How much worse can it get?
Sun Metro continues to cost us more and do less.
Ridership is down, costs are up, farebox recovery is dropping, collisions are up, worker’s comp claims are up, customer complaints are up.
The mayor has been complaining that the county is getting 1/2% in sales taxes.
Sun Metro gets 1/2% in sales taxes and is under city council control.
Why don’t they do something about this?
We deserve better
Brutus
7 Comments | 
City government, County Government | 
Permalink
Posted by Brutus
In El Paso we have the third highest property tax rates of the 50 largest cities in the United States. That puts us higher than any city in Texas.
We have the highest hotel-motel occupancy tax in the state. In fact the state passed legislation to put a cap on hotel-motel occupancy taxes when El Paso boosted ours. You might argue that local residents don’t pay this tax but the higher the tax is the more it discourages conventions from coming to El Paso and spending money.
Our sales tax rate is the highest allowed by the state. The state allows local areas to charge up to 2%. In our case one half of a percent goes to the county and one and one half percent goes to the city and its bus system.
Now it seems that some of the people down at city hall want to get permission to go over the 2% maximum.
This came from a KFOX news report the other day:
“But, how can (we) come up with going about a creative idea pushing something at the state Legislature to try and get an increase at the overall sales tax? That’s something we’ve talked about to the council over the last two years now,” said Robert Cortinas, interim director of municipal finance.
They published this quote from the mayor:
“Well, given that, the only alternative would be to go back to the governor and say, ‘Fine. Give another half cent on our sales tax revenue because in 1987, we determined it to go to the county,” Margo said.
Didn’t he promise to hold the line on tax increases?
Is there no end to their money grab?
We deserve better
Brutus
4 Comments | City government, County Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
I ran across this web page from smartasset.com:
I don’t know that the numbers are right but this is what someone from out of town will see if they are thinking of moving to El Paso.
We deserve better
Brutus
10 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
I heard a theory the other day about the 1,000 + student decline at EPISD each year.
The district tells us that the drop is the result of urban sprawl–there are fewer kids living within the district. It would be interesting to see the numbers.
The lady suggested that El Paso has many families transfer in from out of town (twin plant staff, military) and that they have had experience with schools in other cities.
Her suggestion was that some of these parents don’t like what they see at the district and take their kids somewhere else.
We deserve better
Brutus
16 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
The Tuesday, April 3, 2018 city council agenda has this item on it:
Does anyone know what they are planning?
Yikes!
We deserve better
Brutus
11 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
elpasospeak 
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