Residents of Central and Northeast El Paso will elect a city representative for the second time in a year as incumbent Joshua “Josh” Acevedo faces political newcomer Isabel Ceballos Otten in the Nov. 5 election.
Acevedo, 35, won a special election for the City Council District 2 seat in January after former city Rep. Alexsandra Annello resigned to run for the Texas House of Representatives.
Acevedo previously served as a trustee for the El Paso Independent School District and was a policy and government adjunct professor at El Paso Community College and the University of Texas at El Paso. He served as a program coordinator for a national nonprofit that helped school board members across the country with training and policy support.
Ceballos Otten, 39, has 15 years of experience in real estate. She served as a member of the Historic Landmark Commission and the Women’s Council for the Greater El Paso Association of Realtors.
District 2 encompasses portions of Northeast and Central El Paso. The winner of the general election will serve a four-year term. City representatives are paid $63,038 annually.
Here’s how the candidates outlined their priorities:
Joshua “Josh” Acevedo
Acevedo in February voted against extending an emergency ordinance in response to the migrant influx, saying at the time that he was concerned about the increased presence of state troopers and state guardsmen in El Paso.
Ceballos criticized that action, saying it delayed emergency funds from reaching the community.
Acevedo recently told El Paso Matters that the data presented to council at the time did not support an emergency declaration. He later voted in favor of extending the ordinance, which was extended regularly through July when the number of migrant encounters dropped significantly.
He was a vocal critic of the city manager selection process, but voted in favor of hiring Dionne Mack, who was ultimately appointed in a 6-2 vote in August.
Acevedo voted against taking the Downtown arena bond revocation proposal to voters, saying taxpayer money had already been spent on the project and that the Duranguito neighborhood could be revisited as a site by the next council. The council voted 5-3 to place the proposal, which asks voters whether to revoke the city’s authority to spend the remainder of the arena bond, on the Nov. 5 ballot.
“A lot of that money went to purchasing buildings in Durangito. There is no guarantee that we are going to get that money,” he said. “I didn’t think it was worth that risk to lose so much taxpayer money.”
Acevedo said his focus is on providing the residents of District 2 with solutions for the dilapidated buildings along Dyer, stormwater drainage, bringing in more high quality food for the area, and seeing improvements for Modesto Park come to fruition.
“We need to really update the master plan that was created for Dyer and really take a look at that,” Acevedo said.
Acevedo said the city’s cross-functional team is looking into hotels that are not up to code, to decide whether to bring them up to code or shut them down.
Acevedo said he wants to transform parts of the Northeast that need revitalization.
“We need grocery stores and we need other businesses for people to enjoy and give the transformation that the Northeast really needs,” he said. “I talk to a lot of my constituents and they’re saying that they have been forgotten. So, I have placed a huge focus on the Northeast since I got into office.”
Stormwater drainage and paving streets that have deteriorated due to flooding are other issues Acevedo hopes to solve if reelected.
Acevedo said his experience in different levels of government make him the best choice for voters in District 2.
“When I see a problem, there’s always a solution, and we figure it out together,” he said.
Isabel Ceballos Otten
Ceballos Otten said she’s concerned about the increasing tax burden on homeowners in El Paso.
“I’ve been a Realtor for 15 years and I’ve seen the increases (in taxes), and we’re to the point that I feel like we are taxing the homeowners out of their homes,” Ceballos said.
She said the City Council needed to be more transparent when issuing bonds, and that the city needs to remain focused on essential spending.
“For example, just a few weeks ago, the City Council voted to provide $700,000 to the proposed deck park,” she said. “The deck park can be a catalyst for economic development, but we must weigh that against our other needs like the streets.”
Ceballos Otten highlighted the importance of addressing public safety, including increasing police officer numbers and retention.
“A lot of them are retiring,” she said. “So, I want to make sure that they are adequately staffed and have the resources that they need. We don’t have to do that by raising taxes. We can find another source of revenue.”
Ceballos Otten, whose husband is a police officer, didn’t specifically cite what alternative sources of revenues might be looked into. But she said the city’s budget should be scrutinized closely, questioning budget line items such as litigation costs, economic development allocations and contracts with Destination El Paso.
She also called for improvement in the city’s Animal Services. The owner of two dachshunds said the overcrowding of the animal shelters has raised her concerns about animal welfare.
“I really don’t think we are giving them (animal shelters) the attention that they need,” he said. “There are strays in the streets, adoptions are down, the shelters are at capacity. I think that’s one of the many issues that I think we have to tackle as a city.”
Ceballos Otten describes herself as neighborhood friendly. Drawing from her discussions with homeowners and residents and her own personal experiences, she said increasing taxes and increased costs in general are hurting area residents.
“I see it first hand, with my homeowners, with my parents, our senior citizens, how much they’re struggling,” she said.
Early voting for the Nov. 5 election is Oct. 21 through Nov. 1.
The post District 2 City Council race pits one-year incumbent with political newcomer appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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