State Could Transfer El Paso Tramway To Local Ownership

Funding cuts could lead to the transfer of seven state parks to local ownership, including the El Paso Tramway.

Carter Smith, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department executive director, told the Fort Worth Star Telegram the agency will have to “fundamentally realign” itself to handle a 25 percent funding cut — $162 million — in fiscal 2012 and 2013, Smith said. The cuts come as lawmakers face a budget shortfall of $12 billion to $27 billion. “Education, law enforcement, public health — all of us are facing cuts,” Smith said. With fewer resources and fewer positions, “to do our jobs … we have to look for new ways to do business.”

The Legislative Budget Board has introduced a proposal to transfer seven state parks to local governments.

General Superintendent of the El Paso State Parks John Moses, told ABC-7 he learned Monday morning that the Wyler Tramway was among those for proposed ownership transfer.

“We didn’t really have a say in how it’s playing right now,” he said.

Moses said it takes $500,000 to operate the tramway per year, without including major repairs. About 30,000 visitors use the tramway a year. The cost for a roundtrip adult ticket is $7. It is the only public tramway in Texas.

It takes more to operate than what it generates in revenue, although it does generate more revenue than the other two state parks, Hueco Tanks and the Franklin Mountains State Park.

“I hope we can keep the tramway,” Moses said.

The Texas Parks senior management will meet with members of the El Paso legislative delegation about the proposal.