El Paso County leaders are focusing on enhancing accountability and transparency regarding travel expenses incurred by elected officials. This initiative comes in response to a recent investigation that revealed nearly $250,000 of taxpayer funds spent on travel by members of the commissioners court over several years.
During a special meeting to discuss the County’s strategic plan, commissioners addressed the importance of engaging with binational interests, particularly with Mexico. Commissioner David Stout expressed concerns over a decision made by County Judge Ricardo Samaniego to exclude staff from the bi-national affairs office from attending a conference in Mexico City, highlighting that such absences hinder the county’s advocacy efforts.
Stout emphasized that while he attended the conference for his own benefit, the absence of the designated staff member was detrimental to the county’s strategic goals. Judge Samaniego acknowledged he was unaware of Stout’s attendance and mentioned that he had canceled his own trip due to travel policy concerns. He criticized the lack of communication about travel activities among the commissioners and called for better reporting on trips taken and insights gained.
County Chief Administrator Betsy Keller indicated that the staff would explore creating a structured reporting requirement and aims to present it at an upcoming commissioners court meeting.
