Anthony and Clint ask El Paso County for help with water, roads and grant capacity

Representatives from the towns of Anthony and Clint presented to the El Paso County Commissioners Court on Feb. 19, asking the county to expand technical and procurement support for small municipalities facing aging infrastructure and limited local budgets.

At the start of the strategic-planning roundtable, County Administration asked partners to report on priorities and constraints. A Town of Anthony representative described a wastewater system in service for more than 50 years, roughly 7% of fire hydrants out of service, and daily commuter traffic of about 70,000 vehicles that accelerates roadway deterioration. The presenter said Anthony’s wastewater operators are prepared to operate a MARS (meter) system to monitor pressure if the county can help purchase the equipment; the slide cited an approximate cost for that system. The town also asked the county to help streamline access to TxDOT millings, provide equipment‑sharing MOUs and improve connectivity to county law‑enforcement applications such as WebRMS to speed report writing. (County staff noted an existing MOU process and agreed to continue coordination.)

The town of Clint outlined similar capacity gaps. Mayor Ramon Ramoncano Jr. described Clint as a small municipality (roughly 1,069 residents and an annual budget of about $998,000) with a high proportion of roads rated in poor or failing condition by a 2019 engineering study. Clint officials detailed recent improvements done with outside partners (a $1.2 million reconstruction paid in part by the Lower Valley Water District), described a proposed 5.7‑acre Clint Linear Park on Lower Valley Water District land, and asked the county for help with grant writing, technical assistance, and inclusion in county cooperative procurements to obtain lower pricing for equipment.

County Public Works Director Norma Rivera Palacios said the county already uses interlocal agreements to provide on‑site services to smaller municipalities and committed to continue working with towns on cooperative projects and grant support. Karen Davidson, the county purchasing agent, said procurement could include “piggybacking” language in county bids so outlying towns could use county pricing, and she will coordinate with county attorneys and public works to add that language where appropriate.

Commissioners and staff flagged statewide opportunities as well: Commissioner Coronado said the Legislature has dedicated funds for water infrastructure in the coming biennium, and county leaders discussed coordination with the Texas Water Development Board to pursue regional grants that could raise a town’s maximum allocation. The court did not take formal action on specific grants at the meeting but directed staff to continue interlocal, procurement and grant‑support efforts.

The towns’ presentations underscore wider countywide infrastructure challenges — especially water and road maintenance — that smaller jurisdictions say exceed their local tax bases and technical capacity. County officials signaled willingness to use procurement, interlocal agreements and targeted grant assistance to stretch limited municipal resources.