Property tax relief is a top priority for many City Council candidates.
There are four districts up for grabs in the November election: Districts 1, 5, 6 and 8. The deadline to file is 5 p.m. Monday.
The 15 candidates come from a variety of professions across El Paso. City Council reps. Claudia Rodriguez and Isabel Salcido are running for reelection.
District 1 Rep. Peter Svarzbein has termed out and is not seeking reelection.
Most candidates responded to El Paso Inc.’s interview requests. Some current office holders did not. Here’s what they had to say about the upcoming race.
This story will be updated online Tuesday with any last-minute filers.
Analisa Cordova Silverstein, 37, is a project manager at Hello Amigo. She formerly was chief of staff for state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh.
“I want to make sure that people are understanding that we’re being responsible and transparent when it comes to our taxes,” she said.
Cordova Silverstein said she also wants to make investments in the city’s parks and open spaces, and make sure the city fully funds the 2019 public safety bond projects.
According to her July 15 campaign finance report, Cordova Silverstein has raised $29,459 and spent $10,564.
Erin Tague, 36, works in software as a service implementation project manager. She said high property taxes are one of the primary reasons she’s running for City Council.
“Government spending as a whole is out of control,” Tague said. “I want to reign that in and give more economic power back to the people.”
She said she also wants to address the flooding challenges on the Westside, including along Doniphan Drive.
Tague has not yet raised or spent any contributions, according to her July 15 campaign finance report.
She is active in volunteer and nonprofit work around El Paso and is part of the Federated Republican Women of El Paso and Westside Community Church.
Brian Kennedy, 66, is an attorney. He’s also active in nonprofits, including the Boys and Girls Clubs of El Paso.
He was the CEO of the El Paso Sports Commission.
Kennedy said city spending is out of control, and he wants the city to be honest with its constituents about what’s happening with rising property taxes.
He said he also wants to take a look at the city manager form of government if elected to City Council.
“We have to do something about restructuring how City Council and the city manager work together,” Kennedy said. “City Council has abdicated power to the city manager.”
Kennedy has not filed a campaign finance report.
Dave Jones, 61, is a retired Army major who said he’s running for the District 1 seat to bring in more Westside voices to City Council.
“Svarzbein, he only cared about certain members of the community. Other issues were left out. Schuster is a mess,” Jones said. “There are a lot of other issues that haven’t been addressed, and I want to address all those issues for those who don’t have a voice.”
Jones has not submitted a campaign finance report.
He said he’s on the oversight board for the Mexican American Cultural Center, is active in volunteer work at a halfway house for men and is a veterans advocate.
He is also chair of El Paso precinct 14.
Deliris Montanez Berrios, 53, is a retired Border Patrol agent and retired Army field grade officer.
“Peter has concluded his tenure, and we need new representation in El Paso that has roots in El Paso and has their heart set into our community and not a political agenda,” Montanez Berrios said.
She is a member of the Zaragoza Rotary Club, Downtown Lions Club and is president of the Dance for Dreams nonprofit. She also runs an equine therapy business and is a member of the 82nd Airborne Benavidez chapter.
City Rep. Isabel Salcido announced her reelection campaign on Friday.
She had not yet filed with the city clerk as of Friday morning. She did not return a call requesting an interview.
Salcido was first elected to office in 2018. Three other El Pasoans are running against her in November.
Joe Pickett, a former state representative, did not respond to calls and a text seeking an interview.
According to his July 15 campaign finance report, Pickett has himself contributed $315,395 to his campaign.
He had $2,000 in expenditures for the reporting period. Pickett gave $500 donations to El Pasoans Fighting Hunger, the Rescue Mission of El Paso, UNICEF Ukraine Relief Fund and Just Keep Livin Foundation’s Uvalde relief fund.
Richard Genera, 30, a teller at Wells Fargo who does Doordash deliveries on the side, said he’s running for the District 5 seat to restore trust in the government for his constituents.
“Everyone’s complaining about property taxes, streets, and people do not realize who their City Council candidate is,” Genera said. “When they’re feeling these frustrations, they’ve lost faith in the whole system.”
Genera is a precinct chair for the city’s Democratic party and said he’s also active with State Tejano Democrats, Sunrise El Paso and the Justicia Fronteriza PAC.
According to his July 15 campaign finance report, Genera has raised $571 in political contributions and has spent $496.
Felix J. Muñoz, 56, is a retired federal officer who worked for the Department of Justice’s Federal Bureau of Prisons.
He’s a photographer and said he takes photos for various charities around the city.
“It’s the same old politics, the same people that run over and over,” Muñoz said. “They do some things for their benefit. Working in government I saw how that affects other people.”
Muñoz has not filed a campaign finance report.
Far East and Lower Valley
City Rep. Claudia Rodriguez is running for reelection. She was first elected in 2020.
“I want to keep working on property taxes. I will not be supporting any certificates of obligation,” Rodriguez said of the non-voter approved debt. “Some of the priorities include getting Pebble Hills and Saul Kleinfeld fixed.”
According to her campaign finance report, Rodriguez, 37, raised $2,500 and spent $2,100. According to the report, the sole donation came from J.P. Bryan for $2,500. Bryan, a preservationist in Houston, has provided financial backing for lawsuits that have prevented the development of an arena in the Downtown neighborhood of Duranguito.
Cristian Botello, 25, is a marketing coordinator at the Medical Center of the Americas Foundation. He and his wife own El Paso Balloons, an event planning business.
Botello said his priorities include creating more high-paying jobs, property tax relief and fixing the city’s streets. He also wants to increase the public safety workforce and enhance quality of life facilities.
“I really want to make our city government more efficient,” Botello said.
He is active with the Public Service Board selection committee and is a member of Progress 321 and the Rancho Del Sol neighborhood association.
In his campaign finance report, Botello raised $800 and spent $542.
Texas state Rep. Art Fierro is running for the District 6 seat. He was defeated in his state position in March by Claudia Ordaz Perez.
Fierro has not submitted a campaign finance report. He did not respond to a call requesting an interview.
Benjamin Leyva is another candidate for the District 6 seat.
He declined a phone interview unless questions were provided beforehand. He has not submitted a campaign finance report.
Westside, Downtown and South Central
It’s unclear whether city Rep. Cissy Lizarraga is running for reelection.
She did not respond to a call requesting comment.
Richard Wright, a blogger who runs the El Chuqueño blog, said taxes are the reason he’s running.
“I don’t like the way the city’s headed,” Wright said. “I think rising taxes have crippled the local economy. We don’t attract any people.”
Cruz Morales, 52, is a forklift driver and warehouse worker at Brokers Logistics Ltd.
He said he’s running to represent the sprawling district to bring more attention to South El Paso, where he said services are
“The major reason is because I live right in front of Bowie High School,” Morales said. “It’s very underserviced. It’s been like that for a long time.”
Morales has not submitted a campaign finance report.
Chris Canales, another District 8 candidate, did not return a call seeking an interview.
He has not submitted a campaign finance report.
Bettina Olivares did not return a call seeking an interview. She has not submitted a campaign finance report.
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