In November, 2009, newly-elected Mayor Julian Castro began his district meet-and-greet tour, with District 9 as his first stop. Stone Oak residents and District 9 Councilwoman Elisa Chan welcomed Mayor Castro at a reception at The Club At Sonterra on November 3, sponsored by IBC Bank. The evening was an opportunity for the mayor to present his vision for the future of San Antonio and to answer questions from residents, concerning both District 9 and the city.

Introducing Mayor Castro was Councilwoman Chan who thanked him for supporting District 9 projects, including his help in passing the $1 million bond for the extension of Hardy Oak. He assured his continued focus on addressing issues that affect our district.

Castro's three main objectives for his tenure as mayor are to create an educated workforce, improve quality of life, and perform all fundamental aspects of city governing well. He believes that achieving these three goals is the key to surviving in our economy.

Castro expressed City Hall's commitment to investing in the city and growing industries they believe hold the key to San Antonio's future. Securing the city's future also involves retaining what we already have by educating our workforce and making San Antonio a landing spot for the aspirations of our children.

Improving quality of life will help retain an educated workforce, and Castro aims to continue former Mayor Hardberger's efforts to improve our urban core. Although downtown revitalization may not directly affect District 9 residents, the downtown area is important no matter where you live in a city. "A city has to have a place where we have our theaters... opera...our library — where we have the lifeblood of San Antonio."

Quality of life also involves everyday issues like transportation, which is probably the number one issue in the Stone Oak area. "The City of San Antonio is determined — is resolved — to work with our legislative delegation to push for legislature as much as humanly possible to deliver on the promise of money for the 281 corridor and for the Wurzbach extension," said Castro. He also mentioned the issue of toll roads discussed at the last MPO meeting and reiterated his stance of preferring a non-tolled option.

Finally, the mayor discussed his focus on nailing down the basics of city government, despite the $11 million budget shortfall he confronted when coming into office. Included in the "basics" were issues concerning safety, water, and energy.