.

The boutique litigation firm offers complex commercial litigation, trust and estate litigation and handles public finance and business disputes, according to its website.

Head down Wurzbach Parkway from North San Antonio to check out this new hotspot for vintage goods and antiques.

In case you missed it: The Staging Post—locally-owned by duo Pamela Faver and Jessalyn Smith—celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 28. It is located at 6150 Wurzbach Road, inside the Rio’s Crystal Mall shopping center near Leon Valley.

Smith said the business is a place for the community to come together and discover local businesses.

“My goal with the Staging Post is to be a community hub for not only vendors to sell their items, but for community members to gather, drink coffee and make a difference in the community,” Smith said in the release.

Check this out: The Staging Post has handmade goods from over 50 local and regional vendors, according to the release. Specific items include vintage home decor, clothing, jewelry, antique furniture and collectibles. The antique shop also has market events and sidewalk sales.

• 6150 Wurzbach Road, San Antonio