Cultural Center Sub-Committee Will Have New Leader

The group tasked with overseeing the construction of a brand new cultural center will now have new leadership.

Originally, El Paso City Council appointed Bernie Sargent, who leads the Bond Oversight Advisory Committee, to be the chair of the Cultural Center Sub-committee.

Sargent has said voters approved a cultural center, not an Hispanic Cultural Center, a main point of disagreement.

Tuesday, council voted to allow the sub-committee to form it’s own leadership without Sargent.

The sub-committee will consist of volunteers appointed by council. It will meet at city hall and its meetings will be public. Its first report is due April 28th.

During Tuesday’s discussion, more people again urged council to designate the cultural center a “Mexican American Cultural Institute.”

“What other cultural group came forward? Where are they?” asked Hector Montes during the city council meeting.

Montes was reacting to the debate over whether other cultures should be represented in the voter-approved cultural center. “When did they come forward and say, ‘We want to be included,'” Montes said.

According to Montes, El Pasoans should not assume that an Hispanic cultural center would not include other cultures.