City council has the water park issue on their agenda this morning (Tuesday, October 30, 2018).
Three of the city representatives are up for re-election next week.
Will council take action on the issue or will they postpone this in an effort to avoid voter reaction?
We deserve better
Brutus
12 Comments | 
City government | 
Permalink
Posted by Brutus
The new water park will be located on city land.
The owners will pay the city $1,000 per year to lease the land with a $5,000 purchase option for the hotel land and a separate $5,000 option for the convention center land.
The lease is for fifteen years and the tenant will probably not exercise the purchase options since while the land is owned by the city there will be no property taxes due.
We deserve better
Brutus
7 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
The Wednesday, October 24, 2018 headline of the Times set a new low standard for the paper.
The article belonged in the editorial section.
We deserved better
Brutus
3 Comments | City government, El Paso Times | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
Item 22.4 on the Tuesday, October 30, 2018 city council agenda provides incentives for a company to build a convention center and convention center hotel in west El Paso.
This is the water park that has been the subject of recent speculation.
The estimated investment by the company is $150 million. They are telling us that about 600 jobs will be created.
In return the company will receive:
100% city property tax rebate for 15 years. The city’s rate is .843332 per hundred dollars of valuation. That comes to $1.26 million per year in tax relief at the current rate.
100% city sales tax rebate for 15 years
50% hotel motel tax rebate for 15 years. The tax is 17.5% of the room rate of which the city normally gets 11.5%. That means the operation will collect the 17.5% and then get 5.75% returned to them by the city.
TIRZ 10 will fund $526,100 in infrastructure and safety improvements.
The park will be at 6850 Paseo Del Norte, across the street from the new Walmart.
We deserve better
Brutus
22 Comments | City government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
One of the ballot items on the upcoming election asks if we want to change our city charter.
From the ordinance that puts the issue on the ballot:
Prior to September 1, 2019, the annual base salary of the District Representatives shall be set at twenty-nine
thousand dollars, and the annual base salary of the Mayor shall be set at forty-five thousand dollars.
Commencing on September 1, 2019, the annual base salary of the District Representatives shall be set at
the amount equal to the 2017 El Paso County area median household income as established by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development or successor agency ($45,300), and the annual
base salary of the Mayor shall be set at one and one-half this amount ($67,950). Thereafter, on September
1, the base salaries will be revised annually and be set according to the above formula based on the prior
fiscal year median income for El Paso County.
What the voter will see on the ballot is:
Should Section 3.2 of the City Charter, relating to the salaries of the Mayor and District Representatives,
be amended to provide that beginning September 1, 2019, the annual salary of the District
Representatives shall be set each year at the amount equal to the El Paso County area median household
income as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or successor
agency for the prior fiscal year, and the annual salary of the Mayor shall be set each year at one and onehalf
that amount?
YES ( )
NO ( )
They evidently think it is too much trouble to ask the voters for a pay raise when they want one.
A 56% pay raise would be nice for you, wouldn’t it?
We deserve better
Brutus
9 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
You are currently browsing the archives for the City government category.
elpasospeak 
You must be logged in to post a comment.