SAN ANTONIO – The pricetag on the City of San Antonio’s Final Four ticket controversy is growing.
Last week, KSAT Investigates was the first to report that the city spent $20,000 to buy San Antonio city councilmembers and their guests VIP tickets to the games at the Alamodome.
San Antonio City Manager Erik Walsh approved those purchases, which used taxpayer dollars.
Now, records obtained by KSAT show that Walsh also purchased two additional tickets for himself, using another $2,000 in taxpayer funds.
However, hours after KSAT started asking questions, Walsh’s staff told Alamodome reps that he would use his own money to purchase tickets.
Walsh’s city salary is $461,000 while city council members make $45,722 and the mayor is paid $61,725.
The two tickets that were already purchased were transferred to the mayor, emails show.
Not all councilmembers used the tickets to attend the high-profile event.
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When anyone requests public records from the City of San Antonio, Walsh’s office reviews them.
KSAT Investigates made a request for receipts and emails about the city’s purchase of the Final Four tickets on March 20 at 12:22 p.m.
At 7:16 p.m. — nearly seven hours after KSAT made the records request — records show assistant city manager Alex Lopez emailed Javier Vasquez with the city’s Convention and Sports Facilities.
“I apologize for some confusion regarding Erik’s tickets,” Lopez wrote. “While he was interested in tickets, he planned to purchase them himself.”
Final Four - Erik Walsh by Spencer Heath on Scribd
Among the records released to KSAT include a March 14 receipt from the NCAA showing the purchase of two tickets for Walsh. Each seat cost $1,000.
Lopez asked Vasquez if those tickets could be given to the mayor.
KSAT asked a city spokesperson multiple times for a comment about the purchase of the tickets for Walsh and the decision to turn them over to the mayor, but has not received a response.
The tickets intended for Walsh were bought days after he authorized the $20,000 purchase of VIP tickets for council.
In a statement to KSAT Investigates last week, Walsh defended his decision to purchase the City Council tickets.
“Mayor and Council members represent the community, and they’re our board of directors,” Walsh said. “This is a city facility where we were hosting the tournament.”
Did your council member attend?
KSAT Investigates contacted all 10 council members to ask if they used the tickets and whether or not they took a guest.
Did attend
- District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur refused to answer if she brought a guest.
- District 2 Councilman Jalen-McKee Rodriguez took an unnamed guest. The councilman told KSAT that since he attended as a representative of the city, there is no expectation to pay for or reimburse the tickets.
- District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran. She told KSAT she brought her sister. She said attending the games was part of her official city duties, which is why she does not intend to reimburse the city.
- District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia took her godson. She told KSAT she reimbursed the cost of the tickets to the city.
- District 5 Councilwoman Teri Castillo. A spokesperson has not answered questions about if Castillo took a guest or if she planned to reimburse the city for the cost of the tickets.
- District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte told KSAT his 13-year-old daughter attended the game with him. He posted on Facebook that he reimbursed the city for the tickets.
Did not attend
- District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda
- District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito
- District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez
- District 9 Councilman John Courage
KSAT Investigates has asked the city what happened to the unused tickets. We have not heard back.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
