Former city rep. wants to eliminate El Paso city manager position

EL PASO, Texas (CBS4) — An effort to get rid of the El Paso city manager position is underway.

CBS4 learned a letter of intent requesting for the city of El Paso to eliminate the city manager position was submitted to the city clerk.

The letter was sent on August 3 from Jose Alexandro Lozano, a former city representative.

Lozano, who identified himself as a member of El Pasoans for Progressive Reform, stated the group is submitting an initiative petition for El Paso voters to amend the city's charter.

The group wants the elected mayor and elected council members to do the job of the city manager.

El Paso's city manager is appointed by the city council.

Lozano stated:

A Stronger Mayor system of government will provide direct access to the decision-making powers and will allow them to be more responsive and accountable to the citizens of El Paso.

According to the letter, the group wants the mayor and council members to oversee the five departments that the city manager currently supervises; safety and maintenance, travel, tourism and culture, education, housing and growth, public services and internal services.

EPPR is hoping its petition gets enough signatures so voters can decide if the city of El Paso should have a council-manager or council-mayor system.

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El Paso councilwoman Cassandra Hernandez said she's about a possible petition to eliminate the city manager position.

"I am deeply concerned about the proposed petition to return to a strong mayor form of government. To return to a strong mayor form of government invites corruption, dysfunction, lack of efficiency, lack of progress and development.The return would create instability in our organization and negatively impact our continuity. Furthermore, it would minimize the professionalism we have in our staff and reduce the quality of staff we have been working to develop. It would be irresponsible to return to the good-old-boy days that was a strong mayor form of government. Over the last seven years, the City of El Paso achieved $227 million in cost savings, strengthened El Paso’s financial stability by eliminating a multi-million deficit, tripling the fund balance by increasing it by more than $73 million and assembling a team to achieve zero audit findings for six consecutive years. This has been done during our current City Manager's tenure. Aside from this financial turnaround, under Mr. Gonzalez’s tenure, the City now provides year-end reporting to the City Council and has had seven consecutive years of General Fund surplus: all leading to maintaining the city’s double AA financial rating. Again, it would be irresponsible to return to the good-old-boy days that was a strong mayor form of government."