Commissioners Court - Regular Meeting

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Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Today is Monday, July 6th, 2026. Commissioner's Court is meeting in regular open session. This morning, we're joined by ASL interpreters Katia Garcia and Dario Garcia. Commissioner Olguin, would you like to introduce this morning's pledge group?

Yes, thank you, good morning everyone. So today I am very proud to introduce one of the interns who is working in my office this year, Randy Barasa, who is a senior at UTEP and will be graduating later this month. So we are very, very proud of him and we're very glad to have him here on the third floor with us. He will be leading us in the pledge today. Randy.

Welcome. Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

God bless America.

Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state, under God, one and indivisible.

Thank you. Thank you, Randy.

next we'll receive an invocation from father michael gallagher from sacred heart church welcome father michael thank you thank you judge thank you let's bow our heads in prayer oh god we gather this morning for the first working day after the celebration of the 250th anniversary of our declaration of independence Looking back, we are grateful for the blessings you have bestowed on our county, our state, and our country. Looking forward, we ask for your help and guidance in our work of governance so that we can always act for the common good and promote the values expressed in the Declaration of Independence. We make this prayer in confidence because we know that you are always acting for the good of all peoples in every nation, amen. Thank you, Father Michael. Thank you.

Just want to express my thanks to Father Michael. We recognized Sacred Heart on Saturday because of their amazing contribution, volunteers, just amazing. During the, when we have the immigration, people call it crisis, I believe it was more an opportunity for us to show who we are as El Pasoans in this region. And Father Michael was just amazing in what they did through very difficult times with very little resources. So we're very thankful. Thank you, Father Michael.

Thank you.

Judge, do you have some additional comments for us this morning?

Thank you so much. Thank you all for being here. I pray that you had a safe and very happy 4th of July. It was pretty amazing. And one of the amazing things I believe is that we showed El Paso in this region's contribution to 250 years. We didn't leave ourselves behind because we were so instrumental in the lives that were given that, you know, so many wars, but a lot of our region really did everything that we could to be part of this great 250th anniversary. We'd like to show a little bit of Escarate Park. It was an amazing, amazing event. And one of the reasons it was amazing is because of our relationship with Ford Bliss. Ford Bliss has been a partner for years. Actually, their anniversary was 251 years for the military, for the Army, but they've been here a long time with us and have gone through almost every challenge and every opportunity and a great partnership between Ford Bliss and El Paso. So we're very, very fortunate. Once again, thank you on behalf of myself and our commissioners. We thank you for being here. You're going to see just a tremendous recognizing of individuals and associations that have been great here in El Paso. So thank you for being here. We're very pleased to have our mariachi group. It's one of the very, very few that you have from primaria all the way to high school and in between a lot of soccer players. So very appropriate that they're here with us today. So thank you for being here. Have a very blessed week as we come to the after effects of COVID-19. And, you know, before I forget, I want to thank the sheriff and the sheriff's department for everything that they did over the weekend. It was amazing. Very few incidences. And we were able to have a safe Fourth of July thanks to what they did and the way they participated during the weekend. So very thankful for their job. So once again, welcome. And I think you're going to be very happy with some of the activities that we have this morning. Thank you for being here.

Thank you, Judge. Item number four is the consent agenda composed of items 4A through 4S. We do have a request to delete item number 4J for the Economic Development Department. Item 4J reads approve and adopt the revisions to the El Paso County Economic Workforce and Heritage Tourism Development Policy. Opinion number 8661 and opinion number 10150. We also have a request to postpone item number 4C for one week for the county attorney's office. Item 4C is grant the professional services exemption under Texas local government code section 262.024 and approve and authorize the County judge to sign the amended expert agreement for Sahu in the matter styled Western refining company, LLC marathon oil refinery County attorney case number 000424AA funding is available in general fund, general administrative, professional services, legal commissions. Are there any other items that members of the court or public would like to pull for individual discussion? And if not, I'll move to approve.

Thank you, Judge.

We have a motion to approve from Judge Samaniego and a second from Commissioner Holguin. The voting is open. Motion carries. We'd like to start out item five resolutions with item five C. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing Alejandro Alex Zendejas for his selection to the United States Men's National Team for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and declaring June 11th through July 19th, 2026 as World Cup season in El Paso County, Texas.

Thank you. True to form, Eduardo Flores from my office. He gets excited with some of these themes and he does just a great, great job. And this one is very special to us. This is a young man that was born in Juarez. then lived in El Paso and sort of exemplary of how exciting it is to see someone like this young person and I know he's going to contribute tremendously as an absolute really great role model for a lot of children. And as you know, soccer has been able to provide so much opportunities for children The size doesn't matter. If you can play, you're going to play. As they say, you can play soccer anywhere you want to. Right now, if somebody wanted to start a little game here, you could play it. It's been an exciting sport, but one that has really brought us together. As you saw, Mexico is so incredible. And I said, only in America, because, you know, you see all of these individuals with all the Mexican shirts and ready to, you know, to be there for the game. And then tomorrow they'll switch for today. They'll switch and they'll have the USA. And so it's just amazing. You can't do that in too many countries where you have a tremendous love for where you're from and then being able to have so much respect for our country. So, beautiful resolution, and we have Alejandro's mom on line, but let me read the resolution first, and then we'll begin the celebration. Where El Paso has a long and proud tradition of soccer that brings together people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures, serving as a unifying force throughout the borderland and reflecting the strong by national ties that define our region. who as players such as Alejandro Alex Zendejas, who was born in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, on February the 7th, 1998, and raised in El Paso, Texas, exemplifies the talent, determination, and passion for soccer that thrive in the borderland region, inspiring future generations through his achievements on the national and international stage. Luis Alex Andejas began his soccer career at six years old in borderland and advanced through the FC Dallas Academy System, becoming one of the most promising young players in the United States and signing a professional homegrown contract with FC Dallas in 2014. and where throughout his professional career, Alex Indejas has demonstrated exceptional skill, determination, perseverance, while competing at the highest levels of North American soccer, including with FC Dallas Club, Deportivo Guadalajara Chivas, Club Necaja, and Club America. Luis Alex Andejas has earned recognition as one of the premier attacking players in Liga Mexico, contributing to multiple championships, winning teams, and serving as a positive example for aspiring athletes throughout the borderland region. whereas in 2026, Alex Andejas achieved one of the highest honors in the sport of being selected to represent the United States men's national team in the FIFA World Cup 2026, joining the world's most prestigious soccer tournament and serving as an inspiration to young athletes across El Paso County, the state of Texas, and the nation. Now, therefore, be it resolved that the El Paso County Judge and Commissioner's Court hereby congratulate Alejandro Alexander for his selection of the United States Men's National Team for the FIFA World Cup 2026 and recognize his outstanding achievement as a professional athlete, an ambassador for the borderland community. Be it further resolved that the El Paso County Judge and Commissioner's Court hereby declare that June 11th through June the 1926th shall be known as the World Cup season in El Paso County, Texas, signed the sixth day of July 2026.

We have a motion to approve from Judge Samaniego, a second from Commissioner Butler. Voting is open and motion carries.

Mrs. Tendejas, are you on the line?

Muy buenos días.

Muy buenos días, felicidades y muy merecidos. Estamos aquí celebrando no únicamente la copa, pero también a su hijo y el gran éxito que ha tenido en su carrera. Por favor, si nos da unas palabras.

Muchas gracias, buenos días a todos. Bueno, primero que nada, agradecemos a Dios por esta oportunidad que nos brinda. Damos gracias por la vida de Alejandro, por los talentos, por esa habilidad que tiene en sus piernas, que es un don de Dios. Y queremos agradecerles a todos en El Paso, en Ciudad Juárez, a todas las personas que han participado en la formación de esta It has been a dream that started as a child in the city of El Paso, working as a player in a recreational part. Then it was forming his mentality, his character and developing skills with all the coaches and with the people who participated in all this. We are very grateful, we are very happy and we feel very honored to participate this morning and be accompanied by all of you. Here is my husband too. We are in the city of Seattle because tonight we also participate in another game. Let's hope in God that everything goes well, that we advance to the next round phase. And well, we feel very happy and very grateful again for the opportunity. God bless you.

It makes me cold to hear a person here and now be at that level. And the possibility is to return to continue to be that model, right? For so many children. I don't know if you also like some words.

Thank you very much for the recognition. As my wife said, I think it is a dream that he fulfilled based on his discipline, dedication and resilience. He has worked for many years trying to reach this level. We hope that they can continue to advance and of course, many better results for the future.

Muchísimas gracias. Vamos a recibir unas palabras de diferentes personas y hasta tenemos aquí a los mariachis. Ojalá que los escuchen hasta allá del estadio. Muchas gracias. Eduardo. Yes. Well, good morning to all of you.

In the name of Mayor Cruz Perez Cuellar, who is currently licensed, and of the mayor who is currently in the office, Héctor Ortiz Orpinel, we want to thank the County for making this proclamation so interesting and so important in these moments that the world is living Well, a historical moment that is this, the three countries receiving more than 40 countries from the world in a game that has become a world reference of friendship and y de competencia. Yo quiero solamente decirles que esta programación, este reconocimiento no solo es para Alex, es para una ciudad resiliente, fuerte, trabajadora como es Ciudad Juárez. Desde el gobierno de la ciudad nos hemos empeñado in developing special parks designed for soccer, because soccer has become a universal language. And that support that the local businessmen of El Paso and Juárez demonstrate, having such important teams as the Bravos and the Bravas, and here the locomotive, They show the interest we have in showing the youth, the youth that is in training. For example, this 28-year-old boy is going to represent Mexico, despite the fact that yesterday they disqualified us in a huge duel against the inventor of football, which is England. Mexico feels very proud of what it achieved in a 3-2 that threw us into a bucket of cold water. But at the same time, having Alex in Texas representing this entire region and representing the country of the United States, The voice of Mexico will accompany you in this effort to seek to move on to the next stage. I want to sincerely thank all of you who continue to work for this important binational union to continue building in this region what we wish for all our families. Thank you very much and I congratulate a la familia que aquí nos está viendo desde Seattle, Washington, y que pues le digan a Alex que todo Ciudad Juárez estará pendiente de este juego y todo México por seguro y toda esta región del paso y que Estados Unidos lo haya acogido con los brazos abiertos para participar en esa selección. Muchísimas gracias. Un placer saludarlos a todos. Gracias, Juan.

Juan ha sido un gran embajador para esta región. Muy orgulloso de ser el amigo de este gran personaje. Gracias. Ahora tenemos, no sé si está, ¿Licón no sabe si vino el licenciado Licón? ¿Está aquí? ¿Presente? ¿No? Emanuel, no sé si tuvo la oportunidad de... Por favor, pásale. Muchas gracias.

Thank you.

I can stay here talking about the coverage I made in Guadalajara for the World Cup. Mrs. Mónica, Mr. Alfredo, congratulations for what your son is achieving. He is a great exponent of what we do here on the border. I have some words prepared, not only for you, but also for the El Paso community, because I think it is something that has joined borders. um i would like to start with of course good morning first i want to sincerely thank el paso county judge ricardo samaniego for this invitation and for the privilege of standing here today it is truly something that i don't take for granted covering the fifa club world cup was much more than covering soccer it was a front row seat to something very special i watched fans from every corner of the world sign and sing together, celebrate together, and even comfort each other after heartbreaking losses like the one we suffered yesterday. Inside those stadiums, it didn't matter what language you spoke or where you came from, for 90 minutes, everyone shared the same passion. I have no words to describe the honor I felt to represent El Paso while covering one of the biggest sporting events in the world. Discovering Guadalajara, one story at a time, working more than 11 hours a day for 10 days straight, but always very happy knowing I carried the name of our city in the best way possible, representing a community that is hardworking, resilient, and full of talent. To my Telemundo family, to Alejandro, Juliana, thank you for believing in me and the opportunity. Estefania, thank you for always standing by my side, even through my craziest ideas, including going back to journalism school in my mid-20s. My hope is that this won't be the last time someone from El Paso tells the world's biggest stories. People shouldn't be surprised when they see more journalists, photographers, producers, and storytellers, athletes from our city on the biggest stages. We're already seeing that with Alejandro Sendejes and also Ricardo Pepe, who are the first in history to represent our community on the world's biggest sporting event. That's who we are. El Paso prepares people to rise to the moment And I truly believe that the best is yet to come. Thank you.

