City Council candidate’s district residency questioned
ABC-7 looked into claims a woman running to represent Northeast El Paso on City Council will not have lived in that part of the city long enough to meet the residency requirements for municipal candidates.
The El Paso city charter calls for city council candidates to be residents of El Paso for 12 months and to live in their district for 6 months before the election.
The city’s municipal election is May 6, 2017.
An ABC-7 viewer had payroll records showing candidate Diana Ramos was living in Washington, D.C. while working for El Paso Congressman Beto O’Rourke until resigning at the end of Sept. 2016.
Ramos told ABC-7 her job as a congressional staffer proves she is and always has been an El Paso resident.
“I continued to make every aspect of my life vested in this community because I care so much about it and because I am an El Pasoan and I keep coming back,” Ramos said.
Ramos kept her permanent address in El Paso while in D.C.
“I’ve always been a permanent resident of El Paso,” Ramos said. “I’ve been able to file my taxes here. I voted here.”
Ramos, 27, grew up on the far eastside. She told ABC-7 that she and her husband chose to live in Northeast El Paso after leaving D.C. Ramos’ husband is stationed at Ft. Bliss and she said they appreciate the northeast for its military ties.
“I’m really running because I love this community,” Ramos said. “I think that should be the best message and the only message I want to put through.”
Ramos said that she verified with the Texas Ethics Commission that she met the residency requirements before filing to run in the District 4 race.
According to the city website, four people have appointed a campaign treasurer for the Dist. 4 race. But so far, only Ramos and Sam Morgan have officially filed for their names to be on the May 6 ballot.
