This is your weekly news roundup, which takes a quick look at some developments in government, politics, education, environment and other topics across El Paso.
Egg Prices Too High? Try These Options from EPCC Culinary Arts
With eggs being expensive these days, some families may need to consider alternatives for their Easter cascarones, but Chef Jesus Lugo, El Paso Community College professor of culinary arts, has some ideas for how to bake with egg substitutes.
An executive chef and executive pastry chef certified by the American Culinary Federation, Lugo said he has discussed egg replacers in his classes this semester to suggest ways to maximize food cost savings without sacrificing taste or quality.
The chef said bakers can replace an egg and add moistness with one quarter cup of plain yogurt, applesauce, crushed banana, buttermilk, or tofu, a creamy, high-protein, low-fat soy product. A black bean puree would work in a chocolate brownie recipe.
Those who are more adventurous may want to use the liquid from a can of chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, as a replacer. The juice, also called aquafaba, is a leavening agent that helps dough or batter rise, and could be made into a meringue. Another option is a combination of a quarter teaspoon of cooking oil, a teaspoon of baking soda and a tablespoon of vinegar.
Eggs are used as a binder, so Lugo said bakers could replace an egg with a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon of water and a quarter cup of pureed potatoes or mushrooms.
According to the most recent Consumer Price Index, a dozen Grade A eggs cost 10.4% more since last year. A USDA Egg Markets Overview from March 7 showed eggs at an average of $6.85 per dozen nationally. Some of the reasons given for this jump in egg prices include the avian flu that has led to fewer chickens laying eggs, a greater demand for eggs, severe winter weather and overall inflation.
The USDA predicts that the price of eggs could go down to about $2.50 per dozen in April 2025, and drop even more by the third quarter of the year to about $2.10.
With Unopposed Candidates, Ysleta ISD to Cancel Trustee Election
The Ysleta Independent School District plans to cancel its May 3 school board election after the only candidate to challenge an incumbent dropped from the race.
The YISD school board will vote March 19 whether to accept Gustavo Arturo Bujanda’s withdrawal notice for the District 5 seat, which covers the Hanks High School feeder pattern. The board will also vote whether to cancel the election, effectively declaring the unopposed incumbents reelected for another four years.
Bujanda told El Paso Matters he withdrew his candidacy when he learned he did not live within the District 5 boundaries.
Incumbent Cruz Ochoa, who has served on the board since May 2017, is now running unopposed. The other three include Carlos Bustillos, Kathryn Lucero and Shane Haggerty, who ran unopposed in 2021.
In May 2023, trustee Connie Woodruff did not face a challenger.
That means that of the seven trustees currently serving, Mike Dwyer and Chris Hernandez are the only ones to have faced opponents in their most recent elections.
County Establishes Corporation to Finance Affordable Housing
The El Paso County Commissioners Court Monday unanimously approved establishing a housing finance corporation – pending state approval – that will allow the county to finance low-income and affordable housing.
The El Paso County Housing Finance Corporation, a public nonprofit entity overseen by a board of county leaders, can issue future debt and offer financial assistance to low-income renters and homeowners, as well as developers.
Any debt undertaken by the corporation would be repaid by revenues and receipts of residential development or home mortgages financed by the bonds, not taxpayer dollars, according to the corporation’s articles of incorporation.
County Commissioner Illiana Holguin said there are no current plans for housing developments.
“The entire goal is to help create more low income and affordable housing throughout the county, so it’s another mechanism to do that,” Holguin said.
Holguin said the housing corporation could develop programs for first-time home buyers with mortgages, but could also issue debt to create or construct new housing. The corporation could also help developers convert properties they own within the county into low-income and affordable housing units.
Commissioners Court Monday also unanimously approved appointing Holguin, El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego and Chief Administrator Betsy Keller to the three-member board of the housing finance corporation.
The county had previously established housing corporations, but were later dissolved.
City Launches Revamped 311 Site to Request Services, Report Concerns
The city has launched a revamped app and website for EP311, a citizen hotline where residents can submit requests for services like pothole repairs, or to report concerns like graffiti or a missed trash pickup.
The changes are designed to allow people to quickly report issues and track the status of their requests. It also allows the public to access information on their devices. The site has easy service requests that can be tracked, real-time updates with service notifications and enhanced navigation for quick access to information.
Prior users must delete old versions of the EP311 app and login to the new website from any device to access the new features.
The El Paso 311 Contact Center serves as a central hub for non-emergency city services. Residents can still call 311 to request services or report issues by phone.
Information: ElPasoTexas.gov/311.
El Pasoan Reappointed to State’s Family and Protective Services Council
El Pasoan Enrique Mata has been reappointed to the Family and Protective Services Council by Gov. Greg Abbott. The governor also reappointed Julie Krawczyk of Garland and appointed Tymothy Belseth of Pflugerville to the council. The terms expire in 2031.
The Council is charged with studying and making recommendations to the commissioner regarding the management and operation of the Department of Family and Protective Services.
Mata, who received a bachelor’s in nursing from the University of Texas at El Paso and a master’s in public health from Walden University, serves as executive director of the Paso del Norte Center at Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. Mata previously worked as a senior program officer with Paso del Norte Health Foundation.
Krawczyk serves as director of the Elder Financial Safety at The Senior Source and president of the Adult Protective Services of Dallas Community Board. Belseth is the program lead for The University of Texas Spark Program.
Speak Up: El Paso County Launches Community Feedback Survey
El Paso County launched a community engagement survey to help formulate its strategic plan for 2026 to 2030. The survey will help the county determine its future needs and priorities.
The county has implemented a strategic plan since 2015 and the Commissioners Court periodically updates to reflect the community’s changing needs. You can view the current plan here, where you can also track the progress of current plans, programs and projects.
The deadline to complete the survey is March 31. The survey is in English and Spanish, is anonymous and takes about 10 minutes to complete.
To participate, click on this link. Information: epcounty.gov.
The post Priced out of eggs? Consider these alternatives. Plus, YISD to cancel trustee elections, county sets up corporation for affordable housing appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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