Administrative Hearing Officer Program

The San Antonio Code Enforcement Department, along with the San Antonio Municipal Court, created the Administrative Hearing Officer (AHO) Program in 2013 to address certain property maintenance code violations. The AHO conducts administrative hearings at the Municipal Court and imposes penalties for certain ordinance violations.

If a citizen receives a 10-day notice for violating the San Antonio Property Maintenance Code (SAPMC) for placing an item outside that shouldn’t be left outside for more than 24 hours or for high weeds or accumulation of rubbish not corrected within the time allotted, a citation is issued and the case is heard by an AHO (SAPMC, Sec. 302.1, 302.4 and 308.1, respectively).

AHO civil citations can typically be heard within two weeks and in as little as 10 days. The program has been so successful that it has recently been expanded to include zoning and permitting violations. Since cases are heard much faster than the standard 88- to 120-day turnaround for criminal cases, compliance is more promptly achieved.

This program gives the community and the Code Enforcement Department another tool to help keep the City of San Antonio clean and achieve faster compliance for violations.

Michael Uresti, J.D., who works in the Code Enforcement Department, has been instrumental in helping to get this program off the ground.

Sylvia Flood, CBO, Field Services Manager, City of San Antonio
Director at Large

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