El Paso County starting budget talks, considering new costs for infrastructure

El Paso County Commissioners have started on the long and complicated process of figuring out a budget for next year. The county is having to focus more on infrastructure in unincorporated parts of the county because of growth outside of cities. And as county leaders get started on the budget season, it could have an impact on what you pay in taxes next year.

“At this point, (budget talks have) been pretty high level, more like talking about what revenue is coming in,” said County Judge Veronica Escobar (D). “We won’t know for certain what the tax rolls are coming in on – I think sometime this month, we’ll know for certain.”

But there are new concerns coming to the forefront like that greater focus on infrastructure in the county.

“We have just, for the first time ever as a commissioners court during this strategic planning session that took place a month ago,” Escobar said, “for the first time ever, we agreed that we want more urbanized services in the urbanized area.”

Commissioner Vince Perez, (D) Precinct 3 knows the county is still dealing with unincorporated development from decades ago. That mainly manifests in the colonias, or areas that the Texas secretary of state defines as “a residential area along the Texas-Mexico border that may lack some of the most basic living necessities, such as potable water and sewer systems, electricity, paved roads, and safe and sanitary housing.”

“Back then, there was sort of – there was irresponsible development that took place where they essentially preyed on individuals who were very vulnerable,” Perez said. “Where they promised them cheap land and the opportunity of the American dream of buying their own home, or building their own home on site. So that’s why you’ll see that this land isn’t really cleared out.”

And where there is catch-up on utilities, there’s also greater stress on roads and highways.

“We’ve invested about $200 million in roads just in this part of town alone,” Perez said.”

So while the budget process is just getting going, commissioners are already considering the impact these new issues will have on the final tax rate.

“It will absolutely come with a budget increase to public works,” Escobar said. “To ask a department to have its divisions do far more than ever before, we’d be kidding ourselves if we didn’t realize that came with an added allocation.”

The county’s fiscal year 2017 and new budget will start this October.