Audit: Big Savings If County Takes Over Sewage Inspections
By Stephanie Valle
EL PASO — The Assistant County Auditor notified El Paso County Commissioners Court that $150,000 to $200,000 of taxpayer money could be saved if the countytook over on-site sewage inspections from the city.
Assistant County Auditor Wally Hardgrove on Monday presented a committee’s findings to the court. The committee is made up ofmembersfrom theCounty Auditor’s office, the medical examiner, and the interim director of the City County Health District, Dr. Robert Galvan.That bodyexamined if any operations could be run by the county at a lower cost than the city proposed.
Hardgrove said the city is currently charging $354,786 annually to perform on-site sewage inspections in the smaller, surrounding cities and the outlying areas of the county. He said the committee found those same functions could be managed for $209,000. Hardgrove added that cost could drop by charging a sewage fee of $47,000 to the outlying areas and other inspection fees through contracts with the smaller cities in the county, eventually bringing the cost between $100,000 to $120,000 a year.
The court unanimously agreed to ask the County Attorney’s office to notify the city that the county will be taking back on-site sewage inspections effective September 1.
