Motion to override Mayor Leeser’s veto fails

A motion to override Mayor Oscar Leeser’s veto of a move to publish the City’s intent to issue $44 million in certificates of obligation failed Tuesday.

The non-voter approved debt would have helped pay for projects involving streets, a police parking garage, parks, libraries and public art.

The City of El Paso is currently $1.4 billion in debt. More than $500 million is due to certificates of obligation, non-voter approved debt.

City Representatives Michiel Noe and Claudia Ordaz voted to override the mayor’s veto. Representatives Carl Robinson, Lily Limon, Peter Svarzbein, and Jim Tolbert voted against overriding the veto. City Reps Cortney Niland and Emma Acosta were absent.

“These are projects we identified as priority projects for the city of El Paso,” District 6 Rep. Claudia Ordaz said. “I am concerned I do not want to put any more delays.”

Noe had previously told ABC-7 he is concerned about the city’s reputation if it fails to complete projects it promised. Tuesday, the East El Paso City Rep said, “It’s politics and I’m getting used to it. People make promises they have no intention of keeping, and those promises they do keep, are only when they have an election coming up.”

Noe said he hoped, that by overriding the mayor’s veto, Council could secure funding for several Metropolitan Planning Organization projects the City is contractually obligated to fund. “These (projects) cannot wait until the next budget session. These have to be funded right away,” Noe said.

Mayor Oscar Leeser said he is not against funding the projects, rather, against issuing more debt to pay for the work.

“We’re not going back on commitments … we just need to live within our means. This is going to cost a lot of taxpayers money,” Leeser said.

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez was tasked with looking for funding to pay for the projects without taking on new debt. Time-sensitive projects will be given priority, officials said.