Emotional goodbyes from Mayor Oscar Leeser and outgoing Council reps

There were plenty of teary goodbyes at Tuesday’s El Paso City Council meeting.

It was the last meeting for Mayor Oscar Leeser, Reps. Emma Acosta, Lily Limon, Jim Tolbert and Carl Robinson.

Mayor Leeser decided not to seek re-election and will be succeeded by newly elected Mayor Dee Margo.

Leeser took time during the meeting to thank his wife Lisa in an emotional statement.

“She was the support we needed to move forward. I left my business for four years and she knew it was going to suffer. And our business suffered about thirty percent,” Leeser said. “She went to work to try and help because she knew what it meant for me to be here. She has been a great wife, a great friend and in the last year a great nurse. Thank you.”

The mayor suffered health problems toward the end of his term.

Leeser gave his wife the key to the city.

Rep. Emma Acosta gifted the mayor a pair of cowboy boots, while Rep. Robinson gave him a cowboy hat.

Juarez Mayor Armando Cabada and Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima were also on hand to thank Mayor Leeser for his service and his efforts to unite the Borderland regions in order to attract more businesses to the region.

“It has been an honor serving the city and I want to thank you all. I remember 1967 when I came from Mexico, didn’t speak a word of English, didn’t know how to read or write and literally got thrown out of public school. And they told my mother and I will never forget this, that I was an animal. That I could not go to public school. My mother got me back in school and let’s move forward to today to have the honor to lead the city of El Paso. It is incredible. Thank you,” Leeser said.

The mayor donated his salary over four years to various causes and groups.

Rep. Limon was also emotional as she spoke.

“I started my day today as I did before every council meeting for four years. And I went to 6:30 mass at San Rafael. And there are all of these circles in life. So, I went asking for courage,” Limon said.

Limon said she came to the council meeting hopeful of being able to contain her emotions.

“This is going to be okay. This is going to be fine, and then the mayor cried,” Limon said.

The mayor joked “I did not.”

“The mayor cried and cried and cried,” Limon said.

City Manager Tommy Gonzalez had some parting words for the outgoing city officials.

“On your final council meeting we wish you good luck, not that you need it. Many blessings to you today, and for the rest of your future. Farewell and thank you to all of you,” Gonzalez said

Reps. Niland, Tolbert and Noe were not present for the council meeting.

In District 3, voters elected Cassandra Hernandez Brown to replace Rep. Acosta.

In District 2, incumbent Jim Tolbert lost his seat to Alexsandra Annello.

In District 4, Sam Morgan defeated Shane Haggerty.

Robert Cormell and Cissy Lizarraga are heading to a runoff in the special election to fill the District 8 seat vacated by Cortney Niland. Cormell received more than 42 percent of the vote, not enough to avoid a runoff.