Dear Friends,
David Crowder of El Paso Inc published a bombshell report yesterday focusing on El Paso’s anemic growth with respect to the nearby towns of Dona Ana County, New Mexico and the unincorporated communities in El Paso County.
While the population of Texas grew 15.9% from 2010 to 2020, El Paso’s grew only 4.6%.
Meanwhile, Las Cruces grew 14.1%, Sunland Park 18.4%, and Santa Teresa 18.5%. Socorro and Horizon City grew 7.2% and 34.4%, respectively. (See my previous email below).
Crowder cites a study by real estate company CBRE showing that 1,079 Pasoans moved to Las Cruces in 2019-2020 alone and that Las Cruces is the number one destination for families moving out of El Paso County.
Crowder interviewed the Mayor of Sunland Park, who told him that “there are people moving over here because of the lower property taxes.”
Crowder also interviewed real estate agent Norma Renz, who specializes in Santa Teresa properties, and she told him: “Yeah, most of the people who come into New Mexico from Texas, that’s exactly what they’re doing. They’re trying to save on their taxes. That’s why people move out here.”
When our property tax and debt load reach levels so high that El Pasoans are willing to pack up and leave, we enter a financial death spiral.
I hope our City leaders are paying close attention because the problem can be directly traced to their spending priorities and their votes to raise taxes.
I know that Mayor Leeser and City Reps. Molinar and Rodriguez are very concerned, as they should be.
The only solution is to significantly cut government and restrain spending, and to curtail the generous incentives that have been doled out to wealthy investors ever since the City’s Office of Economic Development became their tool for closed-door deals.
Mayor Leeser is a highly successful entrepreneur who knows how to run a business better than anyone in our City government and I am hopeful that he will provide the necessary leadership to right the ship.
Enjoy your Sunday.
Max