Thank you so much for your, well, let's give him a big hand. Thank you so much for the way you cover things in Telemundo and how we, you know, just your passion and enthusiasm. We thank you for that. He's been involved in soccer for a very long time, and thank you for continuing to give us that passion and moving us forward and getting excited about the future and more of individuals from El Paso and Juárez going up to that beautiful stage. So, de nuevo, muchísimas gracias por todo lo que han hecho para El Paso.

Do we have Ruben and David or is there you are?

This is very special because there's small businesses that contribute so much to our community and they have, you know, World Boba and Coffee get excited and get behind so many activities and they make sure that people get excited. They do everything possible to to get people involved in these beautiful activities. So we're very, very fortunate to have a small business like theirs do such great things for our community. So if you don't mind saying a few words on behalf of our event today.

Thank you very much. We appreciate it. Good morning. Thank you for this opportunity. We didn't expect it, but again, we appreciate it. My name is David Ramos and I'm here with my brother, Ruben Ramos. And as you mentioned, We're local business owners. Four years ago, we started our business, World Boba and Coffee. But before then, I just want to let you know that we're both native El Pasoans, born and raised here. We are proud graduates of Thomas Jefferson High School. Some of you might know it as . That's why they're so special, OK? Besides all the other things. So we earned our degrees, my brother in business, and I earned it in engineering. We moved away to California. embarked in our careers, but at some point we decided there's no place like home. So we decided to come back to El Paso and open up our small business. And our mother and father always taught us that serving our community was of vital importance. So that in itself is our cornerstone of our business. And with that, I'll turn it over to my brother so he can share with everyone on what we do to try to promote not only our community and bring everyone together, but help others promote themselves as well, so.

Thank you so much, appreciate it. Good morning and . So what we try to do with our coffee shop is to be unique. Thank you first for all the events that you've been bringing. BTS was insane at our store. We had a Luchador weekend party as well. And now with the FIFA tournament, what a better place, World Boba. We serve world coffees and we make drinks based on colors of the teams that have been playing. So that was one thing that we did. But what's unique is people come to our shop looking for an alternative to a bar. I know the bars are packed, and I'm happy for them. But coffee shops are a little bit more subdued and quiet. Not at our shop. We have the big screens going on. We've been playing every game. We love seeing the different shirts from different countries. And everyone's welcome. I'm still crying from last night. But there's been more and more people coming. And I think they appreciate that you can bring your kids to a safe environment. You can have your coffee and maybe your kids can have boba, but we all share the same enthusiasm for soccer. And congratulations to your son and to you. That's amazing. I mean, it makes us proud that we're from El Paso, and you're just another part of why we're so proud of being back home. And that's it. We did make you something. We made the first World Boba and Coffee Cup that we're going to present to you. It's bigger than yours.

Oh, thank you.

So enjoy it.

This is beautiful. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I'll pass it on to Alex.

No, thank you. And like my brother said, we're a young, small business, but four years. Thank you to everyone who has mentioned us, stopped by, or hasn't come by yet, and now is curious to come by. But I will leave you with this. There's been many businesses that have been struggling, small and big. And one of the things my brother and I decided to do was create something called Locos for Local. You come into our shop and we have a podcast where we interview local businesses for free. It's a quick five, ten minute interview. We just wanna help the community continue to stay open like we are. And we're proud to do that. Anyone who has a business or an event, we just did the police department because they're having an event, you're very welcome. And that's what makes us proud to come back home and have a business, but to say thank you back and to help other businesses, whether they're struggling or not. We just want... everyone in the world to recognize El Paso for what an amazing town it is. Thank you so much. And we're proud to be here.

David and Ruben, thank you so much. That's exemplary of how every business should be, and you're a great example. So thank you both, and let's give them a round of applause. Thank you. Thank you, thank you.

Buenos dias, señora y señor Sandejas. Mi nombre es Jessica Trejo. Soy la directora de la Escuela San Jose. I am the principal of St. Joseph's School. I'm here to present our wonderful mariachi that, as you know, we're one of, I don't know if we're the only one or one of the only schools that has an elementary mariachi. Porque así como ustedes creemos en los talentos que Dios nos ha dado, But we're also race athletes. We are also soccer players, as you said, and we're the champions of our little league. We're proud to be part of El Paso history and we're proud to present Corazones de San Jose.

Your soul is incredible. Thank you. Thank you.

Hello, ladies and gentlemen, we are mariachi.

Corazones. Of St. Joseph's School.

Si, senor.

Hola, senores y senoras, somos mariachi.

Corazones.

De San Jose.

Si, senor. One, two, three. Cariño que nació de la nada, sin saber su porqué.

Para mí diferente Sin pensar algún día Tú serías mi amor El tiempo derirá la realidad y yo te adoraré una eternidad. Te quiero y no puedo negarlo. Si es preciso gritarlo, gritaré sin censar.

Thank you.

El tiempo de herida la realidad y yo te adoraré una eternidad. Cariña que nació de la nada sin saber se convierte en sublima obsesión. Te quiero y no puedo negarlo El cariño que siento es cariño mortal Cariño Cariño Cariño.

Thank you.

La sierra morena, cielito lindo, te dejá tanto. Un par de abuelitos negros, cielito lindo, te dejá tanto. No llores, porque cantando se alegran bien.

Listo, listo, los corazones.

Good job, buddy. Ese lunar que tienes Cielito lindo junto a la boca No se lo dejaré Cielito lindo que a mí me toca Ay, ay, ay, ay Canta como es A little bow.

Go ahead, Caesar. Do our group photo with our guests that spoke today? If you don't mind, we'll be down there with you.

Everybody who spoke for this item, if you'll come up and take a picture with the court.

Ooh, look at that. Wait a minute. Alex! Here in the United States

Papá, que tan orgulloso estamos de ustedes. Ojalá que cumplimos un poco, que sientan lo que sentimos ahorita aquí en El Paso por ustedes. Están bienvenidos quedarse con nosotros, pero de veras sé que están muy ocupados, pero muchísimas gracias por estar aquí. Felicitamos con todo el corazón y bendiciones para ustedes. Muchísimas gracias. No, gracias.

Muchísimas gracias. Un honor.

Thank you, sir. Item number 5A from resolutions. Approve and adopt a resolution recognizing Carmen Duarte for her exemplary and outstanding contributions and service to the people of El Paso County, Texas.

Well, thank you very much. This is also very, very special when we have an individual that is a powerhouse and also we'd like to welcome her, but let me read the resolution and then we'll have a special song for Carmen Duarte. West El Paso County acknowledges the valuable contributions made by El Paso senior residents who have been instrumental in shaping our community. West Carmen Duarte, 91 years young, is a lifelong resident of El Paso County whose humanitarian efforts in service to El Paso County are notable and warrant recognition. and Ms. Carmen is a graduate of Jefferson High School whose lifelong commitment to her school continued as an alumnus and later as a secretary of the high school principal for 38 years. Her devotion to her alma mater resulted in being honored as the outstanding next of Jefferson High School. and was Carmen served as president of three parent teachers associations in El Paso Independent School District, as well as being selected as the city council secretary of the PTA and was Carmen served El Paso County Sheriff Wiles Community Advisory and Foundation Board for over ten years, whose annual projects included Christmas toy giveaway, haunted house and Thanksgiving baskets to needy families. where Carmen participated in the RIT Border Relations Board headed by Chief Bravo from the El Paso Sheriff's Department, whose goal included enhancing community cooperation between El Paso and Ciudad Juarez, where Carmen served for several years as a volunteer ombudsman advocate in the Rio Grande Council of Governments Area Agency on Aging Ombudsman Program, donating at least nine hours monthly to visiting elders in the nursing home, resolving resident issues and participated in case conferences and state surveys. Whereas Carmen has mentored numerous of public servants and has inspired them to make their own difference. Now therefore be resolved by the El Paso County Judge and Commissioner's Court that Carmen Duarte be recognized for her exemplary and outstanding contributions and service to the people of El Paso, Texas. Signed this sixth day of July 2026.

We have a motion to approve from Judge Samaniego, a second from Commissioner Olguin. The voting is open. Thank you, Commissioner. Motion carries.

What an incredible, I know you have, we have some people that will speak on her behalf. Carmen. Yes. Good morning.

Good morning, thank you very much for being here, I'm very proud. No, no, thank you, thank you all. And my name's David Duarte, I'm her son, I'm her youngest. And I really wanna thank you, county judge and all the commissioners, for taking the time to honor my mother today. My mother was born to two immigrant parents from Mexico in 1935. and embraced the American way of life, but never forgetting her Mexican roots. She's a proud graduate of Jefferson High School, as you mentioned, County Judge, and was married to my father, Daniel Duarte, for 68 years until his death in 2023. My mother loved to serve the community, and where she participated in many groups, but there was always a consistent theme that she followed, and that was helping others, as you mentioned. If it wasn't defending the kids that she loved to support in her 33 years of working in the public schools to offering her house to lead food drives for the less fortunate for El Paso County. I never realized all the years I grew up in the Duarte household of the many lives that they touched and the people they helped. I guess it became more evident when my father passed and all the stories I was told by many people of how my parents helped them in personal issues with love and support. I'm very touched by all the support and love being bestowed by my mother and of course, indirectly to my father. There is even a person on this court who always remembers to send an invitation to my mother and father for their child's milestones in life. It is deeply appreciated that my mother's in your heart. She loved the American way of life and the political system that has led this beautiful country for 250 years. She participated in local politics and helped to reshape the local political landscape. This was definitely her passion. But ultimately, of course, her passion was the love she shared for God. Strong faith in Jesus, follow for the love of my father, her kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. Thank you for this beautiful recognition and God bless you all, okay?

Good morning, county judge and commissioners. My name is Ana Dominguez and I am one of the fortunate many who Carmen mentored. And I have with me Michael Apodaca, who she also mentored.

I'd like to read a statement from Danny Anchondo, Jeffersonian.

And this is what he is not able to be here but he wanted me to read it for him. I was asked by Ana Dominguez to say a few words about Carmen Duarte and I'm sorry can't be there today. It is an honor for me to say these words about Carmen Duarte because I have known her for a very long time. I first met Carmen when she was working at Jefferson High School. I was a student there and my brief encounter with her was always asking her for assistance. how to get things done, accomplished at Jefferson so that students could be helped with their studies and get better grades. She was always there to help. I did not see her again until I graduated law school. When I returned, Ms. Duarte was still working at Jefferson High School, where she once again helped in the recognition of outstanding ex-students and helping other Jeffersonians. At this time, Ms. Duarte was helping senior citizens register to vote. She organized countless senior citizens not only to vote, but actually to go out and go to the polls to vote. Her assistance in this proved very important to El Paso. During these years, the number of senior citizens registered to vote increased, and so did the voting. when she was called upon to assist in raising money to feed the elderly and to assist at the senior citizen centers, Kalman was the first one to be at the front of the line. Her dedication to helping senior citizens encouraged me and others to follow her footsteps. This contribution by Ms. Duarte continues today as a lot of her followers are still helping senior citizens registering them to vote and getting them out to vote and getting them involved in community affairs. I thank her for all of the work she has done during her lifetime and I think El Paso should thank her as well. Mil abrazos, Carmen. Mil besos. The other great thing about Carmen was that you got two for the price of one because her husband, Dan, was right next to her. Both myself, like I said, as well as Michael, are products of Carmen. Carmen has served numerous, numerous years under grace, under pressure, She is characterized by her modesty. She was always, always looking to recognize people and the potential in people and to encourage them in many ways. And you know what? It was finally time, her time had come for her to receive her due recognition. Judge, I wanted to thank you and your office for making this possible for Carmen. We are indebted to you. We just feel that it is so important because we do not know what the future may hold for us. It's important for us to recognize those people who have shaped El Paso. Surely, Carmen has been a person that has shaped El Paso.

Thank you, Ana. I appreciate that. Michael?

