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.
TTU System Regents Approve Final Funds for El Paso’s Fox Cancer Center
The Texas Tech University System Board of Regents authorized the release of additional funds to complete the Clinical Sciences Building and the Comprehensive Cancer Center at TTHEP during the group’s quarterly meeting Feb. 26 at the system’s Dallas campus.
The decision released an additional $27.6 million for the CSB and $8.5 million for the cancer center. The final budgets for each will be $203.7 million and $138.2 million, respectively. The building will be on the north end of the Texas Tech Health El Paso campus in South El Paso.
The regents’ decision included the approval for the interior designs for both projects, which are being built simultaneously. This includes trim and molding, flooring as well as landscaping around the multi-story building.
The two projects have two separate funding sources.
The CSB, at approximately 225,000 square feet, will be funded through the Revenue Finance System, or RFS, and will be repaid through the Capital Construction Assistance Projects Legislative Appropriation, gift funds and institutional funds.
It will house a breast cancer center and a host of medical specialties such as internal medicine, neurology, obstetrics/gynecology, ophthalmology, numerous sub-specialties, as well as support areas, exam and procedure areas, administrative offices and classrooms.
The cancer center, which will be named after El Paso philanthropists Steve and Nancy Fox, will be approximately 131,000 square feet. It will be paid through the RFS, and repaid through appropriations from the 88th and 89th Texas Legislatures, as well as gift and institutional funds.
The center will offer cancer screenings and treatments. The building will house an outpatient facility where patients can receive medications such as chemotherapy. Officials have promised state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.
TTHEP hosted a groundbreaking Sept. 27, 2025. The new complex should open in fall 2028. Regents approved the concept of both projects in November 2023.
Native El Pasoan Named City’s Chief Internal Auditor
The City Council on Tuesday approved the hire of El Paso native Adrian Serrano as chief internal auditor, though a start date has not been set.
The council voted 5-2 to hire Serrano. City Reps. Alejandra Chavez, Deanna Maldonado-Rocha, Josh Acevedo and Cynthia Boyar-Trejo voted in favor of the hire. City Reps. Art Fierro and Lily Limón voted against. Limón declined to say why she voted against. Fierro could not immediately be reached for comment. Rep. Chris Canales abstained from the vote citing he was not able to give another candidate the same time for an interview.
The chief internal auditor is tasked with conducting reviews of city programs, operations and financial expenditures to make sure employees are following policies and local and state laws and regulations.
If Serrano passes the pre-employment screenings and background check, he will oversee the city’s Internal Audit Department. Serrano will be paid $180,000 annually and receive a $350 monthly car allowance.
Serrano has more than 13 years of internal audit experience in the public and private sectors. He is currently the vice president of internal controls at Affinius Capital LLC, where he oversees internal control frameworks and risk management functions.
Serrano holds a bachelor’s in accountancy from Arizona State University and a master’s in accountancy from the University of Texas at El Paso. He is also a certified public accountant.
The chief internal auditor, one of three executives hired by the City Council, reports directly to the chair of the Financial Oversight and Audit Committee, a role currently held by city Rep. Alejandra Chavez. The council also hires the city manager and city attorney. The FOAC is made up of four City Council members and the city manager.
Serrano replaces former longtime Chief Internal Auditor Edmundo Calderon, who retired in July. Calderon’s last day was Oct. 10 after utilizing paid vacation. He retired after 20 years following a whistleblower lawsuit, a controversial fuel-card audit of elected officials and a change in management structure following a City Charter amendment election.
City Appeals Texas Gas Rate Hike, Calls for Rehearing on El Paso Electric Rates
The El Paso City Attorney’s Office is appealing to state regulatory agencies to reconsider recently approved rate increases by Texas Gas Service and El Paso Electric.
In the rate case for Texas Gas Service, the City Council on Monday voted to file an appeal on the rate case with the Texas Railroad Commission, the regulating authority for the utility. The city also filed a motion for a rehearing of the rate case Feb. 17.
The Railroad Commission approved the Texas Gas Service rate increase Feb. 5, which resulted in customers’ monthly bills increasing by about $4, with large residential clients seeing an increase of about $11.
Part of the appeal opposes a decision by the commission that allowed Texas Gas Service to consolidate service areas that has resulted in El Paso customers paying more than its other service areas in the state such as the Rio Grande Valley, where rates decreased.
The city is also seeking a rehearing from the Public Utility Commission of Texas on the El Paso Electric rate case, according to a city news release.
The Feb. 20 ruling in the rate case resulted in an increase to rates for El Paso customers, though it was not as high as the utility requested. The PUC has not finalized the details of the ruling that was approved with modifications so the new rates for customers are not yet available.
The utility was seeking a rate increase of about 23% that would increase an average residential bill by about $22.39 per month.
The city’s rehearing asks, in part, that the PUC reconsider how the utility allocates Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC, transmission revenue credits. The credits, if allocated to residential customers could reduce the impact of the rate increase. The city is also asking the PUC to have the residential rate class not pay the full cost of providing service to each customer class as requested by the utility.
County Brings Water Infrastructure to Canutillo Colonias
El Paso County completed a first-time water and wastewater project, bringing safe drinking water and sewer services to about 400 homes across five colonias in Canutillo. Funded in part by the American Rescue Plan Act, the $11.5 million investment in northwest El Paso County is part of ongoing efforts to bridge water infrastructure gaps in underserved communities. Water infrastructure is critical for improving public health.
Colonias are unincorporated, low-income and predominantly Hispanic neighborhoods along the U.S.-Mexico border. These communities often comprise self-built housing and lack basic infrastructure, such as running water, sewage systems, electricity and paved roads.
The groundbreaking took place in 2024. Work since then included the installation of sanitary sewer pipes, manholes and more than 300 new wastewater connections, as well as the installation of PVC and iron pipes, providing almost 50 water connections.
The county is holding a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. Tuesday, March 10, at Castro Ranch, 7530 Damian Road, in Canutillo. County officials, El Paso Water officials, U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar and representatives from human rights nonprofit DeepDeep are expected to attend.
El Paso Public Safety Complex Moves into Design and Construction Phase
The City Council on Tuesday approved an amendment to a contract with Jordan Foster Construction LLC that will allow design and construction work to begin on the El Paso Training Academy and Fire Department Headquarters and the Vehicle Maintenance and Logistics Center.
The $128 million complex, which will be located at Global Reach Drive between George Perry Boulevard and Montana Avenue, is part of the voter-approved $413 million 2019 Public Safety Bond Program.
The contract amendment caps the cost of the project to be designed and built by Jordan Foster. Design of the 50-acre public safety complex will begin in April and is expected to be completed by 2029.
The complex will house police and fire operations, including the public safety training academy, Fire Department headquarters, and a vehicle maintenance and logistics center.
The City Council on Tuesday also approved using $25 million to fill a budget gap for the complex from prior public safety bond project savings and proceeds from the sale of capital assets and the sale of future existing public safety properties. The city did not specify which properties it will sell to reimburse the capital asset fund.
The City Council on Jan. 20 approved about $40 million in budget transfers from accrued interest and savings from the 2019 bond to cover the increased cost of several fire station renovations and for the public safety complex.
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