Anyone who follows City Council meetings has suffered frustration when the Mayor and City Representatives disappear into Executive Session to discuss public business behind closed doors.
Our elected City leaders are absolutely forbidden from disclosing what happens in Executive Session, but there are well-connected individuals and special interest groups who somehow gain access to information that is secretly discussed, much to the detriment of the media and general public.
Now Mayor Oscar Leeser is moving to eliminate this abuse forever!
Agenda item 30 for this coming Tuesday calls for “Discussion and action to direct the City Manager and the City Attorney to eliminate City Council regularly scheduled Executive Sessions and make all items part of the public City Council meeting, so that El Pasoans receive the same access to information that special interest groups are receiving from members attending Executive Session.”
We should all support this bold move by Mayor Leeser, who is standing up for governmental transparency after witnessing countless discussions in Executive Session that should have occurred in open session.
You will see Rep. Cassandra Hernandez and her proxies express rage and disappointment at the mere suggestion that all business discussed by City Council is public business.
Her back-door maneuvering has always depended upon secret discussions.
Please write to the Mayor and City Council to express strong support for eliminating Executive Session:
mayor@elpasotexas.gov; district1@elpasotexas.gov; district2@elpasotexas.gov; district3@elpasotexas.gov; district4@elpasotexas.gov; district5@elpasotexas.gov; district6@elpasotexas.gov; district7@elpasotexas.gov; district8@elpasotexas.gov
PHOTO CREDIT: KVIA