District Clerk Wants To End Passport Service At Courthouse
It doesn’t make sense.
That’s the reason District Clerk Gilbert Sanchez says his office will no longer provide passports at the El Paso County Courthouse.
But others say passports are big moneymakers for the county, so they’re fighting to keep the service.
Passport service is not mandated by state law.
Sanchez says rather than fighting with commissioners to help fund the non-mandated service he’d rather end it.
“I don’t know why they want to close this,” said Ivan Armas, a passport applicant waiting at the courthouse.
He says the passport service at the County Courthouse is convenient and much faster than other places.
“I called the post office yesterday and the next appointment is in two weeks, that’s too long you know,” Armas said.
But Sanchez says County Commissioners have never properly funded the service.
“I’ve had to use manpower from the courts in order to run it… and in all fairness they’ve never supported me,” Sanchez said.
Tuesday afternoon, more than 20 people were waiting outside the passport office at the County Courthouse.
County officials say passports have generated more $2.5 million since 2006.
“That money doesn’t stay here, it all goes to the County Commissioners and guess what, they decide where that money goes,” said Sanchez.
He says the county isn’t giving him a fair cut to work with.
That’s a claim that doesn’t sit well with Commissioner Veronica Escobar.
“He cannot say with a straight face that he did not get support,” Escobar said. “He got space, he got equipment, he got staffing, he got overtime.”
County leaders are working on a stop gap to keep the service going. The idea is for the County Clerk to do something in the interim and see if the incoming District Clerk is interested in carrying it out, Escobar said.
Incoming District Clerk Norma Favela does intend to resume passport service when her term begins.
However, County Clerk Delia Briones needs to be certified by the state department to handle passports between now and then.
