City Representative Josh Acevedo, District 2

As you may know, on Friday I issued a statement (attached in this post) regarding an issue with the city manager search process that I believe has tainted the search. In short, we were not given the opportunity to pick the finalists from the rankings that individual members of city council submitted last Tuesday. Instead, only the top four announced on Friday moved forward without discussion.

As this continues to advance, I want to keep you informed about the next steps in the process. The next step will be interviews with the candidates, including with two external panels made up of appointed members by the city council.

Please see the schedule and panel member lists below for your reference.

August 7th:

Citizen Advisory Panel – City 1 – Starts at 8:30 a.m.
Community Leader Stakeholder – City 1 – Starts at 8:30 a.m.
Community Forum at the Convention Center – 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm

August 8th:

City Employee Breakfast Meet & Greet – Starts at 8:30 am in City 1 Breezeway.
Council Interview Panels (3 Separate panels) – City 1 – Starts at 11:00 am

August 9th:

Council meets in Executive Session to discuss City Manager selection- 8:30 am in City Hall Main Conference Room.

Each member of the Council appointed a member for each of the external panels. Those panel members are listed below:

Citizen Advisory Panel
Mayor Leeser - Gary Edens
Representative Kennedy - Terri Garcia
Representative Acevedo - Georgina Williams
Representative Hernandez - Manuel Moreno
Representative Molinar - Dr. Richard “Rick” Bonart
Representative Salcido - Isabel Veronica Chacon
Representative Fierro - Marisa Marquez
Representative Rivera - Victoria Godinez
Representative Canales - Ouisa D. Davis

Community Leader/Stakeholder Panel
Mayor Leeser - Eddie Holguín
Representative Kennedy - Maria Zampini
Representative Acevedo - Matthew Ibarra
Representative Hernandez - Marina Monsivais
Representative Molinar - Tyler Grossman
Representative Salcido - Cindy Conroy
Representative Fierro - Joe Moody
Representative Rivera - Emma Acosta
Representative Canales - Guillermo Glenn

In observance of the upcoming Juneteenth holiday our office will be closed tomorrow Wednesday, June 19th. We will continue with regular business hours on Thursday, June 20th.

Happy Father’s Day to all our amazing fathers! We hope your day was filled with love and joy as you celebrated with your loved ones.

This morning, local LGBTQIA+ organizations joined city staff and I in raising the Progress Pride flag high at City Hall to kick off Pride Month! This is the fifth year that we fly a Pride flag over our City Hall — an initiative that was authored and passed by former District 2 City Representative Alexsandra Annello in 2020. Let’s celebrate love, equality, diversity, and acceptance in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community! Happy ! 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️

Over the last week, we have been walking through our neighborhoods, holding community meetings, and finding solutions together with over 100 of our constituents throughout District 2. If you weren’t able to attend, be sure to stay on the look out for upcoming community meetings!

Please join me at my upcoming community meeting tomorrow, May 29th at 11:00 am. This meeting will be taking place at Nolan Richardson Recreation Center. We will have special guest from Family Service of El Paso where they will be discussing the various services they offer to El Paso residents. I hope to see you there!

Office hours this coming Monday, May 27th will be different as the City of El Paso recognizes Memorial Day. All city administrative offices will be closed. Normal office hours resume Tuesday, May 29th.

Last week, I had the privilege of touring the El Paso Water Storm Water Operations in our community, an experience that was educational and eye-opening. This tour reinforced my understanding of how important stormwater operations are to District 2, safeguarding against flooding, and preserving the environment. I realized that a lot of these structures may not be visible, but there are a lot of powerful stormwater measures that are being taken by El Paso Water.

Join me at my next community meeting tomorrow, Wednesday May 22nd at Modesto Gomez Park at 5:30pm. We will be conducting a walkthrough with city staff to discuss the final stages of the park. We will be parking at Hilos de Plata Senior Center and walking over. I hope to see you there!

Today, I wrote a letter in opposition to the Border Highway East Project from TX DOT. I am committed to standing up for our values and ensuring that our voices are heard. As someone who cares about open space and deeply values the preservation of natural resources, it is essential to prioritize environmental preservation and community well-being.

