City Council - Special Meeting

Hello, my name is Elizabeth Cruz, Grants and Special Projects Compliance Officer for the City of Socorro. Thank you for joining today's meeting. Before our meeting begins, we would like to remind our guests to please remove all hats and silence all electronic devices. No disruptive behaviors or outbursts will be tolerated, and violators are subject to rejection or possible prosecution.

Hello, my name is Judy Rodríguez, planner of the city of Socorro. Thank you for participating in today's meeting. Before the meeting begins, I would like to remind our guests to please take off their hats and silence all electronic devices. No disturbing or abrupt behavior will be tolerated and the offenders will be subject to expulsion and possible processing.

Good evening, everyone. I want to welcome you all to the September 10th, 2026 special council meeting for the city of Socorro, Texas. It's now 601, and I call this meeting to order. As always, we begin our meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance and a moment of silence. If you all would please rise for the pledge. We have a veteran with us here today. Would you please lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance, sir? 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. This remains time for a moment of silence. Thank you. At this time, we'll establish quorum.

Ruben Reyes.

Here.

Cesar Nevarez. Here. Alejandro Garcia. Here. Mayor Rudy Cruz Jr.

Here.

Gina Cordero is absent, and Irene Rojas. Here. Mayor, we have a quorum.

Thank you. We're going to go ahead and move into the public comment portion of our meeting.

Mayor, we have one speaker, Rafael Salcedo. Mr. Salcedo, you have three minutes.

I have a concern with the new power lines going up in Bowman Estates area and the Sunhaven subdivision also, I believe. They're making a new, El Paso Electric is making a new subdivision back there. They tore down some pecans. And they're running the high voltage lines, higher than normal, through the residential areas. Those are known to cause cancer on children. All the areas, all across the United States, all the areas where they got hot voltage, it's been proven that children come down with cancer. Of course, electric companies, they have big lobbyists and they can't prove it. But there's kids with cancer all over the place. So those lines are running in front of my house. I've been there over 43 years. And I questioned the electric company. And they're the ones that told me, it's because we have to run lines to this new warehouse going up here at Hermanos Industrial Park or whatever. And we're preparing for whatever happens on Bowman to the freeway. And they're paying for it. So I said, so why didn't you run it through their properties? It's because the electric already has the easements in front of all these houses. We're just gonna run it through here. In front of the school. So please, I'm sure city council knew about it before. They approve those plans. In the future, please take into consideration the people already living there. Also, another concern I have with the traffic on Nuevo Oaxaca tanks with that new plant that's going to open. I mean, I hardly ever go through there. I'm 100% disabled with PTSD and everything. I hardly ever come out of my house. And the other day I went through there, and all those cars park in residential area. And they haven't even started that I know of hiring people. Man, those places are going to be open 24-7. That's a crime place waiting to happen. There's people going to get run over. We're going to have to put more police forces there. Forget about the city because we're going to be taking care of them. Those are things that city council should have thought about before approving things like that in residential areas. I'm all for bringing businesses into the city. There's places to put them at. not in the middle of residential areas, on the side of residential areas. So please take all that into consideration on further projects. Thank you, appreciate your time.

Thank you, Mr. Sotilo. Are there any more?

No more speakers, ma'am.

No more speakers, thank you. This time we move into the consent agenda.

Motion to approve consent agenda. Second. Second.

There's been a motion and second to consent agenda. All those in favor say aye. Aye. Thank you. We're now gonna go ahead and move into the regular agenda. This is a, item number six. This is a public hearing of an ordinance adopting a budget for the fiscal year commencing October 1st, 2026 and ending on September 30th of 2027 for the city of Socorro, Texas. It's 6.06 p.m. and the public hearing's now open.

No speakers, Mayor.

As there are no speakers for the public hearing, we're going to close it at 6.06 p.m. as well. And we move into agenda item seven, which is the second reading and adoption of an ordinance adopting a budget for the fiscal year commencing October 1st, 2026 and ending on September 30th, 2027 for the city of Socorro, Texas.

Motion to approve.

Second. Good evening, Mayor and Council. Just for the record, sir, agenda item number eight.

Well, on the agenda that's posted, we have item six, which is the public hearing, and seven is the second reading and adoption.

My bad. I apologize.

Okay. So we're straight? We're straight. Okay.

All right. My bad. Excuse me. All right. Again, good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm Victor Perez, Deputy City Manager. Tonight, the proposed municipal budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 is before you for consideration and adoption. The voter approval tax rate was used in the development of the budget. May I have a slide, please? The first one. This information is a recapitulation of the in-depth presentation to council by city manager Adriana Rodarte on August 6th. At that time, Rodarte reviewed the property tax analysis for the city recommending the voter approval rate of 0.736866. As you may remember, the voter approval rate under Texas law is the maximum tax rate the city may adopt without requiring voter approval. Further, this rate supports the proposed budget for fiscal year 2026-2027 and maintain current service provided a department by department breakdown of the respective budget. As part of the budget development process, Each department was directed to propose cost-cutting measures that would not negatively impact their service to residents or the operational efficiency of their department. At this time, if you have any questions, I would try to be able to answer them.

Do any members of council have any questions or further discussion on this item here?

This is the one we reviewed last time, right?

Yes, this is the same information that was presented in early August.

Right.

As there's no further discussion on this item, there was a motion and a second. All those in.

Did you call item seven?

This is seven.

This is seven. Okay, cut.

Yep. As there's no further discussion on this item, there was a motion and a second. All those in favor say aye. Aye. And that motion carries as well. We move into agenda item number eight with the discussion and action to ratify the tax increase set forth in ordinance adopting a budget for the city of Socorro. Motion to approve.

Second.

Mayor and council, for this item we are asking for the ratification of the voter approval tax rate of .07368. 866 referenced in section four of the ordinance. You just approved adopting the budget for fiscal year 2026, 2027.

Are there any questions and further discussion on this item here?

Again, this is the voter approval tax rate that is referenced in the ordinance and that was used again for the budget development.

Any questions or further discussion for this item here? There was a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. And that motion carries. We move into agenda item number nine. Jim, do we have for the public hearing Is there an amendment to the public hearing language?

Yes, sir. I'm sorry, Mayor, I would open, I would call the item first, and then I can read the amendment to you.

Okay. Agenda item number nine, which is a public hearing on an ordinance authorizing the assessment and collection of property taxes within the city of Socorro, Texas, and further authorizing the El Paso City Tax Office to perform the actual assessment and collection of said property taxes on behalf of the city of Socorro, Texas for the fiscal year commencing on October 1st, 2026 and ending on September 30th of 2027.

Councilor Jim Martinez, city attorney. Council, I would recommend that the council make a floor amendment to the ordinance. I realize this is a public hearing and you're not gonna address the adoption of the ordinance until item 10. Nonetheless, there does need to be a floor amendment to the ordinance. The tax notice that the city published is correct. The ordinance that we have before you has an error in it. We simply took the wrong number from the tax notice and plugged it into the ordinance. It's under section one. It's the middle paragraph on page two. It says the tax rate will effectively be raised by, and then the number that's in the ordinance is 0.091633%. That's wrong. That's actually the absolute change in the tax rate. That's the amount of the tax rate that differs from last year to this year. What the ordinance calls for is a percentage change. And so the correct number is 14.2. Okay.

So do you need, for the purpose of public hearing before we move on, that floor amendment, do you need... Do you need a council member to make that amendment?

I don't believe you do. It's still a public hearing, and number 10 you will. Okay. I simply wanted to say that so any viewers or speakers have that information.

Gotcha. Okay, so I'm going to go ahead and read the public hearing for agenda item number nine. And this is a public hearing on an ordinance authorizing the assessment and collection of property taxes within the city of Socorro, Texas, and further authorizing the El Paso City Tax Office to perform the actual assessment and collection of said property taxes on behalf of the city of Socorro, Texas for the fiscal year commencing on October 1st, 2026 and ending on September 30th, 2027. It's 6.13 p.m. and the public hearing is now open.

No speakers, Mayor.

As there are no speakers for the public hearing of agenda item number nine, we close the public hearing at 6.13 p.m. And we move into agenda item number 10. Jim, would you want me to read the second reading and adoption, or the amendment to come before?

You can just read it as usual, and then I'll... Actually, Mayor, that's an excellent point. We need to address it, so you do need to read it first. I'll recite the amendment, and then if counsel is amenable, someone can move to include that.

Agenda item number 10. It is the second reading and adoption of an ordinance authorizing the assessment and collection of property taxes within the City of Socorro, Texas, and further authorizing the El Paso City Tax Office to perform the actual assessment and collection of said property taxes on behalf of the City of Socorro, Texas, for the fiscal year commencing on October 1st, 2026, and ending on September 30th of 2027.

I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of the tax rate of zero point seven three six eight six six per one hundred dollars which is effectively a fourteen point point point two percent increase in the tax rate second mayor mr martinez yes yes sir council mayor and council um the motion that um

that the representative recited is correct, but there's still an error in the ordinance itself that we published. And so I would propose that the council is favorably disposed to decide that there be a separate motion for a floor amendment to the ordinance to change 0.0091633% in the middle paragraph on page two of the ordinance to 14.2%.

Would anyone like to make a motion to amend that?

I'd like to make a motion to amend the tax rate from zero point, I'm sorry, the number again, I'm sorry, Jim?

0.091. 0.09. 163. 163?

0.09163? 0.91633 to 14.2. Is that language correct?

It is. That's a motion to amend it. We need a second. Second.

So there's been a motion made by Mr. Garcia and second by Mr. Nevarez. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Any vote? That's for the amendment.

That's for the amendment. Okay. And now.

So there was a motion and second to approve the amendment, and now we're going to take the vote for the actual item itself to approve the item. Do I have a motion?

We have a motion. We have a motion. Do I have a second? We just need a question and answer.

Okay. There was a motion and second to approve this item. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. Okay, and that motion carries as well. Any further discussion, Jim, on that one there? No, sir, thank you. Okay, all right. We're now moving in.

No speakers, Mayor.

This is the second reading and adoption of an ordinance of the City of Socorro, Texas, adopting the amended organizational chart for the City of Socorro.

Motion to approve.

Second. Again, good evening, Mayor and Council. Victor Pettis, Deputy City Manager. As part of the development of the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget, staff conducted a comprehensive review of city operations, staffing levels, departmental structures, and service delivery. The proposed budget includes several organizational changes intended to reduce recurring personnel costs, redistribute responsibilities, strengthen operational oversight, and align positions with the city's current needs. The proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 627 organizational chart includes the following changes in the city manager's office addition of one full-time custodian in the parks and public works department elimination of the city engineer position title and salary adjustment for the field operations director and create and the creation of a field operations farming position within the police department there is the elimination of the executive assistant and crime victims advocate positions the creation of an accreditation manager position, and an addition of one communications dispatcher. Within the planning and zoning department, there is the elimination of the building official and one building inspector position, the reclassification of the planning clerk three position to a planning technician. Within the grants and special projects department, the elimination of the economic recovery coordinator position, and the responsibilities redistributed internally, which my position will pick up on those responsibilities. The information within the information technology department, the elimination of the IT director position and adjustment of the system administrative position to reflect expanded responsibilities. And then finally, but not lastly, but not last but not least, the recreation department and the reclassification of the community liaison coordinator position to the public affairs coordinator. The remaining departments will continue under their existing organizational structures unless otherwise reflected in the attached organizational chart. These changes are consistent with the personnel and organizational recommendations incorporated into the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget and previously presented to mayor and council during the budget process. If you have any questions, I'm here at this time.

Do any members of council have any questions for Mr. Perez or would like to discuss further? On the organizational chart?

No, no questions. No?

Okay, as there's no further discussion, all those in favor say aye. Aye. And that motion carries as well. We move into agenda item number 13 with the public hearing on an ordinance number 695, amendment number three, decreasing the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget by $884. The public hearing is now open at 6.20 p.m. No speakers, ma'am. As there are no speakers for this item, we close the public hearing at 6.20 p.m. as well. We move into agenda item 14 with the second reading and adoption on an ordinance number 695, amendment number three, decreasing the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget by $884. Motion to approve.

Second. Mayor and council, we are seeking your approval on adopting ordinance 695, which would be the third amendment to the city's 2025-2026 fiscal year budget and a decrease of expenditures in the amount of $844.00.

Do we have any questions or further discussion on this item for the decrease in budget?

No?

There's a motion and a second. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. And that motion carries as well. Do we have any items posted for 15, 16, or 17? No, sir.

No? Motion to delete items 15, 16, and 17? Second.

There's been a motion and a second on the table to delete items 15, 16, and 17. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. And that motion carries as well.

Motion to adjourn. Second.

There's a motion and second to adjourn this meeting. All those in favor, say aye. Aye. This meeting adjourns at 6.22 p.m. Thank you.