Thank you, Ana. Thank you, Michael. And thank you commissioners and the court for recognizing a very special person that's been part of my life as well. Because I met Carmen back in 2004 when I first started getting involved with our local Democratic Party. I had just been elected. to represent El Paso at the state party. But at the same time, Carmen had just been elected to be one of our county chairs. And also, I forgot to introduce myself, Michael Blanca, El Paso County Democratic Chairman. uh in the long legacy of where uh carmen and also uh get the fiero who's here with us uh with her and also commissioner who game um as well but you know as i was saying you know i met her in 2004 um at a time when really our party was in chaos to be honest internally um where that um you know we we didn't have a lot of money we didn't have a home uh we didn't have a place where our party could uh could to work out of and carmen was that tremendous force that was able to bring our party back. And even today, where we office out of our, where we office as a part of the same place that Carmen found us nearly 20 years ago in the same building. But also at the same time, the one reason why I do want to make sure that not only through her legacy with Jefferson, Although, again, Austin High School is always the best high school, but we're not going to get into that argument. Since I know I have a bunch of Jeffersonians here, including our judge. But the lasting impact for me personally was that she allowed me to be part of her administration in a time when folks didn't really believe in me and really didn't at a time when folks didn't know who I was, and she gave me that opportunity to make sure to assist her and grow with her as she was our county chairman. Especially in 2006, when it was time to run the primary again, she asked me to help her and her husband, Nan, to assist her with the primary election that year, and that was the first time I had ever done that. And since then, I have to thank Carmen for believing me at that point in time, allowing me to grow and allowing me to be where I am today within our own party. as well and so and also plus the many other uh things that should not just you know not just only democratic parts of because that's really my focus you know in my life with her but i know she's worked tremendously you know in other avenues as well making sure people go you know get out to vote working and ensure that jefferson uh high school graduates uh have a place to uh be mentored and also to assist them as well um and also with her family of her wonderful um you know, her past husband, who Danny is. Just as, you know, Chairman Onchondo said, with Carmen, you definitely got two for one with her and Dan by her side. So, you know, with that said, you know, again, I do want to thank, I do want to thank, you know, Ana Dominguez for bringing this up and also commissioners for recognizing Carmen today and, you know, everything. And thank you so much, Carmen, for being that mentor to me. So thank you, Court.

Thank you, Michael. Michael, you've done a great job. I also want to recognize in our audience another iconic person. Geta Fierro has been also a force to be dealt with, and so we thank you for your friendship. If you mind standing up.

Thank you, Judge. Thank you very much, Commissioner's Court. Thank you for the opportunity to honor an outstanding young woman, Carmen Duarte. She had a good session with the Democratic Party. She helped a lot of people. She was always available. And we were fortunate to have her husband, become kind of a staff member in her office. And after that, after she left office, he continued to volunteer as a staff member for the next county judge. I mean, Democratic County, well, anyway. Anyway, she helped so many people. She made life easier for those who are less fortunate. And we were happy. that she was there to do all of this for the rest of us. And I thank her personally for doing everything she did with her staff. She had a wonderful staff. And one of her staff members, her name is Carmen too. She's sitting next to her. Thank you very much for all that you did for El Paso, for the Democrats and for everybody, not just Democrats. But thank you for your work, your love, and your dedication. Gracias, Carmen, and your staff. Thank you all for listening to us.

So we're very fortunate to have our mariachi group here, and they will be playing her favorite song for Carmen on behalf of Carmen.

Judge, just really quickly, can I just say a few words for Carmen as well? Thank you, Judge. Thank you. I just want to thank Carmen for the incredible difference that she made in the lives of so many of us who also sought to follow in her footsteps and seek public office. I first met Carmen a little over 20 years ago when I moved back home to El Paso after having left to go to school at UT Austin. And the one thing that really stands out to me about Carmen is her servant's heart. I have never met anyone who, it didn't matter what it was, if there was a way for her to help, she would do it. And it wasn't just here in El Paso, but helping the children across the border in Juarez, delivering food to them. She did so much every single day for so many people. and at the same time served as such a role model for so many of us that followed in her footsteps. I was incredibly proud to support Carmen when she ran for Democratic County Chair, and I was incredibly proud to have her have agreed to serve as my treasurer when I chose to run for chair and then for commissioner. So I just want to thank Carmen and make sure that she knows just how much she means to those of us who were able to follow in her footsteps. I can't think of a greater role model and to have her and Queta and Belen Robles having been that role model for so many women in public office today, it's just we're incredibly blessed as a community to have these giants among us. So thank you, Carmen. Thank you for everything that you've done for me personally, for our community, and for our entire region. We love you.

And finally, I too want to, you know, going into a runoff against an incredible mayor, I was pretty overwhelmed and had not been in politics and I got to meet Carmen and she gave me that courage and strength, that quiet way of making you feel that you are capable and that it's going to be possible. And that really was outstanding. And I remember getting that second wind because of Carmen. So thank you very much. And now we'll hear from the mariachis.

¶¶ is is There you go! A big round of applause for Cárdenas!

¶¶

Thank you so much, Michael.

I'm down.

Item number 5B, approve and adopt the resolution declaring the month of July 2026 as Miracle Jeans Month Go Casual for Kids in El Paso County, Texas.

Congratulations. Congratulations.

Christina, yeah. Thank you.

Bye.

Take care, Carmen.

The item's been read in, Judge. The item's been read in. I've already read the item in. Yes, sir.

I didn't hear that. I apologize. Lauren, if you want to join us as well? No? You're okay?

Okay.

Okay, thank you. This is always, you know, anything having to do with the Children's Hospital and the Foundation. It's just what an amazing organization, and we're very grateful as a community to have you. So whereas El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation is a nonprofit organization that provides direct services, funding, and improves the quality of life for children throughout a variety of programs that benefits the children of El Paso del Norte region. Whereas El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation is a region's charitable partner for the El Paso Children's Hospital and the Children's Miracle Network, ensuring that every child in the borderland region receives the utmost care they deserve. Through the generosity of our community and partners, they are able to greatly impact kids' health and quality of life. And with El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation connects compassionate donors who are passionate about improving pediatric health care in the greater El Paso region with opportunities to give and make an extraordinary impact and aims to keep families close to home as their loved ones receive high quality care without having to travel outside the region. The month of July will be designated for El Paso County as Miracle Jeans Month, Go Casual for Kids fundraising campaign in the partnership with the El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation. And whereas the partnership with the El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation reflects a strong collaboration to support specialized pediatric care, ensure the children in El Paso receive the care they need when they need it right here in El Paso. With the Miracle Jeans Month Go Casual for Kids fundraising campaign, we'll give the El Paso County and its departments an opportunity to donate a minimum amount each time to have a day of wearing jeans for the month, but most importantly, giving to a great cause of making a difference. With El Paso County celebrates the significance of the El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation and its efforts in helping make a difference in the lives of those in our El Paso community. Now, therefore, it be resolved that the El Paso County Judge and Commissioner's Court hereby declare the month of July shall be known as Miracle Jeans Month Go Casual for Kids, signed the sixth day of July 2026.

We have a motion to approve from Judge Samaniego, a second from Commissioner Holguin. The voting is open. Motion carries. Welcome.

Thank you, good morning, Judge, Commissioners, Cristina Ramirez with the Human Resources Department. We would like to thank you for your support on this resolution item, as we're very excited to partner with the El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation for this very important cause. Ms. Alexa Velasquez, Program Director for the Children's Miracle Network is here today. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Morales family could not be with us, but we'll go ahead and share on how the impact has made a difference in their family. As stated in the resolution, the county will be holding a miracle steam month in July where we go casual for kids. This fundraising event will be held the entire month of July where participating departments can designate several days authorizing their employees to wear jeans. 100% of the donations go directly to the children's hospital. We are asking that each time an employee wants to wear jeans on the designated days, they donate a minimum of $5 each time. We are aware some departments already have their casual Fridays in place. However, in order to fundraise, we are proposing designated separate days in which the department head or elected official chooses to approve for their staff to support the campaign and wear jeans. Departments will have the discretion to approve their own jean days as they know their operations best. Departments can do once a week or as many days as they choose. Staff can donate directly to the QR code that you see on the flyer on the screens. You'll pull out your camera, scan the QR code, and you can donate directly. Staff would then verify with their management to confirm their participation. This is a friendly competition with our county departments to see who can fundraise the most. And we will be sending out a standalone flyer shortly after this presentation. And along with a public notice flyer in case departments want to put a public notice on why they're authorizing gene days. At the end of this fundraising event, we will hold a separate day with the El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation and the court, yourselves, to attend a special check ceremony that will be presented to El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation. The top three departments that raise the most will have their department head or elected official invited as part of this special check ceremony. So I'll now hand it over to Ms. Velasquez. Thank you.

Thank you. Welcome.

Good morning, Judge and Commissioners, Alexa Velasquez and Josue Ornelas with El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation. Thank you for adopting this resolution. Thank you, Christina. And thank you all for your partnership and support of this resolution. We're truly honored to be here today on behalf of El Paso Children's Hospital Foundation and Children's Miracle Network. This resolution represents more than a fundraising initiative. It represents direct meaningful impact for children and families across the region who rely on El Paso Children's Hospital for critical and often life-saving care. The support generated through Miracle Jeans Month helps provide essential pediatric equipment and strength programs and services and ensure families can access high quality care close to home when they need it most. What makes this effort especially powerful is that it's community driven. Every department, every employee, and every contribution adds up to something much larger. Real resources that directly improve patient care, comfort, and outcomes for children and families across the region. We're especially grateful for the flexibility built into this program, allowing each department to participate in a way that best fits their operations while still coming together in support of a shared mission. That balance of autonomy and collective impact is what makes this initiative so meaningful. On behalf of the foundation, I want to sincerely thank each of you for your leadership, your compassion, and your continued commitment to making difference in the lives of children in our community. While Christopher and his family are unable to join us today, I would like to share a little bit about his story. Christopher was born in 2020 with a brachial plexus birth injury that left him without movement in his right arm. After undergoing first surgery as an infant and beginning specialized care at El Paso Children's Hospital, his journey has been incredible. Through years of physical and occupational therapy, the expertise of Dr. Diamond and the breaker plexus clinic and the support of his family, Christopher has made a remarkable progress. Today, he can enjoy the simple movements every child deserves. Playing at the park with friends, bouncing in bounce houses, playing soccer and basketball, and continuing to build strength and independence every day. While his journey isn't over and for his treatment lies ahead, Christopher's story is a powerful reminder of why we're here today. Because of the support from our community and partners like El Paso County, children like Christopher have access to the special care they need, giving them hope, healing, and the opportunity to simply be kids. Thank you for helping make miracles like Christopher possible.

Thank you. Thank you.

I want to thank you everybody for supporting the children of our community and without your help we wouldn't be able to do so. Thank you so much.

You know, our county employees are always been very generous, very supportive, and I think you're going to see that in the outcome of this program. So thank you very much. And for HR, thank you for leading this off and just push hard on us and we'll respond greatly. So thank you.

Thank you.

Item number 5D, postponed June 29th, 2026, approve and adopt a resolution recognizing the 14th anniversary of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, honoring the resilience and enduring contributions of DACA recipients to our communities, economy, and culture, and reaffirming the importance of protecting pathways that enable immigrants to thrive and contribute fully.

Mr. Stout, I need to make a motion to delete this item. We're going to bring it back on another on another agenda. OK, thank you. Thank you, Commissioner.

We have a motion to delete from Commissioner Stout, a second from Judge Samaniego. The voting is open.

Commissioner Stout, yeah, sorry, I thank you.

Motion carries. Item number six is public comment. We do have two speakers in public comment today. I'd like to start with Mr. Pierre Andreu-Savaga.

I saw him earlier today.

He's not here?

Oh, yeah.

And just as a reminder, I'd like to mention that public comment is limited to five minutes. Everybody will be timed. Thank you.

Thank you, Cesar. Good morning. Welcome.

