El Paso County Announces $14.9M Budget Gap Update Amid Misinformation

The El Paso County Commissioners Court convened on July 21, 2025, to address several key issues, including financial clarifications and proposed updates to service fees for the Domestic Relations Office and law library.

During the public comment segment, Melissa Carrillo from El Paso County operations sought to clarify recent misinformation regarding the county's financial status. She emphasized that the county is not in a deficit, countering claims made in a weekend press release. Carrillo reported that the gap to reach the county's 8% target reserve has improved from $18 million to $14.9 million since June. She assured the public and county employees that efforts are ongoing to close this gap ahead of the upcoming budget hearing scheduled for August 11.

The court then moved on to discuss updates to service fees for the Domestic Relations Office. A proposal was made to remove the paternity testing fee of $125, as the service has not been provided for over 25 years. Instead, new fees for supportive supervised visits were introduced, including a $50 application fee and a $75 charge for a two-hour visit conducted by social workers. These visits aim to facilitate safe interactions between parents and children while providing necessary education and coaching.

Additionally, the court proposed increasing the law library's copy fee from 10 cents to 20 cents, a rate that has remained unchanged since 1984. This adjustment reflects rising operational costs and aligns with fees charged by other law libraries across the state.

The court unanimously approved the proposed fee updates, which are intended to enhance service delivery while remaining accessible to the community.

In other business, the court postponed the selection of two members for the MPO International Border Crossing Strategic Plan Steering Committee for one week. They also moved to delete an item concerning legal rights and responsibilities related to the county auditor and purchasing agent before entering an executive session to discuss further matters.

The meeting concluded with a focus on maintaining transparency and ensuring the county's financial health while improving community services.