Preservationists file 2nd petition, want voters to decide fate of TIRZ 12
The group seeking to protect hundreds of acres of land in Northwest El Paso from development submitted a second petition with hundreds of signatures.
El Paso City Council recently voted to approve Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone 12 in order to attract developers to the Northwest El Paso desert. The TIRZ would make it easier to develop 100 acres of city-owned land, including an area called the “Lost Dog Trail.”
A group working to protect that land from developers submitted hundreds of signatures to get city council to reverse that decision, but it failed to get city leaders to change their mind. Now, the group wants voters to decide.
El Paso’s City Clerk office is time-stamping 200 pages containing 23-hundred signatures gathered by Rick Bonart and his wife, Sharon Miles Bonart.
“They do not want the land in the northwest corridor, next to Transmountain Road, they do not want it developed,” Sharon Miles Bonart said.
The question now is if voters will decide in November 2018 or in May 2019.
“Of course we want it in November because we want the citizens to have the opportunity to take their voice to a vote. Which the city council has not listened to,” said Rick Bonart.
A spokesman with the City told ABC-7 the last day to place an item on the November 6th ballot is Monday, August 20, 2018. If the required number of signatures are not approved by then, the question could be on the May 2019 ballot.
