El Paso City Council moves to draft resolution to disclose city-funded travel

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Tuesday, the El Paso City Council unanimously voted to approve an agenda item directing the city attorney and manager to draft a resolution requiring the public disclosure of city-funded travel expenses.

In September, an ABC-7 investigation revealed members of the El Paso County Commissioners Court spent nearly a quarter of a million dollars traveling on taxpayers' tab over the last five years.

Commissioners made dozens of legislative trips across the country -- and even the world, including Taiwan.

Since then, commissioners and the county judge have discussed ways to improve their travel policy to share the reasons why they travel and how it benefits taxpayers.

El Paso City Council started that discussion, too.

City Representative Chris Canales called for members of the council to report any city-funded travel expenses once they're back.

Backup documents on Tuesday's meeting agenda said the recent public scrutiny of travel expenditures in other local government entities prompted the proposal.

Members of the council get discretionary funds, and on top of that, they get $6,000 to travel.