Council approves resignation of Central city Rep. Romero

The El Paso City Council approved the resignation of city Rep. Larry Romero during a special meeting Thursday afternoon.

Romero, who represents Central El Paso, suffered a stroke in December, his wife told ABC-7.

The District 2 rep. and City Manager Tommy Gonzalez are under investigation for their role in the search for a new financial adviser. Gonzalez authorized the process to find a new firm after Romero suggested it during a public city council meeting but without a vote from council.

City officials almost hired firm Estrada Hinojosa, a company whose CEO had once worked with Romero and whom Romero had suggested to city officials in the past without initially disclosing their former business ties.

Council in December hired ethics attorney Ross Fischer to review the search for a new financial adviser. Earlier this month, the El Paso City Ethics Commission ruled Romero would have to answer questions even if he officially resigned.

Romero turned in a written resignation in January that council had to either approve or deny the resignation.

In the letter, Romero said, “Based on consultation with my physicians and my family, my efforts and concentration need to be dedicated solely to my recovery and my health.”

“Did the stress of all this contribute to him doing that you have to wonder,” Noe said.

As soon as Friday’s meeting started, it was moved behind closed doors into executive session.

“Somebody still had a question as to which options were available,” said Dr. Michiel Noe, District 5 representative.

Noe said whether council approved or denied Romero’s resignation, it wouldn’t have made any difference.

“If he properly resigned we have no choice but to accept it,” Noe said.

Now that Romero’s resignation is official, Mayor Oscar Leeser said the city can move forward and begin the election process for a new representative, which will require a special election in May.

But even though Romero has officially resigned, Leeser said Romero still has his seat.

“He’s still part of the City Council and he will continue to get paid and he could very easily come and vote if he wanted to because he is still part of council,” Leeser said.

The mayor also wanted to remind District 2 residents that if they have any issues or concerns they can still call the district office and those concerns will be taken up by Romero’s staff.

Romero has also come under fire the a set of speed humps the city installed in front of Cathedral High School.

About a year ago, Romero, a Cathedral alum, requested the humps, which were approved by Gonzalez shortly after. City officials confirmed Gonzalez attended two community meetings where residents expressed concern over traffic safety on Stanton Street near the high schools. Gonzalez then approved the speed humps, meant to slow traffic in the area.

However, the city of El Paso requires residents to submit an application to request street changes using its Neighborhood Traffic Management Program. ABC-7 learned late last year there was no evidence the city followed its own process.

ABC-7 discovered the city used more than $9,000 from its general fund to pay for the speed humps, instead of the NTMP.

Last month, the El Paso Times reported that the speed humps were in fact paid for with money from the NTMP and not the general fund as city officials had said. According to the newspaper, city Chief Financial Officer Mark Sutter in September directed a budget transfer from the NTMP to the general fund to cover the cost of the project, about seven months after the installation.

In an email, Sutter told the Times that Gonzalez, “did not direct funding issues. Staff had inventory available from the Neighborhood Traffic Management Program, so that inventory was used and the program was reimbursed from the general fund.”