Thank you. Starting now. All right. Got my little spiel here ready. God almighty bless you, my dear fellow American bred, American born Americans. God almighty bless you, my dear fellow El Paso County. I am Pierre Andre Boy El Sarraga. I am the founder, I am the chairman, and I am the 2028 United States of America's independent presidential and commander in chief candidate elect of the American political party committee. I am American. I am not Republican. I am not Democrat. I am American. TAPPC, the American Political Party Committee, and I are approved and authorized via the Federal Election Commission, that's FEC.gov, to run for the Executive Office of President and Commander in Chief of the United States of America in the upcoming 2028 elections. TAPPC and I are here to inform you, my dear fellow American bred, American born, American voters, that we are in search of 60 Texan Americans who are interested in becoming our electoral college. According to Texas state law, via the acquiring of 60 Texas electoral college members, The state of Texas shall then legally place my name on its state ballots for the upcoming 2028 presidential elections. According to Texas state law, these 60 Texas Electoral College members must fill out a TAPPC Electoral College registration document. TAPPC and I have to then submit these 60 electoral college member registration applications to the Texas Secretary of State for the Texas SOS to confirm and to verify your citizenships here in the state of Texas. I have to repeat this process 50 times over, one for each of the 50 states. So that's 60 Electoral College members that I'm looking for per state, times 50 states, that's 3,000 American-bred, American-born, American Electoral College members. For TAPP's Electoral College member registration, please contact me at the following number. nine one five four nine seven seven five two four to set up an appointment for you and I to meet. Now here's an important note. The Electoral College members have to fill out a hard copy documents. The Texas Secretary of State is requesting the original wedding application for them to confirm and to verify on their computers. So this isn't through website, through internet, this isn't electronic documents as of yet. The general members will be through internet, but the electoral college members, all 3,000, have to be through a hard copy wedding original. Thank you for your time and for your attention, my dear fellow El Paso County, my dear fellow El Paso American bred, American-born Americans, and may God Almighty bless America. Thank you for your time. Thank you.

Our next speaker who submitted public comment online is Elizabeth Crawford. I'll go ahead and I'll read in her comments. It begins, good morning, Judge Samaniego and commissioners. I've been enjoying the opportunity this summer to help with the kids day camp on the east side. The youngest child is four years old. Several times I've been given the responsibility of sitting in the room when she goes down for her midday nap. I've watched her suck her thumb and eventually drift off to sleep. As I'm not a parent or a grandparent as most of you are, I don't have a whole lot of time with very small children, so this has been a special opportunity to spend time with little ones, and it has served as a reminder to me of why we keep doing what we do as pro-lifers. There are countless images of babies in the womb sucking their thumbs. We are told that this habit can sometimes even develop around the 12th week of pregnancy. destroy the egg of a bald or golden eagle in our nation can result in a fine of up to two two hundred thousand dollars and or imprisonment for up to a year destroying the egg of an eagle but why because we know that before it even hatches an eagle is an eagle we also know that before he or she is ever born a baby in the womb is a person No matter what mental gymnastics we as a nation use to try to block out this fact, we know deep down it is true. To borrow the saying from Dr. Seuss, a person's a person no matter how small. As recorded in Isaiah 45, 12, God spoke these words, I have made the earth and created man upon it. I, even my hands have stretched out the heavens and all the hosts have I commanded. And since the Lord who creates mankind literally speaks life and weaves the little persons together in the womb, he has a right to forbid the destruction of those little ones. We cannot celebrate Independence Day and commemorate the phrase life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and at the same time endorse taking the lives of the most vulnerable among us, the unborn. Thank you, and I hope you have a very good day. End of comment. Do we have any other speakers in the audience that would like to participate in public comment? Hearing none, this completes public comments. Item number 7A, presentations. Receiver presentation regarding the El Paso County Shining Stars Award, naming the four shining stars for the last quarter of fiscal year 2026.

morning judge and commissioners betsy keller county administrator as i sat here this morning and i listened to some of the talk about the fourth of july and the various events we had it made me think even more about this item where those events are possible because of our county employees and because of their service so today it's fitting that we're going to recognize four individuals And I thank you for allowing me time on your agenda for this presentation of our County Epic Shining Stars. This program supports the court's strategic goal to value the County of El Paso family. And we deeply appreciate your commitment to this goal. It's an honor and a pleasure to present our County Epic Shining Stars for this quarter. And I am missing the remote for the presentation. EPIC means extending beyond the ordinary or usual, and it is also, in this case, thank you, Alexis, it's also an acronym which represents the county's values of excellence, professionalism, integrity, and creativity. This award is designed to honor those employees who exhibit the county's EPIC values in an exemplary way to make a difference in the life of our residents, fellow county employees, and ultimately the County of El Paso. In addition to today's presentation, the honorees will receive a framed commemorative certificate, a professional grade self-portrait, a flag that was flown over the county courthouse, and some gifts with county branding. They'll have their picture displayed here on the third floor of the courthouse lobby as part of our exhibit that displays our mission, which these individuals illuminate in the work that they do for our community and our organization. Here on the slide, you see our honorees from last quarter, which include Dr. Cynthia Renteria, Monica Hasso, Gina Ruiz, and Annalisa Frey Flores. This quarter, we're proud to recognize four employees that represent a wide array of services that the county provides to our community. Desiree Gonzalez joined the county in 2019 and currently serves as the marketing coordinator with the Operations and Communications Department. She's often behind the camera or behind the scenes, so I'm glad to be recognizing her today. She performs her job and anything else that we ask her to do with a smile and commitment to her county team and community. Desiree says yes to anything asked of her and puts excellent effort into ensuring it succeeds beyond even what we envisioned. Countless times I have seen something extremely creative and eye-catching for a county event or report, and I'm never surprised when I find out it was Desiree who designed and created the work. And during a time of transition and reshaping of our communications division, Desiree and the team have gone above and beyond. She's a professional public servant through and through, and her desire to serve others before herself is obvious. Some things I learned about Desiree in this process include one known and several new facts. Because she's at so many events, many of us have met her to boys. She's a mom to Diego and to Lucas. Outside of work, she loves to watch hockey and her favorite teams are the Dallas Stars and the Anaheim Ducks. Yes, the Mighty Ducks. She loves a variety of music and loves movies. She is actually a film major and wanted to be a film director. Good thing Miguel's not here today, I'm sure he'd be nervous. I also learned she visited Italy a couple years ago with her mom and it was the best experience. She hopes to go back and found the food to be amazing. Melissa Carrillo stated that Desiree's creativity in her work and integrity always are on display. We're fortunate to have Desiree in our county family. We're so proud of you, Desiree. Luis Santillanos has served as a fleet mechanic senior with the county for 18 years at the fleet department. Luis is assigned to the Iscariot Park motor pool and oversees all maintenance, repairs, and services for 24 vehicles and over 235 mowers, tractors, utility vehicles, tillers, a couple boats, and other ancillary ground maintenance equipment. I've been talking to our team a lot lately about what each of us make possible, and the beautiful natural landscapes of our parks, our golf course, playing fields, swimming pools, and lake is a direct result of Luis's tireless, excellent work as a fleet mechanic senior. So every time you're enjoying our park, it's because of people behind the scenes like Luis, and we want to recognize that. In addition to his critical assigned duties and tremendous workload, he's often called upon to assist countywide vehicle emergency repairs at the tax office, medical examiner's offices, our annexes, the parking garage, and at times out on the highways. His attention to detail, multitasking abilities, professionalism, ability to work unsupervised, and willingness to help above and beyond his primary duties truly reflects our core EPIC values. Luis shared with me that outside of work, he likes to travel and play golf. He has been working on cars since age 10. Another fact some may not know is that he is a veteran of the US Marines. For these reasons, Hoped and Staples shared, I'm extremely proud of Luis and thrilled to have him as one of my primary go-to employees to help the county accomplish our goals and mission with excellence. Luis, we thank you for your epic service both to the county and to our country. And he's with us today as well. Dominique Olivares is about to complete two years with the county. She was hired in July of 2024 with the Criminal Justice Coordination Department as the Community Resources Coordinator. She exemplifies the county's epic values through her leadership of the El Paso Promise Program, a justice-involved youth initiative she built entirely from the ground up based on an idea that came to us from Commissioner Coronado. When the program launched, there was no template, no prior structure and no established workflow. Dominique created each component, curriculum, partnerships, evaluation processes and participant supports with precision, professionalism and a deep commitment to the county's mission. Dominique consistently demonstrates exceptional judgment, reliability, and communication. She manages complex cases with maturity and steadiness, collaborates effectively with partner agencies, and represents the county with clarity and professionalism. Her work ethic and demeanor have earned the trust of families, service providers, and county leadership. I learned that Dominique's hidden talents include her vocal skills. Music is a big part of her life. She serves as a vocalist and vocal director at her church and has recorded background vocals for her church's worship albums. As Catherine Jones, CJC director, would put it, Dominique's leadership has created a program that changes lives, strengthens families, and reflects the very best of what El Paso County strives to be. We're incredibly proud to have her on our team. Thank you. Guadalupe Azorno is an Administrative Specialist Intermediate with Constable Precinct II. She will be celebrating five years of service with the county. Her dedication, integrity, professionalism, and commitment to public service consistently exceed expectations. As the administrative professional for Precinct 2, she serves as the backbone for daily operations, ensuring that administrative functions are completed accurately, efficiently, and with the highest level of professionalism. Lupe demonstrates exceptional customer service when assisting the public, fellow employees, and outside agencies. She approaches every interaction with patience, courtesy, and a genuine willingness to help. Her positive attitude and strong work ethic contribute significantly to the success of the office and creating a welcoming environment for everyone she serves. Outside of work, she is mom to a two-year-old, and she loves making memories with her little one. And we know that that can be a full-time job in itself. She enjoys cooking out with her family, and if she ever gets free time, she's a fan of the show Friends. Guadalupe's contributions have had a lasting positive impact on our office and her commitment to serving others truly reflects the county's values. Constable Samora shared that quote with us. Thank you, Guadalupe, for your integrity in all that you do.

Well, thank you, Betsy. And as always, I think we do a lot of recognition, but this one is so important to us. It's very special. I believe you're now a part of a very elite group because we've got such great employees that to be in this group is very, very special. And we always are very thankful because you are the ones that make us look good here at Commissioner's Court. and you cover some of our faults that we commit and you take us to the next level. So we want to thank you for being part of this incredible team and Betsy and HR and everyone that, you know, it's so special to, as you saw today, we recognize individuals. That's a big part of who we are. So it's quite a treat to be able to recognize our very own. So Betsy and to all of you, congratulations. Thank you.

Thank you, Judge. Judge, if I may, I'd like to also just mention I want to thank the department heads that nominated these individuals. They help us recognize their contributions. Public service is not always visible or celebrated, but the work our employees do every day matters deeply to the people in the communities we serve. And Commissioner's Court, just a thank you to all of you. We appreciate your commitment to your value and your strategic goal of valuing the county family. It shows in so many things that the court does how you take care of us and you encourage us to take care of our employees. It makes us an employer of choice. And I'd like to ask for one more round of applause and a photo with you all with those, since we have everybody in attendance this month, it'd be great. So thank you all.

Item number 7B, receive a presentation from the Volunteer Services Coordinator on the 2026 El Paso County Community Builder Awards, presented as part of the America 250 celebration commemorating the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and honoring El Paso's unique America story and enduring spirit of building community through service.

Buenos dias, Judge Commissioners, Monica Hasso, County Administration. It's my honor again to be in front of you all today to present our Community Builders Awardees, Mr. Sebastian Carrillo, Ralph Loya, and Sacred Heart. Sacred Heart cannot be here today, but we want to recognize them nonetheless. And just as a reminder, I'll be really brief. I'd like to give them the microphone to share their stories as much as possible. But just for context, this is part of the way that we here in our borderland are honoring America's 250 by sharing our unique story and those individuals among us who through their significant impact are actively building community. So on that theme of building, right? Building Declaration of Independence, building America, building our future, building our region. So whether they are bringing youth together from Ciudad Juarez and El Paso, whether they're nourishing our community in more ways than one or expanding opportunities to our fellow and new Americans, all three recipients are actively building community and in so doing, building a more connected and hopeful future for us all here in our frontera. Muchas gracias. I'll pass the mic on to them to share their stories. Thank you, Monica.

Good morning judges and commissioners. My name is Sebastian Carrillo and I am very honored to accept this award. Ever since I was little, I've loved the beautiful game of soccer. I play it myself. I think it's the best sport in the world. And I believe that if you want to, everybody deserves the chance to play it with the right equipment. So my program is named Kicking Down Barriers, and it entails me collecting cleats, soccer balls, gloves, et cetera, soccer equipment, and donating them to the Unidad Deportiva Valle del Sol in Ciudad Juarez. As one united borderland region, helping the children in Juarez is helping the region as a whole. Thank you. Thank you so much.

