El Paso County Commissioners Court adopted the county’s strategic plan for fiscal years 2026–2031 on Aug. 11, 2025, directing staff to incorporate several commissioner requests before the plan takes effect Oct. 1, 2025.

The plan and why it matters: County administration presented a strategic plan that articulates nine strategic goals, 51 objectives and 108 discrete actions designed to guide county investments, departmental work and performance measurement over the coming five years. Commissioners said the plan will be used to align budgets, measure progress and prioritize initiatives in ways that connect to the court’s policy decisions.

Key elements: County Administrator Betsy Keller and Lorena Rodriguez of county administration outlined the plan’s nine goals: lead justice reform; drive regional economic growth; be a hub for tourism; strategically invest in infrastructure; cultivate strategic partnerships and community connections; advance economic mobility and opportunities; value the county workforce; strengthen financial health; and optimize internal processes. Staff described new or revised actions the court approved, including an outdoor‑recreation marketing strategy (3.14), coliseum modernization work, a comprehensive water master plan and a county communications expansion action under partnerships.

Commissioner input and edits: Commissioners proposed and the court accepted modest, specific refinements before adoption: add state parks and explicit references to Hueco Tanks within the outdoor‑recreation marketing action; add short‑line water extension language to the comprehensive water master plan; and ensure longstanding initiatives — such as workforce and economic development programs — remain visible and tracked in the plan. Commissioners also asked staff to ensure the plan remains a living document linked to the annual budget process so that projects and funding requests can be traced to plan goals.

Action: The court voted to adopt the plan as amended; staff said the public dashboard and the plan will take effect Oct. 1, 2025. Commissioners asked that future agenda items reference the plan goal and action number to clarify how proposals align with strategic priorities.

Context: County staff said the plan was developed through multi‑day workshops with commissioners, department directors and facilitators in April 2025 and reflects a consolidation and modernization of prior objectives; the plan is intended as a guide for capital and operational budgeting and for clarifying the county’s role in regional priorities.