Mayor Oscar Leeser proposes eliminating El Paso City Council executive session meetings

The El Paso City Council will soon be faced with a difficult question: who is allowed to hear everything El Paso's elected officials say?

In a surprise move, Mayor Oscar Leeser has added an item to the City Council's agenda for its meeting Tuesday, April 23, that would eliminate regularly scheduled executive sessions and "make all items part of the public City Council meeting."

Leeser's proposal adds as a brief explanation that the item is being introduced "so that El Pasoans receive the same access to information that special interest groups are receiving from members attending executive session."

No additional details are available on the agenda item, but Leeser appears to be taking aim at City Council members who could be sharing privileged city government information with others, especially outside civic special interest groups.

“I have learned first-hand of executive session leaks that undermine the purpose of holding executive session," Leeser wrote in an email. "If special interest groups are going to continue to have access to confidential information as a result of leaks, then executive sessions should cease, and all items should be discussed in public and open session so that all taxpayers have access to the same information. That is why I placed the item on the agenda.”

Leeser isn't the first to cast doubt on just how secret executive session information is — during a phone call Wednesday, April 10, East-Valley city Rep. Art Fierro expressed a similar sentiment when discussing the holdup on arena talks, which he and other city representatives have blamed on issues arising during executive session.

"Most of (City) Council does a very good job of respecting the law on executive sessions," Fierro said. "And I use the word 'most' very loudly."

Executive sessions, according to the Texas Municipal League's 2024 "Handbook for Mayors and Councilmembers," are limited to discussions on only a handful of topics:

• Direct consultation with an attorney

• The purchase, exchange, lease or value of real property

• The appointment, employment, evaluation, reassignment, duties, discipline, or dismissal of a city officer or employee

• The deployment or implementation of security personnel or devices, or a security audit

• Commercial information received from a business prospect and/or the nature of any incentives being considered by the city for economic development purposes

• A test item or information relating to a test that the city administers to individuals who seek to obtain or renew a license or certificate necessary to engage in an activity

• Electric or gas service discussions, in limited circumstances

• Various critical infrastructure and homeland security information.

While it's unlikely that City Council would greenlight the end of closed-door meetings — only a few weeks ago council members rejected a plan to read public letters aloud during meetings — Leeser's move appears to be aimed at bringing to light an underlying issue among the City Council.

City prepping for next round of federal funding

With the latest round of federal Community Project Funding already headed for the Borderland, the city is prepping for next year's awards.

Each year, members of Congress solicit applications for federal funding aimed at bolstering projects in their home districts — the latest round, championed by U.S. Rep. Veronica Escobar — secured around $19 million for 15 projects in and around El Paso.

The City Council is slated to vote on approving six projects for consideration for 2025 funds:

• $4 million for the Ysleta Port of Entry Developmental Study Project

• $3 million for the Innovation Factory - Phase II Project

• $1 million for the Aerospace and Defense Technology Training Center Design Project

• $5 million for the Advanced Manufacturing District Project

• $1 million for the Union Plaza Renovation Project

• $1.74 million, with a $436,000 city match, for the Sun Metro Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station Network Project.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Mayor's proposal would end executive sessions for El Paso City Council