ABC-7 Xtra Sunday – County Coliseum Contracts and Controversies
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- The El Paso County Coliseum is one of the Borderland's longest-running entertainment venues, operating since the 1940s.
It's where generations of people in El Paso have gone for concerts, performances, rodeos and more.
And more recently, it's been the subject of contract issues and ABC-7 investigations into those disputes.
While the county looks at what the future of the Coliseum's management and facilities will be, questions about the transparency of that process remain.
So what's at stake, and what are the legal ramifications?
This Sunday on ABC-7 Xtra, join host Andrew J. Polk as we dig deeper into what has gone on in public and behind the scenes and how the situation stands now.
Plus, an encore presentation of the special report "Past Due? An ABC-7 Investigation," all about the bill the City of El Paso says it's owed by the Donald Trump campaign from a rally at the Coliseum in 2019.
Tune in Sunday night at 10:35 PM, right after ABC-7 at 10.
To see the full Request for Proposals for the Coliseum management contract and bidding process from the County, click here.
In response to ABC-7's request for an interview with county staff about the RFP and bidding process open now, an El Paso County spokesperson sent the following statement:
"El Paso Sports Commission is the current contract holder and has had this contract for 23 years.
This contract has been extended multiple times in the past for various reasons including a study pending renovations, COVID, pending direction on the Bridge of the Americas and a GO Bond election.
It is one of the longest standing contracts the County has.
It is in the best interest of the residents to ensure services like these are bid out every few years to ensure the best product at the best price.
While the County has the ability to enter into an interlocal agreement, and is encouraged to do so via state law, the County has decided to go with the RFP route and any and all qualified entities are encouraged to participate. Currently, the County has over 300 interlocal agreements with various government agencies."
