We encourage readers to send their questions to brutusep@yahoo.com so that we can publish them as posts since posts get more readership than comments.
Today’s suggested question is:
What are your thoughts about the condition of our city streets and what will you do to put your thoughts into action?
We deserve better
Brutus
11 Comments | 
City government | 
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Posted by Brutus
As we know our city council imposed a “franchise fee” on our water utility as part of the budget process last year. This fee was in addition to the amounts that the city already charges the utility.
Council’s instructions to the utility board were to pass the fee on to the utility’s “nonresidential” customers. The board did as it was told. We have heard that the board feels that the franchise fee is inappropriate and that they would have liked to stay out of the issue.
The citizens know that the franchise fee is nothing other than a tax increase and that city council did not have the honesty to handle it as such.
Last week we saw the water utility board vote to change their policy and to charge the fee to both residential and nonresidential customers. A claim had been made by a local church and the board reacted to it. We have heard informally that the way they had assessed the fee was illegal although no one, including the Times, has explained why.
The board held a meeting to discuss the church’s claim and went into executive session. When they came out they voted to change their billing policy. The Times tells us that the vote was illegal because the item was not properly posted on the board’s agenda.
We received an email Friday of last week that contained this:
I’ve been told that water bills to residents received today already have the new franchise fee on the bill. Sounds like they made the decision before they too[k] action Wednesday night. Shady does not go far enough.
Did management of the water utility take action to change the billing policy even before the board voted?
If the vote was a violation of the Texas open meetings act someone could file suit and a judge could order the vote and consequent actions to be void.
There are two candidates for the west side council seat that could have an interest in this. One is a former member of the utility board. The other is a practicing attorney. Might we see one or both of them step up to the plate and file the lawsuit?
The city attorney should have told council that passing the fee on to only the nonresidential customers would be illegal.
This mess was caused by city council. They should straighten it out.
We deserve better
Brutus
9 Comments | City government, El Paso Times, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
It looks like some things are going to have to change. The Times reported yesterday that next year’s city budget could grow by $24.2 million unless some expenses are dropped.
The city raised about $149 million in property taxes last year. The tax rate, which includes operations as well as debt service, was at $.6997 per hundred. Council could raise the tax rate but if they raise the operations portion more than 8% we can ask for a rollback election. An 8% increase would bring us to $.7557 per hundred and provide an additional $11 million.
We would still be $13 million short. If council decided to raise the tax rate to the maximum that Texas will allow we would be at $.80 per hundred. That would provide $170 million if the voters did not vote it down in a rollback election. Even the maximum would only raise $21 million, leaving them $3.2 million short.
We might see an increase in fees like the franchise fee that the city imposed on the water utility this year. We can expect to see members of council offering up all sorts of ways to soak the taxpayers. Trash collection rates and bridge rates could go up. The might even try to impose a speaker’s fee if you wish to speak before city council.
It is possible that we might see layoffs but most of us doubt that would happen. We might see cutbacks in spending like the 5% of capital spending that we allocate to public art. Services might be cut.
They might even vote to stop the quality of life projects. We voted to build the facilities but the city will have to come up with even more money to operate and maintain them.
Whatever happens, this is not going to be pretty.
It looks like the real “crazies” were the ones on council.
We deserve better
Brutus
7 Comments | City government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
One of the reasons some of our city council members has been giving for changing the agenda setting procedure is that items are being placed on the agenda without backup material.
There was a time when the backup material was required to be submitted when the item was placed on the agenda. If it wasn’t then a special vote of city council was required to consider the item. They often ignored this rule when it was convenient. The city parliamentarian, who is also the city attorney, admitted in a council meeting that she had not been enforcing the rule.
This council removed that requirement as one of their first things they did after being elected. Testing the newbies warned of the consequences of this action back on June 23, 2013.
Now council is complaining about the lack of backup material. The obvious solution is to go back to the old rules. Instead they are taking the opportunity to shut down public discussion.
Is it a coincidence that they took step one at the beginning of their terms and are now taking step two at the end? Are they hoping that we don’t remember?
We deserve better
Brutus
8 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
A couple of our readers pointed this out already. For those of you who missed their comments, this is hard to believe:
One of our city representatives wants to put our former city manager on the Ad Hoc Charter Advisory Committee.
Have they no shame?
Please don’t tell me that she is just like any other citizen. We would object if anyone of similar former rank with the city was put on the committee.
We deserve better
Brutus
12 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus
elpasospeak 
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