Svarzbein’s Agenda Item: Council should discuss denying City contracts to Border Wall vendors

City Rep. Peter Svarzbein has placed an item on next week’s City Council agenda calling for discussion on prohibiting City of El Paso funds to be awarded to contractors and vendors who receive federal contracts related to the construction of the proposed border wall.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has indicated it intends to issue solicitation for contractors and vendors on or about March 6, 2017.

Svarzbein is against any further building of the border wall in the El Paso area.

“My thought here is not to be against any business, small or large, in the region. This item really is about having a conversation and beginning a dialogue about what kind of infrastructure we want and need here,” Svarzbein said.

“We don’t need a wall, we need more bridges,” Svarzbein said, “Our city, our region is safe and this kind of project is not the kind of project that showcases our values and identity here as a border community.”

The city representative said the estimated $16 billion the border wall will cost will be better spent elsewhere given there is already a border fence along the US-Mexico Border.

“The money could be best served, fortifying and security and enhancing the technology along our ports of entry,” Svarzbein said.

The El Paso Association of Builders and the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce both indicated Svarzbein’s proposal is not business friendly and may not be legal.

“I believe this is restraint of trade,” Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Richard Dayoub told ABC-7. “With all due respect to Rep. Svarzbein, I don’t see the logic in the process. We certainly will be there to speak in opposition to it. We feel like it is candidly a waste of everyone’s energy and time to focus on something like this.”

Dayoub further stated, Iif they were to pass something like that, what message are they sending to Austin in terms of the issue of sanctuary cities? I think this is picking a fight you don’t need to pick, and by the way, you can’t win.”

“To try to get council to take an action, that I believe is restraint of trade in its very core, could really open a bucket of worms for city council,” said Ray Adauto, the executive vice president of the El Paso Association of Builders. “Construction work is construction work and we need what we can get , and to restrict it with that, may be actually against federal law.”