City Council to consider next steps on campaign bill policy

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso City Representatives are set to vote Tuesday to advance a policy that would change how the city bills candidates and campaigns for events held in El Paso.

As ABC-7 uncovered, there currently is no policy in place to coordinate extra costs for public safety services with campaigns ahead of time. That has let to a more than half a million dollar bill that the city still considers outstanding from a 2019 rally held by then-President Donald Trump at the El Paso County Coliseum.

Records requests for that bill made by ABC-7 showed there was no agreement between the city and campaign on those costs before the event.

City staff are bringing a draft of policy for city council approval during Tuesday's meeting. The points included cover what types of officials or candidates get Secret Service protection, and how the city's new policy would cover extras beyond that protective mission.