The City Council is nonpartisan and comprises eight district representatives who annually set a tax rate, adopt a budget and make wide-ranging policy decisions. City representatives also appoint a city manager and city attorney. They serve four-year terms and are paid $63,038 a year. District 4 represents parts of Northeast roughly north of Hondo Pass Drive.
Who’s running for this seat?
Joe “Chief” Molinar, 64, is the incumbent city representative for District 4 and retired EPPD lieutenant.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo, 58, is a business owner.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd, 67, is a retired insurance specialist.
Wesley Lawrence, 28, is a consultant.
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?
Joe “Chief” Molinar: A desirable city/community where families and businesses thrive.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo: My vision for El Paso is to create a city that thrives economically through sound financial management and strategic economic growth. This includes advocating for diverse and advanced industries, improving public safety, and ensuring our first responders have the resources needed. We must also focus on maintaining and enhancing public spaces like parks and libraries to build a sense of community. Through collaboration and purposeful planning, we can create a stronger and thriving city.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd: Safety and infrastructure need to be addressed to include the Northeast. The mayor and City Council to earn the trust and respect of our community again. Promote the Northeast for Castner Range, the U.S. national monument, complete the Cohen area, beautification of Downtown to welcome the locals and visitors. A new design and concept where the arena was to be built that would not compete with the Southwest University Park (or the clause about development in the area) and the Sunset Amphitheater.
Wesley Lawrence: My vision for a better El Paso is rooted in creating a City Council that truly listens to and addresses the needs of its people. This includes improving accessibility for the disabled community and investing in smart, investing in forward-thinking infrastructure that grows with our city in a way that addresses climate, protecting our and pets, and prioritizing public safety. I also believe it’s crucial to build a stronger bridge between El Paso and state leaders in Austin.
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?
Joe “Chief” Molinar: Excellent communication between the City Council officials and the city manager must exist. This is definitely not about “power” but instead willingness to come together and work through problems to find solutions. An auditing function through the Financial Oversight and Audit Committee (FOAC) remains in place.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo: Balancing power between elected officials and the city manager requires clear role separation. Elected officials should focus on policy and community engagement, while the city manager should oversee daily operations. Regular communication, performance evaluations, and independent audits are necessary for transparency, accountability and rebuilding trust within the community.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd: The Mayor is responsible for the city’s overall direction and enforcement of policies. The city manager is responsible for most of the day-to-day administrative operations of the municipality. Lessons learned from previous managers for them to not have the final authority for decisions.
Wesley Lawrence: We need to be honest that the last city manager selection process lacked transparency and ignored key democratic principles. With six City Council seats and the mayor’s office at stake, we missed a chance to ensure voters’ voices were heard. Moving forward, we must balance the city’s needs with the power held by the city manager. That starts by ensuring we restore trust in our new city manager by inviting them to district meetings and making them accessible to the public and city government
The November ballot asks voters whether to revoke the Downtown arena bond. Do we need such a venue? Please explain.
Joe “Chief” Molinar: No, we do not need a Downtown arena or a deck park over I-10. The cost to build these two items would overwhelm the El Paso taxpayers with debt to them and for generations to come.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo: A venue can promote economic growth and enhance community engagement. However, it must align with residents’ needs and expectations. Voters deserve a clear vision for moving forward, including potential benefits and costs. Clarity and transparency are essential for rebuilding trust and ensuring community support, making it crucial to communicate how the arena will serve the community and contribute to El Paso’s development.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd: I will vote to revoke this venue. Too much money has been wasted already. I don’t believe that the revenue will be able to sustain this already costly venue. This venue would compete with the Southwest University Park, which is located Downtown and the recently approved Sunset Amphitheater in the Northeast.
Wesley Lawrence: Let me be clear, it’s time to end the arena project once and for all. The community was misled from the start about the impact and plans of this venue. It has caused division, legal battles, and wasted taxpayer dollars. Instead of continuing to fund a project that lacks public support and threatens historic neighborhoods, we should focus on revitalizing El Paso in ways that respect our heritage and meet residents’ needs. We don’t need this arena; we need smart, community-driven development, unique solutions to address the sky high attrition rates that are impacting our public safety personnel, to invest in our animal services department to keep our people and our pets safe, and to focus on real economic development and job growth that encourages our people to stay in El Paso while attracting new residents.
The city has long struggled with how to prioritize and fund street repairs. How would you address this challenge and pay for it?
Joe “Chief” Molinar: We need to prioritize additional funding for streets. We need to cease the use of the Pavement Condition Index (PCI), which measures the physical condition of the streets. We also need to remedy the conditions for street resurfacing contractors, their equipment and their personnel.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo: To prioritize and fund street repairs, we must conduct a comprehensive assessment to identify critical areas based on safety and community impact. Funding could come from reallocating budgets, seeking grants, and exploring public-private partnerships. Long-term planning with community input is essential for effective and accountable street maintenance.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd: By labeling the roads by their condition. 80% should be used for roads to keep in good shape and 20% to keep the roads in poor condition from getting worse. By labeling the roads by their condition. Use a percentage of the Vehicle Registration Fee to pay for it and grants if possible.
Wesley Lawrence: It’s no secret that our city has ignored our streets for far too long and the incoming city council will have to address decades of negligence. I will advocate for a community led comprehensive safe streets program that prioritizes repairs, explores funding options like grants and community partnerships, and ensures companies receiving tax incentives invest in our community. I will also work with our community to ensure these jobs are local and done right the first time!
What is the top priority specific to your district and how would you address it?
Joe “Chief” Molinar: The completion of the Meta data center and the Sunset Amphitheatre. Work with both of these organizations to begin the work on them. The Sunset Amphitheatre may deliver a $5.4 billion-dollar economic impact to our city over time.
Cynthia Boyar Trejo: The Northeast has been overlooked for too long, and my top priority for District 4 is economic development driven by community input to identify diverse business needs, create high-paying jobs, and enhance quality of life. Residents require access to adequate health care facilities and timely police responses, along with essential services like retail, restaurants and child care. Supporting local entrepreneurs and investing in workforce training are vital for economic growth in District 4.
Dorothy “Sissy” M. Byrd: The roads need to be completed because of the growth of the community with housing developments being completed. The newly approved Sunset Amphitheater will be a disaster without relief due to traffic. There is a need for the Northeast to promote our businesses so the locals and tourists will know that they are safe and welcomed. The Northeast is not unsafe as it is always portrayed to be so therefore we need to promote who we are.
Wesley Lawrence: Our district has been left in the dark these past four years. I want to rebuild trust in local government and restore hope and integrity in District 4. We’ll start by improving community engagement with an office in the Northeast, supporting local businesses, meeting with community stakeholders before being sworn in, advocating for accessibility needs, and creating policies that help uplift marginalized communities. I’m also committed to giving back 20% of my salary to support our community.
The post Q&A: City Council District 4 candidates in Nov. 5 general election appeared first on El Paso Matters.
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