Claudia “fights like a mother” Rodriguez, who is running for reelection to represent District 6, has sent out another mailer, which means it is time for another fact check. She makes four claims, all of them dishonest:
“CLAUDIA HAS NEVER VOTED TO RAISE YOUR TAX RATES!”
As everyone knows, our tax rate does not matter. According to Texas law, if we are paying more tax than in the previous year, there has been a tax increase, plain and simple. There have been eight City property tax increases in a row since Tommy Gonzalez became City Manager. What is Rodriguez’s record? She was inexplicably absent from the August 2020 vote to increase our property tax, and in August 2021 she voted to increase our property tax, violating her 2019 campaign promise.
“CLAUDIA HAS NEVER VOTED TO RAISE YOUR UTILITY RATES!”
On May 24, our City Council voted 5-1 to increase our electric rate and Rodriguez was absent. So now she gets to claim she did not vote to raise our utility rates? Wow.
“CLAUDIA HAS NEVER VOTED FOR DEBT WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL!”
It is true that Rodriguez voted against issuing $93 million of CO debt on April 13, 2021 and $96 million on August 24, 2021, however she went ahead and approved expending CO debt 22 times, for a total of over $100 million! This included almost $12 million for public art. Why would she vote against issuing CO debt but then vote to expend CO funds? Never mind…
“CLAUDIA PUT A SALARY CAP ON THE CITY MANAGER’S PAY!”
On May 23 Rodriguez voted to extend the contract of City Manager Gonzalez until June 22, 2029 without imposing a salary cap and only voted to impose one three months later, on August 23, because of pressure from her constituents. But that cap can be increased to either the average base salaries of the three highest-paid city managers in comparable cities or his base salary with the merit or other increases – whichever is lower. That is hardly a “salary cap.”
Rodriguez has plenty of time to appear on Fox News and Newsmax yet misses key votes that affect every El Pasoan, and then she lies about or distorts her voting record with the hope of being reelected.
Please vote for Art Fierro on December 17.