On February 15 we shared the five-year financial outlook of City CFO Robert Cortinas, who predicts a widening gap in the General Fund budget in FY 2027-2031 amounting to a total shortfall of $204.6 million.
We opined that given this gigantic sum, Mayor Renard Johnson will never keep his campaign promise to lower our property tax.
Julia Spencer of KFOX14 picked up on our report, airing an outstanding segment on February 17 in which she questions whether Mayor Renard Johnson, given the dire math, can deliver relief to the taxpayers.
She quotes Max Grossman, Chief Instigator of the El Paso Taxpayer Revolt, who claims “There is no way in hell the Mayor will keep his campaign promise” to lower our property tax.
Next, she interviews CFO Cortinas, who tells her “There’s really not a whole of revenue left over in any given year to either expand or implement a new program.”
And then there is the clincher.
Spencer asked the office of the Mayor “how the City plans to balance those projected gaps with the Mayor’s promise to reduce the property tax [..] and what specific steps would need to happen to make that possible.”
Cynthia Cano, who once worked for Beto but is now the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, responds to Spencer: “The Mayor appreciates the question and is aligned with the finance team’s approach to close projected gaps responsibly, protect core services, and pursue efficiencies that help keep the tax burden as low as possible.”
In other words, the Mayor’s emphatic commitment to lower our property tax has now morphed into a promise to “keep the tax burden as low as possible.”
We wish to congratulate Spencer for pressing the Mayor and exposing him as a liar of the lowest order. She is the first television reporter in a very long time to call him out on his fake campaign promise.
Mysteriously, Spencer’s report was not posted on KFOX14’s webpage or social media platforms but we are proud to share it here.
Remember, fellow taxpayers, you get what you vote for and, yes, we told you so!