El Paso City Council to conduct final interviews for city manager position

EL PASO, TX (KVIA) -- El Paso City Council is set to conduct final interviews today with the four finalists for the City Manager position, with a decision potentially being announced by the end of the day.

The interviews will take place during the council’s executive session. This is the last step in a selection process that began in March 2023. The process has faced criticism in recent weeks, with some community members expressing concerns.

Committee member Cindy Conroy told ABC-7 that she believes the process was “rushed.” In a press conference last week, Mayor Oscar Leeser addressed what he calls misconceptions and misinformation.

Mayor Leeser provided a timeline of the process, where it shows the process began when council voted unanimously to prepare an RFP to select an Executive recruiting firm in March of 2023. Over the last year, the city also conducted multiple meetings to inform residents and gather their input, including recent meet-and-greets with the finalists.

The four candidates being considered for the role are all current city employees:

• Robert Cortinas: Chief Financial Officer and Deputy City Manager for Internal Services.

• Mario D’Agostino: Deputy City Manager for Public Health and Safety, overseeing police, fire, and public health departments.

• Nicole Ferrini: Director of Community and Human Development, focusing on housing affordability and homelessness.

• Dionne Mack: Deputy City Manager for Quality of Life, managing museums, libraries, and parks.

Leeser also emphasized the benefits of hiring locally, “Why don't we pick someone from out of town? We went that route twice before. Now, it’s time to stay local and look in our own backyard. We have four highly capable candidates who can move our city forward,” he said. The previous two city managers, Tommy Gonzalez and Joyce Wilson, were from out of town.

Leeser says they are hoping to announce their decision later today, with the new city manager set to start on September 3.

Stay with ABC-7 for updates regarding the decision.