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Commissioners confirm MPO and regional appointments; discussion surfaces calls for broader county representation
Summary
The court appointed its members to the Metropolitan Planning Organization and filled an elected-official seat on the Rio Grande Council of Governments. The MPO appointment drew debate about rotating county representation and the new role of the county’s transit authority on the MPO.
El Paso County Commissioners Court on Jan. 13 approved appointments to regional bodies and heard a substantive discussion about county participation on the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).
Appointments and actions
- Rio Grande Council of Governments: The court appointed Sheriff Richard Wiles (previous seat-holder) to the council’s board. Motion by Judge Samaniego; second by Commissioner Butler; outcome: approved. - Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO): The court voted to keep the County Judge and Commissioner Olguin as the county’s MPO representatives for now. Motion by Judge Samaniego; second by Commissioner Olguin; outcome: approved.
Why it matters: Commissioners debated whether county representation on the MPO should rotate to allow other commissioners to serve. Commissioner Stout urged broader, rotating participation and raised concerns that county influence had effectively been reduced after the county-created Local Government Corporation (LGC) gained a seat on the MPO. Several commissioners said they would push to ensure the…
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