El Paso is the sixth largest city in Texas but has the highest outstanding debt in certificates of obligation. $642,000,000 in CO debt has been authorized since 2012 without voter approval, with $293,000,000 of that authorized since 2019 alone (previous emails below).
The attached table was published in the 2020 Local Government Annual Report of the Texas Bond Review Board, and it shows that El Paso’s per capita CO debt stands at $793 for every man, woman and child, which is $97 more than the per capita CO debt of the five largest Texas cities combined! Of course, this figure does not factor in the lower wages in El Paso.
Who are the politicians responsible for burdening our children and grandchildren with hundreds of millions in debt without our consent? Here are the CO voting records of our current El Paso City Council Reps:
Svarzbein, District 1, authorized $408,800,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. YES
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. YES
1/8/19 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 YES
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Annello, District 2, authorized $393,250,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. NO
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. YES
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. NO
1/8/9 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 YES
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Hernandez, District 3, authorized $408,800,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. YES
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. YES
1/8/9 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 YES
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Molinar, District 4, $0
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B NO
Salcido, District 5, authorized $404,000,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. NO
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. YES
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. YES
1/8/9 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 YES
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Rodriguez, District 6, $0
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B NO
Rivera, District 7, authorized $408,800,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. YES
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. YES
1/8/9 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 YES
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Lizarraga, District 8, authorized $293,300,000 in COs
7/25/17 Allow COs for QOL bond projects, up to $100M per issuance. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $41.05M in COs for public safety and infrastructure. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $4.8M for the Paseo de la Luces. YES
8/7/17 Borrow $22.9M in COs for QOL bond projects. YES
8/22/17 Authorize increasing City property tax $0.05 because of CO debt YES
12/19/17 Borrow $15.5M for East Sports Complex. ABSENT
7/23/18 Borrow $20.8M in COs to increase funding for Children’s Museum YES
8/23/18 Borrow $10,750,000 in COs to increase funding for Cultural Ctr. YES
1/8/9 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2019 ABSENT
1/7/20 Authorize issuing $100M in COs, Series 2020 YES
4/13/21 Authorize issuing $93M in COs, Series 2021A and 2021B YES
Enjoy your day.