El Paso’s public health director is latest city official to exit during pandemic, budget crisis

EL PASO, Texas -- El Paso's public health director becomes the latest high-ranking city employee to exit amidst the coronavirus pandemic which has also triggered a budget crisis.

A city spokeswoman confirmed Monday evening that Robert Resendes will retire as the city's top health leader come May 21, after being on personal leave since at least the start of April.

Both his leave and upcoming retirement is having no impact on coronavirus testing during the current pandemic, city spokeswoman Laura Cruz-Acosta said, noting that the Office of Emergency Management is heading up the virus response effort.

Fire Chief Mario D’Agostino, who oversees the Public Health Department, is said to be examining restructuring its operations with Resendes' imminent departure.

Resendes is third department head-level manager to depart in recent weeks as the city faces what Mayor Dee Margo has estimated to be as much as a $100 million budget hit due to the virus outbreak. That budget hole has led to across-the-board pay cuts for city employees and furloughs for several hundred city workers.

Monica Lombrana, the head of operations for the El Paso International Airport, announced her retirement last week after over a quarter-century with the city; the city engineer will be assuming her duties. One of her final acts was to shutter the city's lauded Butterfield golf course in an effort to save at least a million dollars annually in the airport's budget.

It was also announced last month that Jay Banasiak, the longtime managing director of the city's Sun Metro transit system was departing; his job was consolidated into one leadership position encompassing both Sun Metro and the Environmental Services Department.

"As we are navigating unprecedented uncertainties and pressures created by the Covid-19 health and economic catastrophe, including budgetary challenges and pay cuts, some members of our workforce are choosing to move forward with retirement," said Cruz-Acosta.

She added, "It is not uncommon during challenging times or major organizational changes to see employees decide to move on to the next phase of their lives."