I ran across this letter on the internet.
In it the mayor appoints the city’s chief financial officer as the “citizen appointee” to the El Paso Fire and Police Pension Fund board.
What caught my attention is that the mayor evidently has a statutory responsibility to appoint a “citizen” to the board.
I have not read whatever law or ordinance requires the mayor to appoint a “citizen” here. In all probability it contemplates a person from the community with no ties to the fire or police departments or to the city. Otherwise why use the term “citizen”? Every city employee is a citizen of somewhere.
Citizen?
The appointee is the chief financial officer of the city! She also has served as the chief administrator of the El Paso county government. The Texas Education Agency has appointed her to the oversight board that might end up controlling the El Paso Independent School District.
Her idea of conflict of interest and mine seem to be worlds apart.
She is a citizen in the sense that she is an inhabitant of a city.
She is not a citizen in the sense that must be meant here — not tied to the government or the employees.
Cheating
The mayor clearly chose to use lack of specific language to appoint someone whose vote can be controlled by the city. He may not have violated a law, but he certainly cheated it’s intent in my opinion.
This kind of rule bending is typical of what is wrong with our local governments. Our paid officials should be the guardians of both the letter and the spirit of the rules.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 