Editor’s note: This article has updated El Paso County’s costs associated with the information campaign and added that county commissioners and county staff were responsible for the bond information campaign.
Voting yes or no on nearly $720 million worth of property tax-backed bond projects is the question facing El Paso County voters on the long-term ballot Nov. 5.
In addition, voters within El Paso city limits face a third decision related to bonds. It’s whether to cancel $128.5 million in bonds approved for a long-proposed but never built multipurpose arena downtown.
The $324 million El Paso County Capital Improvement Bond issuance includes improvements to Ascarate Park and other county parks, renovations to the 82-year-old El Paso County Coliseum campus, construction of several facilities, including new animals, and more. Contains more than one project. shelter.
Voters can choose to vote for or against each proposal individually. The crowded election ballots are labeled alphabetically from A to E.
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According to county information, if all five proposals are approved, property taxes for homes with an average taxable value or assessed value of $201,000 in 2024 would be about $5 a month for many years, or about That would be an increase of $60.
Each proposal has a corresponding property tax cost, ranging from an average of about $5 per year for the least expensive proposal to build a new medical examiner’s office to about $20 per year for the most expensive proposal to renovate the county coliseum campus. There is.
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The county has hired Barracuda Public Relations, an El Paso marketing firm, to facilitate and coordinate 24 community meetings throughout most of 2024 to solicit public input on project proposals as part of the process to obtain a final list of bond projects. Paid $539,750 to collect.
By law, county officials cannot support bond issuances, only provide information about the project. A county spokesperson said county staff and commissioners have been in charge of the county’s information campaign since commissioners voted in August to put the bond on the Nov. 5 ballot.
In addition to staff time, about $4,000 was spent printing the information campaign, a county spokesperson said. The information campaign includes a bond website (epcounty.com/2024bond) with specific information about the project.
As far as county officials are aware, there are no private organizations supporting the county capital improvement bond.
But a small group of fiscally conservative El Pasoans is campaigning, “It’s Okay to Vote No on El Paso Bonds,” which increases property taxes and prevents county bonds and county-owned El Paso University. He said he opposes the medical center’s $397 million project bond issue. Group leader Guadalupe Guinel. Housing rents will also go up, she says.
If voters approve all five county bond proposals and the UMC bond issue, homeowners would see their property taxes increase by an average of $132 a year for many years.
The El Paso County Republican Party also opposes the bond and the city’s proposal to cancel a $128.5 million bond for a downtown multipurpose arena that was never built. A “yes” on the city’s Proposition A would end the city’s arena dreams.
Voters can check voting order for bond proposals and political races via their personal ballot on the El Paso County Elections Department website.
Vic Kolenc can be reached at 915-546-6421. vkolenc@elpasotimes.com; @vikolenc Currently known as X on Twitter
