El Paso County Attorney sues Socorro to stop annexation, asks for restraining order

El Paso County Attorney Jo Anne Bernal has filed a lawsuit against the City of Socorro to stop the annexation of a portion of San Elizario.

The suit was filed Tuesday afternoon. Bernal also is requesting the court grant a restraining order to stop any annexation proceedings

“The members of Socorro City Council are without authority to act on the annexation because the City has unlawfully extended the terms of office for each of its council members,” Bernal says in the lawsuit. “It is axiomatic that a city council without legal authority to hold office has no legal authority to proceed with the annexation of private and public lands.”

Bernal is challenging the proposed annexation of 33 acres of County-owned land plus land not owned by the County, but in the Historic District of San Elizario, which includes the El Paso Mission Trail Historical area, which is subject to County regulation.

The County land is protected to be used for regional draining for the Sparks Arroyo Project. The County has invested $2.4 milllion on the site.