Betsy, if you want to. I could not be so more proud of this young man. I've been able to watch him grow up from the time he was born. His mom is Melissa Creo, our deputy county administrator. I've seen him do more. I mean, this event is one, but I've also seen him do diaper drives and other drives during the pandemic. I'm just so remarkably proud of you, Sebastian. and the young man you are.

I know it's overused, but the fruit doesn't fall far from the tree. And great parents, and thank you for what you do at such a young age. We're very proud of you. Thank you.

And my friend Ralph. Good morning, commissioners, judge. My name is Ralph Loya. I'm here, owner of Growing with Sarah Farm. Our store is Bodega Loya. We're located in Socorro. We grow some of the best organic vegetables in the county. Thank you very much for this recognition. It's something that really touches down deep in my heart. It's something that I did as a kid. with my dad. And after growing up and falling in love and going to school and getting a degree in electronics, working 43 years, retiring the last 30 years from UTEP, it was something that I didn't know what I was going to do the rest of my life. I guess I could have got a job at 7-Eleven, but I said, no, I think I'll do what my daddy showed me. And I went back to farming. And it's a labor of love. It's very good for the heart and the soul to prepare the soil to sow the seed and watch it grow and share it with the community. Like I say, for some of the best organic vegetables and fruits that you can obtain here in the county. Thank you all very much for everything you do. One little thing, and I don't want to get political, but I do use water very much in my farming. Just say no to meta and data centers, please, because I really, really need the water. Thank you all very much.

Thank you, Ralph.

Ralph is an exceptional, I can't tell you, and I hope you understand, I mean, every individual that goes to your place, you know, I'll send every opportunity, and they come back and tell me how you receive them, the way you are, the time you take to, you know, to tell them the story and the story about agriculture. I'm so fascinated because, you know, I started, you know, hanging around and watching everything you started to do and to see that and what you have now since you, I was going to say since you graduated from UTEP, but when you retired from UTEP, just an amazing place. I think it's going to put us on the map. And I just appreciate how much you love that area. And I'm just very proud of what you do. So thank you, Rolf. Thank you so much, Judge. Thank you. And Monica, of course, I can't stop saying how impressed we are with what you've created. You've gone from just, you know, volunteer kind of people just take for granted to showing the results. And you've been showing them consistently what happens when people get together and it comes from the heart, not getting paid, and they do these incredible things for our community. Somehow you've just highlighted the importance of volunteerism like I've never seen it before. Oh, thank you, Judge.

Volunteers are everywhere, and that's what we're trying to shine a light on, the big part of our community. If I can indulge the Commissioner's Court for a photo with their community builder awardees, please.

Oh, absolutely, absolutely.

Item number eight, a purchasing. Go bond a 08, a 10, a 13 through 17. Approve and authorize the purchase of shelter bundle project for El Paso County parks using by board contract 78125. awarded to Exer Play Incorporated of Cedar Crest, New Mexico, for a total project cost of $2,186,397.87. Purchasing approved on June 9th, 2026. Funding is available in CPBD 24 issue B, Prop A, Park Improvements, and CPBD 24 issue C, Prop A, Park Improvements.

good morning karen welcome good morning judge thank you good morning commissioners karen davidson your county purchasing agent and purchasing and our project our powerhouse project team is glad to present to you to ask for your approval and authorization to purchase our shelter bundle project this covers eight different parks and it does provide the shelter structures the picnic tables and the other trash receptacles that we're putting in the parks. If you remember, when we do our presentation, we put them all together and bundle them in order to get an economy of scale discount. We got that along with an additional 5% discount. So we're asking to use a cooperative methodology with Exerplay from Cedar Crest, New Mexico for the total amount of 2,186,397.87 for today. And this goes into the different eight parks. And those are the items that we'll be purchasing. I can answer any question on the purchase. And of course, we have public works here if you want to talk about amusement parks or the operations.

Thank you, Karen.

Judge, I do have a question for public works mostly on Ruben Estrella Park. At the community meeting that we held, we were told by public works and the architects that the shelters would be staying in place and retrofitted or just upgraded and staying in place in order to afford bathrooms. But I see on the contract purchasing of new shelters for Ruben Estrella Park.

So I think originally the plan was to get some shelters for Ruben Estrella, but because we are looking at getting bathrooms instead of the shelters, and we're still considering it based on the cost of the bathrooms. So if there's an opportunity to add shelters, we will, Commissioner, but I know that the community prefer to have bathrooms over the shelters. And so if there's no extra money, we will just work on what's there and get the bathrooms.

But we're authorizing purchasing of new shelters for Ruben Estrella Park in this.

So Karen, in the backup, it shows Ruben Estrella and that's one that we are still undecided on. This allows us to buy them but does not contract us to buy them, correct?

Correct. And if in the future, Commissioner, we decide we want to add one in the next six months, we can add and deduct as necessary.

So that is still the plan, is to do bathrooms, prioritize bathrooms. We are trying to find funding to be able to do both. But right now, we won't know until later in the project. So this leaves shelters as an option for Estrella, but we're planning on not doing those immediately. We're planning on doing the bathrooms as a priority.

Okay. I just don't want us to come back here in six months and say we already spent the money on the shelters and the bathrooms for Aruban and Estrella.

Right.

Yes, ma'am.

No, we do understand the priorities. Okay. Thank you.

Thank you, Commissioner.

We have a motion to approve from Judge Sanmaniego, a second from Commissioner Stout. Voting is open.

Aye.

Thank you, Commissioner Olguin. Motion carries.

Thank you, Court. Thank you.

Item number nine, a grant applications discuss and take appropriate action to approve the submission of El Paso County's application to the Texas water development board house bill 500 water supply and infrastructure fund grant program. requesting up to $21 million in grant funding for improvements to the East Montana water system, including approval of the application, all required certifications, affidavits, resolutions, and related documents, pending final review and approval by the county attorney's office. Further, authorize the county judge to sign all documents necessary for submission of the application. Contract 20260438.

Good morning, Judge, Commissioners, Montserrat Suraj, Planning and Development Department.

Welcome.

Today, we're requesting authorization to apply for the Texas Water Development Board Water Supply Infrastructure Grant Program, established through House Bill 500. This is a unique opportunity for El Paso County. The state appropriated a little bit over $1 billion in one-time grant funding for water infrastructure projects across Texas. Unlike other Texas Water Development Board grants, this is 100% grant and no loan is involved in this one. For El Paso County, we are proposing the East Montana Water System Rehabilitation Project, which serves thousands of residents in the county-owned water system. The project focus on replacing aging water infrastructure, reducing water loss, improving system reliability, increasing storage capacity, and enhancing fire protection and the long-term resiliency. Our proposed project is consistent with the 2026 Water, Regional Water, 2026 Region E Regional Water Plan, which is mandatory eligibility requirement for this program. We have confirmed that this project falls within the appropriate population category, making the county eligible to request up to $21 million in grant funding. This is a very, very, very competitive state program, and only one application may be submitted per eligibility entity. So selecting the highest priority project is critical. If awarded, the grant will allow the county to make major improvement in the East Montana water system while significantly reducing the financial burden on residents and taxpayers. Approval today simply authorize the staff to finalize and submit the grant application before July 30th, 2026 deadline. If the county is selected for funding, any required grant agreement or any documents will be coming back to Commissioner's Court on later date for approval. This is an opportunity to bring millions of state dollars back to El Paso County and rehabilitate critical public infrastructure without increasing a burden on local taxpayers. Thank you, and I'll be happy to answer any questions you all have.

I just had a comment which is to say thank you to Munzer and Denise and everybody else who's worked on this. I think it was January or February that we were able to get on a call with the Texas Water Development Board to see what population bracket we had in the East Montana water system because the amount of funding is different based on population. And so the Texas Water Development Board was very helpful in raising our or correcting our population numbers for the East Montana water system, which makes us eligible for more funding for this grant, which I take as a very good indicator that they're gonna be looking out for applications. So I'm very hopeful. Munzer, you mentioned to me when we met that there's a water loss in this system that this grant will help to address and correct. What is the percentage of water loss we have?

I believe the current one or last year's one is almost between 11 and 13%, I believe, and that's due to difference in the massimeter reading versus what's being supplied through the lines. So in this project, we're proposing to add additional massimeters to better collect the data, how much water will be going through these lines. And as well, replacing some aging fire hydrants as well.

OK, that's I. I am hopeful that if we were able to get the grant that it's it's going to address some of these. Issues that we have in the aging system out in East Montana that add cost to operating the system too. So thank you very much for working on this. Thank you.

Judge. Yes, I want to thank Munzer and Commissioner Butler for getting this, working on the issues related to this application. But I really think right now that it's budget time and that we're doing finalizing tomorrow our plans on going forward with our strategic planning. I really think it's going to be more than a worthwhile investment to give some help to Munzer and his department with respect to grant applications. This is not going to go away for the next 20 years. There's going to be money available every single biennium from the state. And I know, Munzer, I think you're the only one there now. Somebody just recently left.

Yeah, thank you.

I really think it's going to provide great dividends if we dedicate funds to his department to make sure that they have help with grant applications for water. And I know there's currently some projects pending that need additional funding and maybe there's a way that this person can really seek out for those applications and I think having somebody dedicated for our water infrastructure that's probably number one on the list on the entire needs in the county is probably, you know, wastewater, clean water and sewer is probably number one in terms of the highest amount of need. And so I really think that we really need to think hard about doing that this time around. Thank you, Munzer, for your work.

Thank you, Commissioner Couturneau.

I'll make a motion to approve. Thank you.

We have a motion to approve from Commissioner Butler, a second from Commissioner Coronado. The voting is open.

Best of luck, Minister. Thank you.

Thank you. I also would like to thank Norma for her help as well, and Michael. Thank you. Motion carries.

Thank you.

Item number 10A, budget and finance. Approve and authorize El Paso County Emergency Services District number two to apply for a loan to purchase a new aerial ladder fire truck and station alerting systems. Welcome, Carmen.

Good morning. Good morning, Judge, Commissioners. This is an item that we assisted the ESD number 2 to place on the agenda. This is a loan to purchase a new aerial fire track and station alerting systems. ESD 2 is formally requesting a loan authorization, the amount of $2,375,000, and this funding will secure two critical infrastructure upgrades as well as response capabilities across the jurisdiction. And with me today is Chief Roger Esparza, who can also address this item.

Thank you. Welcome, Chief.

Good morning, Commissioners and Judge. Thank you for having me. We placed this agenda item in our request by Ms. Arrieta to be able to purchase that truck that we discussed during the meeting with ICE. So they gave us a time frame of about 18 months to get that facility going. I'm seeing that there's a lot of movement there, so I'm thinking that we don't even have the 18 months. And this is a critical piece of equipment that we're going to need for that particular facility. Not only that, but for all the other warehousing that's going in there. So the board did approve for us to go out for a loan to purchase the truck and also update the fire stations for the alerting system that wakes up the firemen when there's an emergency.

Independent chief of the detention center, you've also discussed, I mean, this would be something that could be independent, right, because of the demand that you have in that area? Correct. I think the public needs to understand that. It's not just focus on that because it might not happen, but I think just looking at your challenges is very much needed. Judge?

I'm sorry. One of the things during the meeting with the interim secretary, they seem to indicate some at least openness or will to help fund some of these types of purchases that would be absolutely required. The only thing I would caution us is sometimes they won't reimburse you once you've paid for it. So a lot of times, if it's something we've already bought, they often won't give you a grant after the fact. So that's just something maybe as you go forward to get the loan, if the court approves, it's something to take into consideration to maybe try to see if there's a will or some kind of agreement that could be secured before the loan is secured to be able to use the grant to repay the loan.

And those are the things that we actually did consider that, you know, with the federal government, it's a maybe, right? I don't think that would be a grant. I think that would be more like funding assistance for whatever we're incurring as part of their facility. But we're definitely looking to make sure that we get reimbursement for that if we can. And I did put that in our presentation. One of the things that we'd be seeking is reimbursement from the federal government. But it's an 18-month to three-year wait on a fire truck, so that's why we'd rather get going now instead of waiting until they tell us it's a go.

Commissioner Ulgi?

Thank you, Judge. And the loan itself, we would be applying for that loan now? Correct.

Correct.

And the funding for those payments, where would that funding come from?

It'll be at a taxpayer's dollars.

The general, the ESD's general fund. And financially, Carmen, there's no concern with that.

Yes, Commissioner O'Gain, I was present for the meeting and they did take that into consideration in their budget and will do so in the fiscal year 27 budget to my understanding.

And do we know any more about the process of requesting reimbursement from the government, have we gotten any more information, since that last meeting.

No, but I think it's all about to change since they're from buddy here in the news is they're appointing a new director right so whatever we got told the last time I be changing here pretty quick so it's up in the air, but for us that this is a critical. need for the for this truck for that area we could have waited if it wasn't going to be but if they're i think it's they're moving pretty fast with this facility so i don't think we even have that 18 months thank you we have a motion to approve from judge samaniego a second from commissioner coronado voting is open

Thank you both, appreciate it. Thank you.

Motion carries.

Thank you, Chief.

Thank you. Item number 10B, budget hearing. Receive a presentation regarding various financial and budget information for consideration in the fiscal year 2027 budget.

Again, good afternoon, Judge Simoniego, members of the court, Carmen Arieta Candelaria, Budget and Finance Director representing the Budget and Finance Department. So today is our budget hearing. I'll be giving you some information today on our upcoming budget for fiscal year 2027. Got these five items of topics for discussion that I'll be going over with you today regarding the 27 budget. First is our revenues. for the budget and then our preliminary central appraisal district values and some information on property taxes. What we're looking for are general fund balance for fiscal year 26, a new item, schedule of fees, rates and fees, and then some upcoming key dates for you to take into consideration as we move forward in the budget. This is the estimated revenues. Again, these are all preliminary estimates. Only the auditor's office certifies the fiscal year 2027 revenue. However, I wanted to give you some information from our perspective. I know you're familiar with this slide. We've been giving you this information over the last few months. This is the last iteration as of May 31st, 2026. And so year to date, we had already collected $364,920,000 or 87.81% of our current year revenues of $415 million. We have about $50 million to collect for the budget for this fiscal year. And then of course we add our fund balance, those reserves that we do utilize to balance our budgets. Our total available funds are $495,486,000 And so of those funds, it represents 73.65%. And this is important as we're looking at the basis for our fiscal year 2027 budget, how our revenue is currently performing, and do we use that as a predictor for fiscal year 2027? And we do. In this particular slide, you see there are three revenue categories that have been exceeded. The miscellaneous amount is really a small amount, only 16,677, but two of the ones that have already been exceeded are charge for services, in the amount of $796,000, which represents primarily our federal detainee revenue that we have been anticipating in this year because we only budgeted for three months during the year. And then our intergovernmental revenues have already been exceeded by $730,000. primarily due to three items that we have received in this fiscal year in 26, but we did not budget for. One of them was for the JPD supplement reimbursement from the state in the amount of $452,000. Some Lone Star and Operations grant that we did not budget, $1,554,000. And then the disabled veterans amount that we get as a result of the local government disproportionately disabled veterans allocation in the amount of $966,000. So those are three items that we don't normally budget. We still have some revenues that we'll get for the rest of the year in those, and we'll also look for next year to see if those will be budgeted.

um,

Then here is our projection for fiscal year 26. We have projected so far $437,348,000, or $21,769,000. And I would say that we work very closely with the auditor's office just to make sure that we are double checking one another to make sure that we're in line with these projections. And we have found that we are very comparable. So, this is the variance that we're currently estimating on fiscal year 26, that $21,769,000. So that serves as a basis for our projections for fiscal year 27. So currently our certified revenues were the $415,579,000. Our projection is the $437,348. We think we'll be a little bit better in fiscal year 2027, reflecting a projection there of $441,045,000. We do work closely with our auditor's office and we anticipate that there will be around that number that they will be able to certify going into fiscal year 27. So the variance between our projection in fiscal year 26 and our fiscal year 2027 is about $3.7 million better in fiscal year 27 versus 26. You can see some of those variances there that we anticipate between the projection in 26 and the projection in 27. Some of the key assumptions that we will assume when we adopt the budget, when we present the budget for you to adopt, these are the key assumptions in our calculations. So right now our federal inmate revenue is estimated at a daily average of $275,000 at the new rate of $134,000 for the entire year. That's approximately $13,450,000. If you remember, that rate went into effect on February 1st. and so for fiscal year 27 excuse me 26 do not have the full benefit at the whole year at the new rate for fiscal year 27 we will have the benefit of that rate however we are conservatively budgeting at 275 instead of the a higher number although we have been seeing some improvement there over 300 we want to be conservative at 275. Our property taxes are currently estimated at the no new revenue rate, and that's an estimated growth at 2% of new valuation growth. I have a little bit more detail on the property tax growth, but right now those assumptions that you just saw for fiscal year 27 have a property tax estimated at the no new revenue rate. Sales taxes, this is the estimate that we garnered from the auditor's office, 84,894,000. We are using, that should be, That should not be a three at the end. It's $84,894,264. I apologize for that. That's the auditor's estimate and it basically reflects the increase in prices of taxable goods and services. We've also included the estimate that new revenues for medical examiners and those fees that have been approved by the court for public works. I believe those fees that are pending are still not in our estimate. So those are the major four assumptions that we have made for our calculation for fiscal year 27 revenue. Now let's look at our preliminary CAD values and our property tax review. Again, these are based on the preliminary values that we received in April of 2026. We receive our certified values. We anticipate to receive those values on July 24th. And then currently our calendar shows that we'll bring a tax rate scheduled to be set in August of 2026. Every penny that we levy is about $7.4 million based on our current levy. That's the amount of money that's generated for every penny that is levied. And that is whether it's for M&O, maintenance and operations, or INS. So here on the left side of the slide, you can see where our tax rates. have fluctuated from 2021 through 2025. Last year, you did see an increase in the INS or the gray area, the gray bar went from five cents to 6.3597 cents. That was the reflection for the 2024 bond program, that one and a half cents that we told the voters that their tax rate would increase as a result of the passage of those bonds. And so that's reflected there. Our tax rate for M&O went from 0.376119 to 0.395292. So with that as our basis, here we're looking at our CAD values. So you can see here the number of parcels I took the last three years. This is an example here. So our parcels went from 445, 256, and 24, 449, 930, and 25, to 451, 821. So small growth, .42% of growth in the number of parcels. Our preliminary values, here we're looking at the amount of money that, excuse me, the amount of valuation in April, $71,532,024, $75,541,025. And then our certified values came, preliminary values came in at $79,012,418,000. So we do, as anticipated, we do see a reduction, which has been the practice. We do see a change from the preliminary to the certified, and that's what we're running the estimates on. So we have 4.67% change in 24, 4.71 change in 25, and so we've projected a 4.69 average percent reduction. So we think the certified taxable values are gonna come in at 75 billion, Again, we don't know that until the Central Appraisal District certifies their values. They will be here on August 3rd to present you with more information. as they do every year, and so they will be here also to give you a lot more information, but this is really a high level to see what is happening with our valuations. We do have experienced about a 2% growth in new taxable value, and that's held over the last four to five years, 2%. That's no different in 2026, where we have 1,434,000,000 of preliminary, this is again preliminary tax values, So the potential new revenue at the tax rate for 2026 is $6,581,000 for our next year's budget. So just to give you a little bit more information, you may be asking, how is the levy calculated? So the levy is basically calculated based on the assessed valuations that we get from the CAD, and we apply our tax rate to get our levy. So in this particular case, our M&O tax rate was 39 cents, 39.5292 cents. And so when you multiply that by the assessed valuation and divide by 100, you get your levy of $284,517,000, represents 86.14% of our levy. Likewise, interest and sinking, same manner, $45,774,000 of levy, or 13.86%. And you can see directly into the analysis that into the file that's sent over to the city tax collection office. You can see that arrow there, the levy that's certified is exactly the amount that we've calculated based on the assessed valuations, the tax rate, and the levy. But how do we budget? So there is a difference between the amount that's levied and the amount that we actually budget. So we actually budget about 98.64% of the levy that's budget, again, to be conservative, because we don't collect 100% of our current levy. Okay? So you can see by the chart at the bottom left-hand side, we collect current revenues, excuse me, current levy and then prior year levy. So the actual amount of the current levy is 280,648,000 that's budgeted. And you would compare that number against the $284 million to get your budget. Okay, so just some additional information so that we understand because people say, well, you levied 284 million but we don't budget for that and why would we not do that? Well, this is the reason why we would not do that because we don't collect 100% of our levy. And so here, this is the analysis through April 30th and you can see The bottom half of the, kind of in the middle, where it says total as a percentage of levy, we've collected 96.48% of the total levy. 96.02 as a percentage of the current levy. So as it gets better as you go on throughout the rest of the year, that levy does improve, and percentage of levy does continue to improve. We also had something that happened this past year. We had a new tax exemption that came forward, and that was the Texas personal property threshold law change. The Texas law increased the business personal property from $2,500 to $125,000, and that is impacting our tax year as of January 1st, 2026. So we've got some preliminary information. Apologies for how small that is, The area that's highlighted there in red, that is the calculation of the exemptions that tie back to the tax code. So under tax code section 11.145, B, D, D1, and F1, those are represented on the preliminary totals. That's the impact of this, which is over $1 billion. in valuation. Oops, almost. There we go. All right, so it's, oops, let me go back. So the new exemption is, excuse me, $1,112,000,000. It's a lot of beats. $1,112,000,000 is the new exemption value if you add those four categories up. And the levy impact due to the exemption is $5,105,000. Again, the new tax exemption is deducted from the prior year's taxable value, and therefore it does impact the NNR, the no new revenue calculation, but the no new revenue will be higher because of those changes. And so the taxpayer income is that new tax exemption will just shift the tax burden to those other taxpayers. It's not going to impact us with regards to the no new revenue rate calculation, but it does shift that burden over to other taxpayers. I'm going to stop there. Are there any questions with regards to this calculation or the exemption?

Judge?

And I'm sure that the CID, Ms. Kilgore will also have some additional information on this. Carmen, thank you, Judge.

Yes. Carmen, you were talking about the exemption. As I understand it, the state did not reimburse from their funds. In other words, they didn't fill the gap of the exemption that was voted on, is that correct?

I don't believe that. I believe that's correct. It's not like the disabled veterans you saw. Although it's not the total amount, they did reimburse some.

Some of the veterans exemption, but not this exemption that was voted on by the voters back in 2025, right? Yeah. November of 2025, that was the election?

It was actually voted on, yes, in November.

In November, right? In November, yes, of 2025.

Now, the previous exemption to the school districts that increased the exemption, I'm talking not the personal exemption here, but I'm talking about the school district, they did fill that gap back, right?

They did fill some of the gap. Some of it. I understood they took back some of it, but they did fill some of the gap between the, are you talking about the 100 to the 140? Yes. They did fill some of the gap. Not all of it. Not all of it.

So they let the taxpayers vote on the exemptions, but then they don't reimburse from the state coffers for those exemptions.

I'm not aware of anything being reimbursed.

Just to point out to the public that-

Right. And so what would have happened is if this had been included or this had been an exemption, the NNR would have been lower. Yeah.

And just Carmen.

I'm sorry, Commissioner. The one thing that it seems off is when we put something on the ballot, we have to put very clear language that this will be a tax increase. And they did not have to do that.

Right. Yeah, essentially what it does is when we give exemptions, then we have to raise the funds for that loss, right, on those exemptions from the other taxable properties, right? For example, this business personal property exemption. Now, to make it up, it's got to be people that own real estate and business commercial properties have to pay the difference as well as homeowners.

Right.

Isn't that true?

That's correct.

So when people think, oh, the state's given us a break, they're not. It's just being shifted to other people. So people, I just want the public to understand that.

All right, now let's move on to our fund balance review. And this is an important component of our budget because we do use our fund balance as a component of funding, as a funding source. And so I wanted to give this chart. This chart gives you, you may have seen this chart before, but this is the percentage of actual revenues and expenditures compared to budgeted revenues and expenses. expenditures so on the blue line those are your revenues so historically we have budgeted revenues at a at a lower amount than they've come in so that's a good good thing so our like for example in 2025 we budgeted seven percent less in our budget but we actually received seven percent more than our budget so it's good and historically that has been the trend OK? So on our budget for expenditures, this is including our Fund balance and so historically we have come in a less than 85 percent in 2025 has been about 85 percent, but you can see in years past we have our budget Our actuals have come in Quite a ways below our budget expenditures, so it's important to be able to understand that distinction and So here's our fund balance and our total fund balance and our unassigned fund balance. So unassigned fund balance is, again, not reserved for anything, any specific purpose. It can be used for any general operating. We can use it for anything that we would like or need to use it. So, you can see that our total fund balances, again, always come in above our assigned fund balance, which is what the requirement is. So, in 2022, we did reach a peak of $115,779,000, and our unassigned fund balance was $107,196,000. And then it started declining. In 23, we went down to $90,534,000, and then $87,793,000. This year, we did have some growth in our unassigned fund balance, $1.25 million in fiscal year 25, which is very good, good indicator. But our total fund balance in fiscal year 2025 was $105,833,000. You can see that the spread was pretty consistent in prior years. You see a widening of the spread in 2025. And that was due to the assignment of economic development funds that we did this year. So we took advantage of the almost $10 million that we improved our fund balance year over year, that $105,833 compared to the $96,229 million. 229,000, so we used some of that spread to, again, assign fund balance for our economic development, but despite that, our fund balance did grow 1.225. Now we want to look at, this is the estimate that we think will end the year for fiscal year 2026. So we think our revenues are going to be $437,455,000. And we think our estimated expenditures will be $427,410,000. Our payroll costs are about 70.68%, or $302,109. Excuse me, $302,109,646. So it is good to see that we are at 70.68% and not in the higher numbers as we've seen other entities perhaps. So we think we're going to end up the estimated revenues over expenditures. We think we're going to be better at $10,044,000. So we add that to our fund balance at the end of the year of 25, which is $105,833,000. So we think our estimated fund balance at 9-30-2026 will be $115,877,000. And so we take away our estimated unassigned fund balance of $20,415,000. So we think we're going to end the year at $95,462,000 in unassigned fund balance. Again, an improvement of about $5 to $6 million in our unassigned fund balance. And so we did, we looked at it again to see if this was reasonable, and so the $437,455,000 is about 105% above our revised budget of $415 million. So right in line where we think we're going to be and how we've been over the last five years. And then our expenses are 85.09% of our revised budget of $502,267,000, right where we think they need to be. And of course, this is just basically an estimate. So we really want to come back to you and say, how did we do? Did we estimate well? And so this is the first time we've done this in this format in our department, but again, we wanna make sure that we are tracking and we're looking at things very closely and tracking it to make sure that they are within those reasonable limits, okay? So that's going to help us as we move forward into our budget year for fiscal year 2027 because we do budget about 90% of our, we try, that's one of our markers is that we stay, we use 90% of our budget estimated fund balance in our calculation to balance our budget.

Okay.

Any questions with regards to that? Okay. All right, so now I'm really proud of the work that we've done on the schedule of rates and fees. So in the backup is a manual that we have put together with regards to our rates and fees. And you may be asking yourselves, you know, why is this important? This is really important for us because we need to be able to understand what we're charging as far as our user fees. And so we compiled this manual, and it contains all of the rates and fees that we're aware of that our departments charge, whether it's to an internal customer or to an external customer or to a member of the public. We also defined our fees. Those are fees that we charge in exchange for providing the service. So we have purchasing print fees, park and rec fees, planning and development, and so on. Court costs, those are included in there. And then all the rates that are developed by the county to set an amount for which it will pay for certain services. For example, payments to outside attorneys for indigent offense, those are included in here also. And this was developed using the Government Finance Officers Association, the GFOA, the user fee policy. And it basically sets out our strategies as to how we're actually going to adopt and then manage user rates and fees for the county. There's four different strategies to develop the SORF, the Schedule of Rates and Fees. And the first one really is to develop an inventory of fees. And that's what this manual proposes to do. And so we want to document what is the law related to how we can actually charge the fee? What's the application for it? What is the purpose and the strategy for each of the user fees? And then identify the frequency of that policy review. And there you can see the manual that we've put together. So it does incorporate, as I indicated, these strategies versus developing this. This is our first step to try to get a handle of what are all the rates and the fees that we charge so that we can start to begin that work of trying to determine Where does the law, what is the law or the basis for why we can charge a fee? We wanna make sure that we document any restrictions, like if we charge that fee, what is that rate fee used for? What can it be used for? Can it come back into the general funds to use for general purposes? And so we've tried to identify the law or the policy where that we are deriving that. We've asked the departments. In some cases, we weren't able to do so. But at the very back of the manual is a spreadsheet, if you will, of all of the fees. I think there's 1,464 fees that we charge, different types of fees that we charge. And so each one of those should have the applicable law or policy that allows us to charge that fee. Okay? And then once we have that, then we can define what is the purpose of the strategy. And you saw this with the medical examiner fee, right? You saw the strategy is like we weren't recovering that cost for service, only a limited population was unfortunately having to take that fee, but we weren't charging for that fee. So we went back and said, okay, we can charge that fee. How much should we charge that fee for? And how can we use other entities that are using it that are charging a similar fee, can we also develop the cost recovery methodology to determine how we actually charge for that? Should it be a cost reimbursement or something that's subsidized by our government, by the county? That is very important for us to be able to understand what is the purpose and what is going to be the strategy for each rate or each user fee. And then how often should we do this? Should we review it annually? Should we review it every two years, every three years? What was going to be the frequency of that policy? But we hope we will bring this manual every year back to you so that we can start to begin the process of actually having a schedule of those rate and fee reviews so that we build this into the regular budget process every year so that we can create ongoing opportunities for departments to have that review, whether it's an annual or whatever the case may be. This is tied to long-term planning, right? This is tied to maybe what we do is we look at a fee and we can implement it. Maybe it's too much for one year, but we implement it over the next three years or four years. And so it really provides transparency to our public. Obviously, it provides transparency to you so that you all understand why we're needing to incorporate a fee and at what rate we're going to recover it. Or is it something that you want to continue to subsidize? So it provides a lot of transparency. Yes, ma'am.

If I can add on right here, you all may recall we started talking recently about a fee that we charge to entities for special or for road closures. And Commissioner Butler, I remember you asking, like, when do we ever look at all of these different fees and why we charge them and how much we charge? This is what basically and long ago we used to have some information like this, I don't know where it got lost, but I'm extremely thankful that Carmen and the team are back to really analyzing all of these fees. And like, for example, like what is the purpose? Some of these things, it's, Well, we may need them to increase fees to cover costs. There's other times where it's like, why do we even have this process or this fee? Should we even be doing this service? Or what value does it add? So it's really giving us an opportunity to look more closely at all of those aspects of the operation. I'm incredibly thankful to Carmen and the budget team for doing that.

Thank you, Ms. Cohen. Yeah, and I think that, again, this is the foundation for which we then say, what is the population? And then we can start to break it up when we start doing our management reviews and really dig into the work that needs to be done. And so they are on our website. I didn't list it here. I apologize for that. But it is under our budget web page under fiscal policies and documents. This manual is on the website for everyone to see. It is a working document. So we want to continue to accumulate all of the information, add more content as we receive it, and so start to build from there. But at least we have a starting point so that we really start to develop a true strategy for how we review fees, how often, and then again, as Ms. Keller indicated, what is the purpose and what is the law behind that fee? Okay, so again, I'm just really excited. I want to thank the team for all of their work on this. Particularly, Aaron Grijalva, he does our revenue analysis from, he's the budget analyst senior, and now the budget and finance systems manager, and so I'm really excited to have him on the team, but he's been instrumental in helping me put the manual together. So with that, just some key dates. that you'll see here in front of you. We are getting into the thick of the budget, so we'll have this presentation to the court, and then on July 8th, we'll have another virtual meeting. Precinct three, we'll have a meeting there on July 15th, and then July 24th is when we'll have our CAD numbers. We'll be back to you on July 27th to give you some more information on the expenditure side of the budget and then July 27th will be Project Arriba and Crime Stoppers presentation and then August 3rd you'll receive a presentation from the CAD. With that, any questions? No?

No questions, just that I think something that I think the Commissioner's Court should be mindful of with respect to this coming budget year. I know that we've been looking at issues related to our jail population and how we can try and reduce that by doing things. And there's a couple of things that I think we can do. With the court's indulgence, I've asked James Montoya, the DA, to present to us some information. But I think we've been talking about this is, one, the DIMS issue. And I met with Mr. Montoya. One of the issues that he's having in terms of filling those uh i guess time slots for you know the 24 7 handling of the dens is the two different uh time slots that you know it's from five to midnight and midnight to eight in the morning that he doesn't have a lot of people signing up uh for those particular time slots to volunteer shocking right nobody wants to everybody i figured we want to work from midnight to eight in the morning and then go to work the next day. So some of those issues I think we need to take a look at and that would involve increasing rather the pay for those time slots and obviously not the same increase in the five to midnight and the midnight to eight. The midnight to eight is we, I think there's only four or five people that he's got volunteering. To be able to do that on a monthly basis, that's like, every one of those individuals would have to sign up for six days, like one week out of the, almost a week out of the whole month to do that and then come back the next day and work. That's very difficult for the pay and the pay difference between those three different sections is, not great, I think, correct me if I'm wrong, Carmen or Betsy, it's somewhere between $20, $40 to $60 difference for all those three time slots. And so I think we really need to focus on increasing the pay, and Mr. Monta will give us a little more information tomorrow. But that'll help to, you know, the good thing about that is the county only pays one third of those salaries, or expenditures for the DEMs. the city of El Paso, because they're the number one customer, pays two-thirds of it. So I think we really need to take a look at that for this coming budget year. That's one thing out of those issues. The other one is that Mr. Montoya needs additional personnel so that we can streamline the cases through. And you'll see it in the statistics tomorrow when we present that to the court. that really we have no problems in trying to dispose of the case with respect to the misdemeanor cases. But it's the felony cases that are sitting there and it bears out in the statistics that now more people are staying in and it's really the higher offenses are the ones that probably should be in there. But there's the problem with that is they keep stacking up. And we've had several issues related to that right from the pandemic all the way to lack of personnel over the last couple of ministrations and the difficulty in filling those positions. And the problem we have here is that we have our own different departments here, the county attorney's office, the public defender's office, the district attorney's office, and we have the private sector competing for those. hire experienced lawyers that he probably needs. So as far as entry level positions, he probably is almost quite there to fill them up. Maybe one or two people is my understanding. He's doing very well. However, what we've experienced over the last year or so is that he's lost personnel when The bar comes, everybody gets licensed and we're hoping that they get in. He hires a few people and then he loses some because jurisdictions like Odessa and Midland and Lubbock pay them $20,000 more for entry level. So I think one of the things that we really need to seriously look at is increasing that entry level. And I'm not talking about doing it all at once. I'm telling that we really need to keep doing that. I don't mind losing to San Antonio, Austin, and those places by, you know, if they're paying them five, $10,000 more. I think people that, you know, for that difference, I think we can start doing it. But when we lose out to Odessa and Lubbock and all these smaller areas, we have a problem. And we used to have this problem 10, 15, 20 years ago. And it creates a morale problem in the office. And I think we really need to seriously look that we can do that to avoid that because the turnover that he's had or the losing of people. And like I said, for those higher level attorneys, he loses them to the county attorney's office or public defender's office or to the private sector. People sometimes just want to go out on their own or to another law firm. So I think we really, what I think the plan is that maybe we try and grow these attorneys. So rather than trying and going out and hiring and competing with everybody else, is that maybe we dedicate a couple of those new entry level positions and let him grow them within so that he doesn't have to be competing for them down the road. And within a couple, two, three years, they'll get to that level. Because it's hard right now, they're competing for all those same individuals between those different entities. And so I'm really asking the court to consider doing that, these issues, because all of these things are really related to the backlog of people that are in jail. And there's a couple other issues, obviously. Having a dedicated, or at least during the time slot, the initial evaluations by our nursing department over at the jail to do the evaluations. that I think we need to make sure that we have them available on the booking floor. As well as our criminal justice coordination department, that they have people available over to do those interviews. Because that's causing a slight delay. in making sure that people, number one, get booked. And if they don't get booked, they can't be bonded out by the bonding companies or whoever right away. So that's a great statistic that you see on one of the slides tomorrow. And I think we really need to seriously take a look at that. So there's several issues, I think, that we can work on to make sure that we reduce the jail population as much as possible. And, of course, he's going to need help with experienced people, and that's what we're trying to do to see if we can grow those. Because the more hands-on he can have in evaluating these more serious cases that are in the jail waiting, the quicker we're going to get them out. Because right now, he's got a lot of people on the front lines, entry level, that just don't have that experience. And they wait longer to get there. And even if they're not in jail, it just takes longer to process. So it takes more prosecution time, court time, everybody's time. And so there's several issues within our justice system that we need to work on that I think will help us reduce that jail population, including from the dams all the way to personnel related to not the prosecution, but as well as at the jail personnel. And I think if we work on those issues, we'll go a long ways towards, the more we can reduce that, the better. And I think we really seriously need to take a look at that. I know we have, really, challenges within our budget, but I think we're a lot better off than last year. And I think we really ought to invest in making sure that, and these are all mandated, obviously, services that we're providing. And we want to make sure that they're as efficient as possible, because that way we'll save. And maybe there's a way that we can pay for some of these things. through the funds that we get from the federal government related to housing of some of these inmates. We don't dedicate the funding. I know we can't count on it, but it's there and it's being produced by the jail. So I think there's an avenue there to allow us to do that.

We do count on that revenue, though, Commissioner. It is part of the numbers. When she shows our revenue, we are counting on it.

I understand, but we're not. You can definitely designate. I think we can designate some of that so that we can improve the situation, not just there, but at the DA's office, because it's all related. All those departments we're depending on to lower the population where there are those serious felony or the felony cases that are being detained for quite a long time, a lot longer. You'll see the statistics tomorrow. Thank you.

Thank you. Great insights. Thank you.

Commissioners, I think our executive session item would take less than 15 to 20 minutes. If you all would just like to complete the meeting.

Commissioner, I'll gain set five minutes. Do we need to? Do we need to?

At this point, Commissioner's Court will recess into executive session to discuss items 11A and 11B. Pursuant to Texas Government Code Section 551.071, Commissioner's Court will reconvene to take official action. It is 1227 p.m.

Hola, El Paso! It started to get hot in May and El Paso County is keeping you cool with some of the activities going on across our county. In the eastern part of the county off I-10 and Horizon Boulevard, El Paso County, in partnership with the Lower Valley Water District, proudly announced the completion of the Panorama Village Unit 1 and 2 first-time wastewater project. This is a major infrastructure initiative that brings modern sewer service to a community that previously relied on septic tank systems for wastewater management. To commemorate the completion of the project, El Paso County U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and the Lower Valley Water District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Panorama Village neighborhood. Funding for the project was provided through the American Rescue Plan Act under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program. Through this initiative, El Paso County invested in critical water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in underserved communities to support public health, economic recovery, and long-term infrastructure resilience. The Enrico Moreno County Courthouse was the site for a civic engagement celebration. County employees as well as participants from El Paso, Socorro, Isleta, and Fabens school districts participated in the PACE citizenship classes. PACE, which stands for Pathway to American Citizenship for Employees, is a program provided by the El Paso County's Office of New Americans. This year, 80 participants dedicated their time to learn English prepare for citizenship, and become more engaged in their communities, all while balancing work and family responsibilities. The participants had a chance to tour the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse to see how local county government works and to become familiar with the many resources available to them. It's time to cool off as the temperature rises in our Chihuahuan Desert. All three of El Paso County's pools have opened for the summer season. The Azcárate Aquatic Center, Canotillo, and Fabens pools are available for the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Access to the pools have a low entry cost of $1 for kids at Fabens and Canotillo, $2 at Azcárate. In addition, swimming lessons are being provided at each location starting at $40 for eight lessons. El Paso County remains committed to providing safe and welcoming recreational spaces for families to gather and stay active. Don't say there's nothing to do this summer. Our Illumina Public Library has their Kids Club events in full swing. From space themed story time to an astronaut scavenger hunt right outside, kids will have an out of this world experience. Many other activities are available throughout the week, including a summer reading club. Located in the Agua Dulce neighborhood, the county's Illumina Public Library is offering activities for kids to discover that learning, reading, creating, and teamwork is fun! Thanks for watching this month's County Connects. Stay tuned and make sure to stay connected with El Paso County.

Bye.

Every day, El Paso County works to improve the quality of life for our residents. Sometimes that work happens here at home. Sometimes it takes us across Texas, across the nation, and around the world. County leaders advocate for infrastructure, public safety, veteran services, transportation, and mental health priorities important to our residents. Through legislative meetings, funding requests, and various policy discussions, your county is working to ensure El Paso's voice is heard. Strong partnerships help bring resources, expertise, and opportunities back to El Paso County. Through collaborative efforts with our state and federal partners, our position on critical matters can be shared and heard by those making decisions at the highest levels. Participation in organizations such as the National Association of Counties, Texas Association of Counties, and other professional networks also allows county leaders to learn from successful programs across the country and bring innovative ideas back home. El Paso County's commitment to economic growth extends far beyond our borders. Throughout the year, elected officials and staff travel across Texas, the United States, and internationally to promote El Paso as a premier destination for business investment and expansion. These efforts allow us to build relationships with industry leaders, showcase our region's unique advantages, and compete for new jobs and economic opportunities. The true measure of success is not where we travel to, but what we brought home. At the midpoint of 2026, our grant portfolio remained strong and productive. To date, we have applied for a total of 50 funding opportunities, with 21 awards secured, resulting in more than $15.6 million in grant funding awarded. Every trip represents one purpose, serving the people of El Paso County. Whether advocating in Austin, collaborating in Washington, or building partnerships across borders, our mission remains the same, creating opportunities, delivering services, and building a stronger future for our community.

Welcome to the El Paso County Domestic Relations Office, where we're dedicated to helping families navigate the complexities of family law with empathy, clarity, and a commitment to excellence. As an integral part of the El Paso County civil court system, we strive to provide support during challenging times. We are dedicated to supporting parents, guardians, and children in navigating complex issues such as custody, visitation, child support, and beyond. Whether you are recently divorced, in the midst of a custody dispute, or facing challenges with child support, we stand ready to offer compassionate guidance and unwavering support. Our mission is to assist children and families during what can be one of the most challenging times in their lives, ensuring they have the resources and assistance they need to move forward confidently. We provide services, both in person and virtually, collaborating closely with judges, attorneys, and service providers to address each family's unique needs. Our Child Support Enforcement Unit plays a vital role in ensuring that children receive the financial support necessary for their well-being. When a court orders child support, it represents not just a figure, but a commitment to a child's future. This unit consists of a team of attorneys, enforcement officers, financial specialists, legal engagement officers, paralegals, and administrative staff who assist with the collection and enforcement of child support and medical support. Domestic Relations Office attorneys decide what enforcement remedies will be used based on the particular facts of the case. We help enforce court orders by monitoring payments and maintaining accurate records, working with parents who have fallen behind, helping them understand their obligations and options, filing enforcement actions with the court when necessary, and helping parents modify orders if their financial situation changes significantly, because we know life happens and fairness matters. We know that every family's situation is different, That's why our staff works with compassion, confidentiality, and professionalism, helping both custodial and non-custodial parents understand the process, meet their obligations, and keep the focus where it belongs, on the children. Another one of our core responsibilities is through our Family Court Service Unit, where we support the courts in making informed, child-centered decisions in custody and visitation cases. In contested custody matters, when parents can't agree on who should care for the child, judges often rely on our skilled professionals to provide objective and detailed assessments. Family court services social workers, or guardian adult items, are appointed by judges to conduct thorough investigations and provide reports to the court based on the interests of the children involved. either party may request the appointment of a guardian ad litem for their case. In addition, Family Court Services staff are appointed on some adoption cases to conduct evaluations. Our cooperative parenting program provides co-parenting classes which focus on the needs of children and parents in the aftermath of separation or divorce. Topics include parent, children, and the involvement in the court, positive co-parenting practices, Impact of Divorce and Separation on Child Development, Communication, Conflict Resolution, and Anger Management. Classes are offered both in person and virtually and are open to everyone. No court order needed. Co-parents take the classes separately to ensure participants are comfortable discussing the topics. Individuals may register for classes by either visiting the Domestic Relations Office website or by calling the office at 915-273-3533 or by picking up the form inside our office. Class schedules can also be found on the website. Once the registration is received, the individual will be contacted by the program facilitator to discuss attendance and answer questions via email or phone. Class schedules can also be found on the website. Once the registration is received, the individual will be contacted by the program facilitator. Our office is dedicated to providing essential legal assistance tailored to family law issues. We empower parents to effectively enforce and modify access and possession time with their children, ensuring that their rights are upheld. For those seeking to formalize agreements, We facilitate parenting negotiation conferences that transform your arrangements into legally binding court orders. At the El Paso County Domestic Relations Office, we're committed to helping families find solutions that work. So please visit our website or give us a call today to learn how we can help you move forward.

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Hola, El Paso! It started to get hot in May and El Paso County is keeping you cool with some of the activities going on across our county. In the eastern part of the county off I-10 and Horizon Boulevard, El Paso County, in partnership with the Lower Valley Water District, proudly announced the completion of the Panorama Village Unit 1 and 2 first-time wastewater project. This is a major infrastructure initiative that brings modern sewer service to a community that previously relied on septic tank systems for wastewater management. To commemorate the completion of the project, El Paso County U.S. Congresswoman Veronica Escobar and the Lower Valley Water District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony in the Panorama Village neighborhood. Funding for the project was provided through the American Rescue Plan Act under the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds Program. Through this initiative, El Paso County invested in critical water and wastewater infrastructure improvements in underserved communities to support public health, economic recovery, and long-term infrastructure resilience. The Enrico Moreno County Courthouse was the site for a civic engagement celebration. County employees as well as participants from El Paso, Socorro, Isleta, and Fabens school districts participated in the PACE citizenship classes. PACE, which stands for Pathway to American Citizenship for Employees, is a program provided by the El Paso County's Office of New Americans. This year, 80 participants dedicated their time to learn English prepare for citizenship, and become more engaged in their communities, all while balancing work and family responsibilities. The participants had a chance to tour the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse to see how local county government works and to become familiar with the many resources available to them. It's time to cool off as the temperature rises in our Chihuahuan Desert. All three of El Paso County's pools have opened for the summer season. The Azcárate Aquatic Center, Canotillo, and Fabens pools are available for the public on Saturdays and Sundays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Access to the pools have a low entry cost of $1 for kids at Fabens and Canotillo, $2 at Azcárate. In addition, swimming lessons are being provided at each location starting at $40 for eight lessons. El Paso County remains committed to providing safe and welcoming recreational spaces for families to gather and stay active. Don't say there's nothing to do this summer. Our Illumina Public Library has their Kids Club events in full swing. From space-themed story time to an astronaut scavenger hunt right outside, kids will have an out-of-this-world experience. Many other activities are available throughout the week, including a summer reading club. Located in the Agua Dulce neighborhood, the county's Illumina Public Library is offering activities for kids to discover that learning, reading, creating, and teamwork is fun. Thanks for watching this month's County Connects. Stay tuned and make sure to stay connected with El Paso County.

Thank you.

Every day, El Paso County works to improve the quality of life for our residents. Sometimes that work happens here at home. Sometimes it takes us across Texas, across the nation, and around the world. County leaders advocate for infrastructure, public safety, veteran services, transportation, and mental health.

GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS RECONVENED INTO REGULAR OPEN SESSION. IT IS 1254 PM. WE'RE ON ITEM 12A POSTPONED FROM JUNE 22, 2026. Discuss and take appropriate action on pending litigation styled Lohan-Gonzalez versus El Paso County. Cause number 2025, DCV 2945. County attorney case number 010725LD.

Judge, commissioners, Eric Rosales-Negaglione, assistant county attorney. We're asking for no action on this item at this time.

We'll take no action on item 12A. And this completes all the items on our agenda, Judge.

Thank you. Wishing you the best, all of you, especially tonight at 6. Thanks to our leaders back there.

This concludes today's meeting at 1255 p.m.