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When County Judge Ricardo Samaniego assumed office on January 1, 2019, he seemed determined to restrain spending and stand with the taxpayers. After all, he was a businessman who knew how to balance budgets and implement financial strategies, plus he held a master’s degree in international economics and public policy from the University of Notre Dame.
But as often happens with elected leaders in El Paso, he was persistently courted by the Oligarchs and their bankers and attorneys and was soon joining them for meals downtown. Within three years of his election, he began to embrace their agenda and vote accordingly.
In the meantime, he voted for two double-digit increases to his salary, raising his pay from $105,080 in 2019 to $152,700 in October 2024, so that he now earns 45.3% more than when he began his first term and 71% more than the Mayor (who is paid $89,250).
And then there are his votes on borrowing and spending. On June 22, 2022 he voted to issue up to $400 million in certificates of obligation for University Medical Center, although it was thankfully shot down by citizen petition less than three months later.
On January 30, 2023, he voted for a certificate of obligation in the amount of $59 million for “essential public infrastructure projects” plus $41 million in tax anticipation notes for “critical public safety projects.”
On August 12, 2024, he voted to place a $396.6 million bond on the November 5 ballot for UMC plus five general obligation bonds totaling $323.8 million for a whole menu of County pork. Of the $720 million requested, the voters approved $552 million.
On March 24 this year, he voted for a $54 million certificate of obligation, including $33.5 million for water infrastructure for several hundred homes in the Lower Valley.
Incredibly, Samaniego voted for $874 million in new spending in the last 27 months alone, including $154 million in non-voter-approved debt.
Who benefits most from all this borrowing and spending?
We refer you to the list of campaign contributors on his fundraiser invitation.
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