City Council Approves Tax-Rate In 2007-2008 Budget

EL PASO, TX – The El Paso City Council votedformally Tuesdayto implement the 2007-2008 city budget.

The $292-million dollar budget, anew record for the city,represents an effective tax rate of 8.45% per$100 dollars of valuation on residential properties.

However, due toa larger tax base, higher property valuations and a newly adopted $5,000 dollar homestead exemption, a majority of homeowners will see a decrease in the actual money they pay out for their properties.

Representatives Eddie Holguin, Melina Castro and Rachel Quintana voted against the budget.

Quintana, the representative from district five,presented a motion that would free close to $2-million dollars from the budget to pay off debt the city has accumulated.

Quintana took some heat from her colleagues because her motion came a week after the budget was approved. Her motion was too little, too late, they said.

“I did get some criticism but I thought it would be the best thing to do right away…especially, since I was challenged by the mayor to make some revisions and some requests,” said Quintana.

“It’s very difficult your first year and the very first thing you have to do after getting sworn in is to vote on the budget and the after that you get sworn at,” said Mayor John Cook, who believes Quintana’s late motion is a result of her inexperience.

Quintanatells ABC-7 some of the itemsshe wanted to cut the $2-million dollarsfrom were based on recommendations from City Manager Joyce Wilson’s office. However, During discussion of the motion, Wilson claimed many of the her proposed cuts were unrealistic.

In a statement released late Tuesday afternoon, Quintana expressed her disappointment with her colleagues: