Water rates: No hike is good news

El Paso Water Utilities is commended for crunching its budget to the tune of no rate increase next fiscal year.

[More Texas Bull]

Maybe while they are giving so much consideration to us poor tax payers, they can return all the land they control back to the city. All land owned by the city belongs to the tax payers with any proceeds going into the city General Fund to help lower property taxes and does not belong to the coffers of the PSB.

I have never heard of a utility being run by a CEO but by either Depatment heads working under a City Manager or a seperate government where the public elects a board.

What is this PSB anyway - one of El Paso's creative inventions to keep taxes high by diverting property sales dollars and even utility dollars into seperate coffers.

[Gunslinger915]

PSB is run by John Cook. He is the President and always the guy who votes for rate INCREASES. No rate increases??? So what the hell are Cook and Archuleta up to now?? Cook is also the guy that cast the tie-breaker vote on the "rain-falling-off-the-roo f-tax".

[all they need]

they shouldnt have to raise water rates. with that cash cow stormwater fee they are making a fortune moving a little dirt.

the public doesnt understand that when that white elephant desal plant runs at full capacity and is losing thousands of dollars a day our water will go up to subsidize it. archuleta gave fort bliss low rates and the electric is high to run the plant.

[gabriel]

you hit the nail on the head "all they need". jim janacek was right. ive been told that thing will never run and all it is good for is padilla showing school kids around telling how great the plant is and that the kids should pray to god and archuleta everyday.

[What is this PSB]

The cities of Lubbock, Midland, Phoenix and Tucson all have water utilities under the direct control of the city. What is this creation of the PSB in El Paso???

There are other PSBs in northern states like Vermont or New York, but their purpose is for other reasons. Where did this idea of a Texas city having a PSB with a CEO come from??? Imagine, a CEO over a public enitity...

I have heard the bogus argument about politics interfering with El Paso's water supply. I guess El Paso is the only city in the country that has this problem. It sounds like the PSB is a scheme that the public have no say in to keep the profitable part of city revenues seperate from property tax dollars which keeps property taxes high. Systemic Corruption - plain and simple...

[Rey]

What is, the reason we have a CEO is because El Patron figured the way to justify a higher salary was to change the title from director. He claims that the board "forced" him to accept the new title.

He also looked around and determined that his salary should be based on what is being paid in other cities. Can you imagine telling your boss you to be paid the same salary as someone in another city, must be nice.

The no increase in water bills was to distract you from the sale of city property. This guy never gives something for nothing. Keep an eye on the hand, he's not showing you.

[Gunslinger915]

What is this PSB wrote:

The cities of Lubbock, Midland, Phoenix and Tucson all have water utilities under the direct control of the city. What is this creation of the PSB in El Paso???
There are other PSBs in northern states like Vermont or New York, but their purpose is for other reasons. Where did this idea of a Texas city having a PSB with a CEO come from??? Imagine, a CEO over a public enitity...
I have heard the bogus argument about politics interfering with El Paso's water supply. I guess El Paso is the only city in the country that has this problem. It sounds like the PSB is a scheme that the public have no say in to keep the profitable part of city revenues seperate from property tax dollars which keeps property taxes high. Systemic Corruption - plain and simple...

Well, does the term "Society of Corruption" come to mind?? I mean after all, even CORRUPT politicos, Public Officials have to eat. And you can believe that they don't eat tacos, hamburgers, burritos like the rest of US peons in El Paso. In MOST of the other cities you talk about, a person goes in for a job interview. They are told the QUALIFICATIONS, what they will be required to do, what is expected of them and the base SALARY information. In return the job-hunter either states that they are interested in the position at the stated salary or maybe that they are looking in another direction, at a higher salary. They shake hands and are out the door. In El Paso the FIRST question is "who do you know"?? If the job-hunter knows the RIGHT person, people, the next question is "how much money do YOU want"?? Yesterday it came out that MOST Lawyers, Judges have a friend, relative or "significant other" that works for the other crook, Gilbert Sanchez in the County Clerks Office. Even that ILLEGAL Mexican guy that was charged with possession of child porn had a job there. Has anybody noticed that whole thing has just quietly slide under the carpet?? El Paso-The Society of Corruption.

[The Real Power]

The El Paso Country Club, local bank owners, some other local large business owners. These are the people that really make the decisions in El Paso. Not the City Council or County Board. These elected people have been funneled money for their campaigns to keep the existing pecking order in place.
What is really sad is that El paso seems to operate like its own country, on its own terms and rules and the little people - you and me - just have to suck it up and like it.