Commissioners postpone vote on $54 million Certificate of Obligation
Update: ABC-7 spoke to El Paso County Commissioner for Precinct 3 Iliana Holguin about the potential C.O.
"I have always felt that we should limit the use of certificates of obligation to emergency projects where we maybe don't have the time to wait for the time that it would take to get an item on the ballot," Holguin said on Wednesday.
Certificates of Obligation are approved by County Commissioners and do not need a public vote.
General Obligation bonds, are put on the ballot for voters to decide, like the five propositions in last November's election.
"I know water infrastructure is important. Yes, roads are critical," El Paso resident Max Grossman said advocating for a general obligation bond. "That will be easy to make the case to the voters."
"The people of Hillcrest and the people in El Paso County that don't have water, they trust in you," El Pasoan Rose Lucero said in support of the C.O.s. "We will continue to do any work that is necessary to support water and wastewater projects in El Paso County."
Commissioner Holguin explained that there are other options beyond next Monday's meeting.
"There's still room for discussion about placing the debt issuance question to the voters in November, potentially finding other avenues to fund some of these more emergent and immediate projects," she said.
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- El Paso County Commissioners postponed a decision on funding $54 million in Certificates of Obligation at Monday's Commissioners Court meeting.
The proposed debt issuance would not require voter approval and would include "street improvements, utility system improvements, flood control improvements, and HVAC improvements at the Family Youth Services Center, and resolving other matters relating to the subject," according to the County.
Deputy County Administrator Jose Landeros outlined five projects in the presentation:
- 1st Street Channel in Canutillo ($2.5 million)
- Demolish a portion of 1st street from West to Talbot in order to build a new storm water channel next to the new roadway
- Ascencion Road in Horizon City ($16 million)
- Improve part of the road between Horizon and Gregg to improve riding conditions and safety concerns
- First-Time Water & Wastewater Services in Canutillo ($24 million)
- Schuman, Ponderosa, Western Village and Serene Acres
- New wastewater collection system with about 37,000 linear feet of 12-inch and 8-inch diameter wastewater main lines will connect about 400 properties to new sewer services
- Replace about 1,800 linear feet of existing 8-inch water main lines
- Phase 2 - Hillcrest Estates Water Improvements Project in Far East El Paso ($9.5 million)
- Provides first time water service to residents in the Hillcrest Estates area
- 8-inch and 12-inch PVC pipe, water service connections and appurtenances, stub-out connections and appurtenances, 8-inch and 12-inch gate valves, project-wide video tape, pavement removal and replacement, cement stabilized backfill, concrete cap, fire hydrants, one master meter and all appurtenances, trench safety, and project-wide traffic control
- Family Youth Services HVAC Modernization in Far East El Paso ($2 million)
- Replaces 5 variable refrigerate flow (VRF) units
