El Paso Matters – Q&A: City Council District 5 candidates in Dec. 14 runoff election

Who’s running for this seat?

Candidate Questionnaires

Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 100 words. Responses have been lightly edited for grammar.

What is your vision for the city of El Paso for the next 10 years and what needs to be done to get there?

Amanda Cunningham: El Paso is a rapidly growing international hub with a close sense of community. Ensuring the quality of life for the residents through great infrastructure, low property taxes, and maximizing federal grants and economic development, El Paso will be a one of a kind city.

Ivan Niño: In the next 10 years, I envision El Paso as a vibrant, inclusive city where everyone can thrive. My focus is on affordability, public safety and infrastructure improvements. By supporting local businesses, investing in youth programs and expanding services for seniors, we can build a stronger community. Working together with other entities, we’ll promote policies that prioritize homeownership, create opportunities, and ensure El Paso remains a place where families can live, grow and succeed. 

The city of El Paso since 2004 has had a council-manager form of government, limiting the mayor’s power. In the past year, the city manager’s authority over auditing and other functions has been removed. How do you balance power between elected city officials and the city manager?

Amanda Cunningham: Balancing the power is a sure way to ensure policies are being properly enforced and that the council adheres to their chief advisors’ recommendations to ensure the residents of the city are properly advocated. This relationship will ensure ordinance, policies and resolutions that benefit the city are implemented and enforced. The balance of power will ensure no personal motives are district biases are present and the integrity of the elected officials and manager are maintained. 

Ivan Niño: Balancing power between elected officials and the city manager requires clear roles, transparency and collaboration. Elected officials represent the community’s voice, while the city manager handles daily operations. To ensure balance, we need open communication and oversight. The council sets policies and goals, and the city manager implements them. A strong partnership built on trust and accountability ensures both sides work together to serve El Paso effectively.

The November ballot asks voters whether to revoke the Downtown arena bond. Do we need such a venue? Please explain.

Amanda Cunningham: At this time, a revocation for the arena Downtown is essential to lowering the city’s debt and ensuring the resident needs are met. This arena will not bring in enough revenue for the city at this time and should be revisited at a later date when the taxes are lowered. The benefits do not outweigh the negative effects for the people. 

Ivan Niño: As a proud El Pasoan, I’m committed to improving our community’s quality of life. El Pasoans deserve good jobs, affordable housing, and safe neighborhoods. The Downtown arena could bring economic benefits, creating jobs and generating income. While we’re all tired of rising costs, I support public-private partnerships to prevent additional burdens on taxpayers. However, this decision rests with the voters this November, and I trust our community to decide what’s best for El Paso’s future.

The city has long struggled with how to prioritize and fund street repairs. How would you address this challenge and pay for it?

Amanda Cunningham: Utilizing and taking advantage of the federal grants of the Department of Transportation would ensure our streets are repaired properly without increasing property taxes of the people. There are many grants our city can take advantage of such as the Safe Streets for All People grants. As a grant writer, I will advocate and fight for our city to receive these resources. 

Ivan Niño: Safe streets are public safety and quality of life. Smart budgeting and exploring grants to fund these repairs without overburdening taxpayers. We must review current methods to ensure they are high quality and durable. Working with the county and other entities will be key to finding innovative fund sources outside of taxpayer contributions. Prioritizing safety and focusing on sustainable solutions, we can effectively address this long-standing issue and improve our community’s infrastructure.

What is the top priority specific to your district and how would you address it?

Amanda Cunningham: For District 5, top priorities will be lowering property taxes; improving traffic and infrastructure; stopping dumping, specifically working with the county for the unincorporated areas within our district that has excessive dumping; improving waste management services; and working with the local police to improve community policing relations. Federal grants would help address and resolve these issues while lowering the property taxes to improve the quality of life for our residents. 

Ivan Niño: Safer streets. Enhancing our infrastructure is crucial for making daily commutes safer and more efficient. The city is collaborating with the county, the Metropolitan Planning Organization, TxDOT, and other partners on key projects like the Montwood Drive expansion, starting next year, and connecting John Hayes to Pellicano and Vista Del Sol. However, we need to do more. The outdated master plan for District 5 must be revisited to create proactive plans that address our rapid growth.