El Paso voters approved Prop 11, but how will that lead to new recreation, park offerings

Proposition 11 received resounding approval in the statewide constitutional amendment election, but El Paso doesn't seem to have a plan to capitalize on this tool to improve parks and recreational offerings.

More than 26,400 ballots, 62%, were cast in favor of the proposal compared to over 16,400, 38%, against. In all, just over 44,500 ballots were cast in the Tuesday election for a voter turnout of just under 9%.

The voter-approved proposition allows conservation and reclamation districts within El Paso County "to issue bonds supported by ad valorem taxes to fund the development and maintenance of parks and recreational facilities."

Despite being the only issue on Tuesday's ballot solely relating to El Paso, there was little information about Proposition 11 before the election — one commissioner said even the El Paso County Commissioners Court, which will likely have a hand in executing the new law, was left in the dark.

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"Neither the Commissioners Court or government relations staff was ever consulted about this bill," said El Paso County Commissioner David Stout. "There's a role we probably have to play as Commissioners Court, but ... we didn't even know about the bill until it went through the process."

"We didn't drop cards or testify for or against this bill because it kind of snuck by us," he added.

He could do little more than speculate — Hunt Companies, Inc., the holding company chaired by wealthy El Paso businessman Woody Hunt, is developing properties on the Eastside, Stout said, and Hunt may have advocated for the bill to access tax dollars for parks and other recreational facilities to be constructed in the area.

"So, I'm not sure what the plans are," Stout said.

But state Sen. Cesar Blanco, who authored the Senate bill that brought Proposition 11 before voters, said the bill does little more than bring El Paso County in line with dozens of other counties across the state.

"In 2003, the Texas Constitution was amended to permit conservation and reclamation districts across the state to issue bonds for parks and recreation facilities," Blanco, D-El Paso, wrote in an email. "However, El Paso County was left out of this constitutional amendment. Proposition 11, which I filed and passed as Senate Bill 938 during the 88th Texas Legislature, corrects this oversight, enabling El Paso County to issue bonds for parks and greenspaces."

Further, Blanco's staff said county officials were kept in the loop throughout the process, even advocating for the House version of the bill carried by state Rep. Joe Moody, D-El Paso. A list of witnesses in support of the measure during Texas House hearings on the matter included representatives from the city and county, as well as El Paso Water Improvement District 1, El Paso Water, the El Paso Chamber and Hunt Companies, Inc.

Blanco: Texas prop 11 will boost economic development, enhance quality of life in El Paso

For Blanco, the passage of Proposition 11 means El Paso will have one more asset able to "attract and retain top talent" from across the state.

"Prop 11 equips El Paso with a valuable tool to expand green spaces, parks and recreational facilities, boosting economic development and enhancing the quality of life for El Pasoans," he wrote. "To attract and retain top talent in El Paso, we must provide distinctive advantages, such as a secure community with ample park space to enjoy our 297 days of sunshine each year. Prop 11 will help achieve this goal ..."

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Currently, however, Blanco said there are no plans to put the new law to immediate use.

"The proposition isn't for any specific project and I am not aware of specific projects the proposition might support in the future," he wrote. "But ... it will become an additional tool for local voters to improve the quality of life for residents of El Paso and stimulate economic growth in our community."

For her part, El Paso Chamber President Andrea Hutchins agrees.

"Green spaces play a significant role in enhancing our overall quality of life," she wrote in an Election Night text message. "The passage of Prop 11 will offer an additional means to ensure that more El Pasoans have the opportunity to enjoy one of the key attributes that contribute to the character of a neighborhood and foster a genuine sense of community."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Texas prop 11 passed, but what does that mean for El Paso County?