I have written before about the conflict of interest the city chief financial officer will have if she votes on an item where the El Paso Independent School District (EPISD) and the city are both parties.
She has been appointed to the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) board of managers for EPISD.
We won’t have to wait long for a test. The EPISD board of managers meeting scheduled for this evening includes item 12 which has to do with leases between the airport and the district.
It seems that the district has been leasing a parcel of land from the airport since 1963. The lease is about to expire. The airport has determined that EPISD’s use of the land is “not in conformance with the proposed transition to the planned mixed land use”. The result is that the airport is willing to give the district a 3 year extension and the district will have to move it’s administrative office complex.
If you read the board backup material you will see that more than one lease is involved. The airport predicts that the rate “will probably increase the maximum allowed (10%)”.
Tear it down
At the end of the lease EPISD will be required to tear down the office buildings. Sound familiar?
EPISD will also have to build a new facility. The cost?
$35-40 million!
I hope that she recuses herself on this matter.
Even if she does, it does not explain why the city is prepared to take $34-40 million dollars of taxpayer money that could otherwise be spent on educating the children.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
In this week’s EPISD board meeting, new board member Carmen Arrieta-Candelaria asked “Are we providing training dollars to ensure we bring in all our high school principals to discuss and talk about the policies and procedures we need to implement?”
Huh? Why does it take “training” dollars (dollars that could otherwise be saved or directed to classrooms) to get principles who are already on payroll and put them in a room to talk about doing the job they are already being paid to do?
What an absurd question from a financial executive! Is this similar to police department overtime scams? Does EPISD schedule these kinds of “training” events so that the principals and administrative staff get overtime pay?
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I agree. That was an absurd remark. “Training dollars” for discussion and talk? With that thinking, it won’t be too long before EPISD burns thru more dollars on worthless c_ _ _.
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EPISD does not pay administrators for any training they receive outside of “normal hours.” She is a former admin in EPISD so she should have known that.
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I don’t think airport money is city money. Airport finances are independent of city finances. Airports keep all their own money and that money must be spent on the airport — maintenance and improvements. In turn, the airport gets no money from the city. If I am correct, then your statement, “the city is prepared to take $34-40 million dollars of taxpayer money that could otherwise be spent on educating the children” is a misstatement of the facts.
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El Pasoan,
I agree with you. Airport money is generally kept separate. My point was not about the airport spending or not spending money.
The airport board is appointed by city council members. We have seen city staff trying to influence the actions of other independent boards. If the airport does not renew the lease the district will have to spend money.
I believe I am correct in saying that airport employees (including the director of aviation) are city employees. They work for the city manager.
Brutus
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Why would city council want to influence the airport board to end or not end EPISD’s lease? That would be the job of the School Board or Board of Managers. The airport board is going to vote based on income the airport could make from that property. City Council has no standing in the case. Airports everywhere in this country maximize their income. That’s their job.
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