Mayor touts job creation in unconventional State of City address

The 17th annual state of the city address was unlike the previous 16, as the mayor El Paso chose a Q&A format over making a conventional speech.

More than 500 people were on-hand for Thursday’s address at the downtown convention center.

Mayor Oscar Leeser had the Sports Commission president and County Coliseum Director Brian Kennedy ask him a list of prepared questions about city issues, including recent headlines about a dysfunctional city council and the city manager’s recent controversial raise.

“Sometimes we get a little heated, no ifs, ands and buts about that, but that really adds a little flavor to the city … it’s a healthy atmosphere and it really helps us work together,” Leeser said.

Leeser said what El Pasoans should worry about is if they had a council that agreed with 8-0 votes all the time, which is not the case. But he said to call that dysfunction is not fair.

“It’s important that we talk about that, because our city council is not dysfunctional,” Leeser said. “Some of the headlines that you read and some of the things you hear on the news, you would think, ‘Maybe El Paso is on the wrong track.’ And I can tell you that is the furthest thing from the truth.”

He went on to address several other topics including public safety, job growth — something he campaigned on — and economic development. Leeser indicated the public should view job growth and economic development as a fruit tree, understanding it takes time to blossom.

The question that drew the most interest was when he was asked about the city manager’s recent controversial raise. Leeser said when the raise was questioned, he too questioned it, but added that the adjustment was fair and that Gonzalez has created a strong team and saved the city more than $11 million.

“I had more than a couple people come up and they said if you veto it you’ll be a hero … and whatever you want to run for, you could be elected,” Lesser said. “I told them, ‘You know what, I didn’t get elected to do the popular thing. I got elected to do the right thing for the community.’ I honestly felt it could cost the city thousands maybe even millions of dollars by doing something like that and that wasn’t the right thing to do.”