District 4 Rep. wanted $10K donation for Police Memorial returned

El Paso City Council Tuesday voted down an agenda item that would ask the El Paso Municipal Police Officers Association to return a $10,000 donation by former District 4 City Representative Carl Robinson.

Robinson, who could not run for re-election because he was termed-out, donated the $10,000, allocated from his office’s discretionary funds, to the police union shortly before he left office.

Newly-elected District 4 City Representative Sam Morgan is upset Robinson donated the money, leaving Morgan’s office with a small amount of discretionary funds.

Morgan put an item on the agenda, asking Council to repeal the authorization of the discretionary fund expenditures. Council voted on the item and did not approve it, meaning the donation stands.

The vote was 5-3, with only Morgan, and City Representatives Claudia Ordaz-Perez and Michel Noe voting in favor of the item.

Robinson spoke before Council Tuesday, telling city reps the discretionary funds would be used to repair the police memorial at Chuck Heinrich Park. Robinson reminded Council the police union installed grass at the park, owned and operated by the City, in 2005.

“The money that I allocated as discretionary funds while I was a city representative was money that I saved over the past eight years. I could have spent that money sooner, but I feel the $10,000 I allocated, which was approved unanimously by City Council, is to enhance the memorial at Chuck Heinrich Park,” Robinson said.

“The reason we need to renovate (the memorial) is pretty simple. We have lost 31 officers in El Paso. We do not have room in our monument to add another name,” said Ron Martin, president of the police union. “We will add new names to that monument. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but we will.”

Martin told Council the police union has about $40,000 to renovate and repair the monument. The union hopes to raise $120,000 to enhance and expand the memorial, which is often the target of graffiti.

“The union has always pushed this issue but we never expected the City pay for it because in the past, it never has, so it was an honor when Carl called to ask if he donate,” Martin said, “He made the gesture in good faith. It was a legal gesture. It was run by the city attorney.”

City Attorney Sylvia Borunda-Firth agreed. “The disbursement of discretionary funds was legal. It is a valid use of City funds. It is improving an enhancement within a City park. Mr. Robinson did check with legal before he placed it in the agenda and it was a lawful appropriation,” the city attorney said.

Robinson claimed Morgan wants the police union to return the money because Morgan is upset the union did not endorse him in the recent election.

“Endorsements are endorsements. Politics is politics. This isn’t about politics. This is about dead police officers,” Martin said.

Morgan declined to comment on the comments made by Martin and Robinson.