El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser speaks about future of Multipurpose Center

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- This coming Tuesday, voters in the City of El Paso will decide the fate of the long-languishing Multipurpose Performing Arts and Entertainment Facility, also known as the Multipurpose Center (MPC) or arena.

On the ballot is a choice to keep or eliminate millions of dollars in debt that were previously approved but haven't been used yet to build the project.

A vote in favor of Proposition A would remove the City's ability to issue the remaining $128.5 million in general obligation bonds for the multipurpose performing arts and entertainment facility.

Voting "against" the proposition means the city can move forward with borrowing the remaining authorized funds to build the MPC.

In the November 2012 Quality of Life bond election, voters approved a total of $180 million to build the arena. The $128.5 million on the ballot remains after the city spent the difference on acquiring properties in Downtown El Paso's Duranguito neighborhood, south of the convention center.

ABC-7 spoke with El Paso Mayor Oscar Leeser to learn more about the proposition.

"Let's go back to 2012, I think that's really important when you look at when the voters were asked to vote on it and it was up on the ballot for $180 million, they were lied to, they were misled. The city manager at the time had told the voters that you could build a 15,000-seat arena, that you could make it a multi-purpose center for $180 million; you couldn't do it," said Mayor Leeser.

To read the city's sample ballot click here.