New Year Brings New Leaders For County Government

County Judge Veronica Escobar will be joined by two newly sworn-in county commissioners during next Monday’s meeting.

David Stout is replacing Sergio Lewis in precinct 2, which covers parts of Central and South El Paso.

Andrew Haggerty, the nephew of former County Commissioner, Dan Haggerty, is taking over the precinct 4 seat his uncle held for years. It covers northeast El Paso and the West Side. When Dan Haggerty lost his battle to cancer, Patrick Abeln served the remainder of his term. Abeln did not run for the precinct 4 seat.

Escobar, re-elected by voters in November, has high hopes for her second term, but says commissioners court needs to focus on a laundry-list of goals in the first quarter of 2015.

“We have to make sure we’re prepared and operated in the best, most successful way possible,” said Escobar.

Among the challenges facing the county: 16 upcoming transportation projects, improving the relationship between University Medical Center and El Paso Children’s Hospital, creating a new budget office and hiring a firm to finish work at the County Sportspark.

Newly-elected commissioner, David Stout, told ABC-7 he’s ready to tackle a problem that has plagued his district for some time now. “We’re seeing low water levels at Ascarate Park again,” said Stout, “We just learned a couple weeks ago that we dug a well (at the park) that’s not even on (county) property.”

Andrew Haggerty spoke in a more fiscally conservative tone during his swearing-in ceremony in Northeast El Paso. “I have no problem with progression as long as it’s done smartly,” said Haggerty, “We need to make sure we’re not voting for everything and then trying to pay for it later.”

Escobar believes the newly established county leadership can get the job done. “I hope we continue to take the lead on important projects that help transform this community in a positive way, but we have to have a strong organization in order to do that.”