ABC-7 Xtra: City Expenditures, Your Tax dollars

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A city representative and a former member of the city ethic's review commission shared their thoughts on the alleged excessive use of city-issued gas cards by one former city representative, as well as a current city council member on ABC-7 Xtra Sunday.

The city's financial audit and oversight committee reviewed an audit by the city's chief financial auditor earlier this month.

That auditor found two city representatives, one of whom is no longer in office, were spending thousands of dollars in gasoline using city-issued taxpayer-funded gas cards.

The auditor, Edmundo Calderon, called the amount of fuel used by District 3 Represented Cassandra Hernandez excessive.

Here's the breakdown, and according to the audit. Former District 6 Representative Claudia Rodriguez allegedly accounted for 27% of all fuel purchases among the council members and mayor in 2022, buying 1,428 gallons of gas and spending $5,293.

The audit also shows District 3 Representative Cassandra Hernandez used 35% of all fuel purchases in 2022, buying a little more than 1,943 gallons of gas, spending $6,691. Furthermore, a report showed Hernandez filling up her gas tank three times in one week.

Both District 4 Representative Joe Molinar and former ethics commissioner member Adolfo Telles expressed concern over the findings of the auditor's report.