Josh Acevedo looks to bring EPISD board experience to El Paso City Council District 2 race

Joshua Acevedo is hoping to move from the school board to the El Paso City Council to fill the vacant District 2 seat in the upcoming December special election.

Acevedo, a member of the El Paso Independent School District's board of trustees and an organizer with Local Progress leading a national school board training program, has announced his bid for the seat being vacated by El Paso city Rep. Alexsandra Annello.

Annello recently resigned from the seat to mount a campaign for the Texas House District 77 seat following an announcement by longtime state Rep. Lina Ortega earlier this year that she would not seek reelection in 2024.

Acevedo joins attorney and political activist Veronica Carbajal in the City Council race, the only two candidates to announce campaigns for the council spot so far.

More: El Paso lawyer, activist Veronica Carbajal first to enter race for District 2 council seat

Only residents of District 2 are eligible to vote in the special election slated for Saturday, Dec. 9. The district stretches to Hondo Pass Drive in the north and down to the U.S.-Mexico border in the south, west to Moreno Elementary and Bassett Middle schools and east along Railroad Drive.

For Acevedo, four years on the EPISD board provides a perfect springboard to City Council, as during his tenure, he's taken part in four budget cycles, witnessed the resignation of former superintendent Juan Cabrera and the subsequent hiring of EPISD's first Latina superintendent, Diana Sayavedra.

"I feel like my leadership has been really tested and I bring a lot of experience to the City Council," Acevedo said. "I've always been one person on EPISD's board ... who asks questions about how we're spending every dollar and I think it's really important to keep doing that."

Acevedo part of 'new era' in El Paso education

Along with his role on the EPISD board, Acevedo is a product of El Paso's education system. He worked through the public school system before graduating with multiple degrees from the University of Texas at El Paso.

"I never left El Paso," Acevedo said. "I made my career here and I did my education here."

He received degrees in political science and a doctorate in educational leadership administration. Acevedo has also worked as a community organizer, assisted with mental health grants at UTEP and worked with the county as senior administrative assistant to El Paso County Commissioner David Stout.

"That world has been really vital in making me the person I am today," Acevedo said.

A big part of that work with the EPISD board over the past four years, he said, has been ushering in a "new era" of leadership on the city school board and he believes there's room for the City Council to take a role in bolstering El Paso's public school system.

"There are educational issues where there could be cooperation," Acevedo said, noting that the city could partner with the school system to purchase and overhaul vacant EPISD facilities to attract investment in District 2. "I think it's just a novel concept that people aren't thinking of right now."

Acevedo looks to continue progressive tradition in District 2

In Annello, residents of District 2 have been represented by the most progressive voice on City Council — a tradition Acevedo looks to maintain.

"It's absolutely crucial that voice continues," he said.

Among liberal agenda items worth continuing, Acevedo said, are protections for El Paso's LGBTQ+ community and other disenfranchised groups.

"I want to make sure everybody feels safe where they live," Acevedo said. "It's absolutely crucial to bring in policies that make a better space for all.

"I think people feel worthless sometimes, and I always work to give the most vulnerable and the people who have been left out a voice."

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With four public school budget cycles under his belt, Acevedo also wants to ensure that city tax dollars are being spent wisely and that funds are being used for quality-of-life issues in District 2, where public pools have been closed and vacant houses abound.

"It has really diminished the quality of life for District 2 residents," Acevedo said. "There's so much potential there that is untapped."

Addressing those quality-of-life concerns in the "heart of the city," he said, would simultaneously boost declining school system numbers and attract investment into the district's overlooked areas.

Another major concern for Acevedo is the selection of a new city manager, which he said mirrors the work the EPISD board undertook in selecting a superintendent.

"I've gone through that process before," he said. "The past city manager was really vengeful with some of the council members. If there were arguments between him and a council member, he would take it out on their district, and I don't think that's right."

"The city manager needs to work hand in hand and build a team with city representatives," Acevedo added.

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But Acevedo's main focus is being a strong voice for the community he has called home all his life.

"This is where I grew up," he said. "I have lived in Central El Paso all my life and it's a really big deal. It's a personal thing for me."

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: EPISD board member Josh Acevedo enters El Paso City Council race