Last week, I celebrated my first 100 days in office as your City Representative for District 2. I am humbled by the trust placed in me by the community. It has been a period of learning, growth, and collaboration as we tackle pressing issues together. Despite the challenges, I am proud of the progress we have made in this short time. I am committed to continuing this journey and I look forward to working hand-in-hand with residents across the district.

There’s a brand new mural in District 2 and I’m excited to share it with you. The McCall Mural is made in the likeness of Marshall and Olalee McCall. Mr. Marshall was the city’s first black mail carrier for the postal service and Mrs. Olalee became the first female high school principal for EPISD in 1937. Their home now serves as the McCall Neighborhood Center, an unofficial museum honoring the black community in El Paso. It’s a great visit in Central El Paso. I am proud of Tay Cunningham who did fantastic work. I am also very proud Tay chose to do his first solo mural in District 2. Thank you for letting me attend your unveiling yesterday.

From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems, and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.
- César Chávez

Desde la profundidad de su necesidad y su desesperanza, la gente sí puede trabajar unida; sí puede organizarse para resolver sus propios problemas y satisfacer sus propias necesidades con dignidad y fuerza.
- César Chávez

Happy Easter to all those who are celebrating today with family and friends. I hope your day is filled with happiness and fellowship.

Office hours this coming Monday April 1st will be different as the City of El Paso recognizes César Chávez Day. All city administrative offices will be closed. Normal office hours resume Tuesday.

Next week is a busy week with two community meetings coming up in South-Central and Central El Paso.

The meeting on Tuesday, April 2nd will be at Hilos de Plata Senior Center at 5:30 pm to receive an update on the Modesto Gomez park project.

The next evening on April 3rd at 5:30 pm at the Wayne Thornton Community Center at Grandview will be a general community meeting. Look forward to seeing everyone there!

Please join me at my next community meeting at the Nolan Richardson Recreation Center this Wednesday
March 27th at 10:30am. Guest speakers will include city staff from the Neighborhood Improvement Program. Neighborhood Association presidents are encouraged to attend. I hope to see you there!

Calling all community members of El Paso! The City of El Paso will be hosting a community meeting on the City Manager selection process, and we want to hear from you! City staff wants to hear on what characteristics and what kind of vision for the city you want to see from a new City Manager.

It is tonight (03/18) @ 7-8pm & Tuesday (03/19) @ 6:30-7:30pm and both meetings will be at City Hall - 300 N. Campbell St. El Paso TX 79901.

I hope to see you there!

Next week the City of El Paso will be hosting a public meeting to gather input on the proposed MPC location at Union Depot. It will be at the Blue Flame Building downtown on the 17th floor. Mark your calendars for March 6th from 5:30 to 7pm.

This afternoon, I participated in the ribbon cutting for a WellMed Clinic in our very own District 2. Our community is underserved when it comes to healthcare, so I could not be happier for our seniors having another option to access critical care. It is very good to hear that they serve older patients and those who qualify for Medicare. I am glad to see that they made this location south of I-10 — my constituents really need this care. Thank you to WellMed for the invitation. I am looking forward to hearing all of the great medical care stories from our seniors!

Just a quick reminder about tomorrow! I have an upcoming community meeting Wednesday, February 28 at Memorial senior center. It will be at 5:30 PM and hope to see you there! We will have guests from the police department in code enforcement to talk about nightlife and security and planning in relation to that.

Please see a press release below regarding my ‘no’ vote on a disaster declaration with the State of Texas.

I am completely heartbroken over the loss of Nex Benedict. I cannot imagine what their family is feeling throughout this devastating time. When Nex Benedict went to the restroom, they expected to feel safe. Instead, they were met with violence from fellow classmates. Children should feel safe in that space and everywhere else. Nex’s school district failed them and their state failed them. We must not make the same mistakes. I’m looking forward to working at the city to continue to create safe and inclusive spaces for all El Pasoans.

Join me for an upcoming community meeting this Wednesday, February 28 at Memorial senior center. It will be at 5:30 PM and hope to see you there! We will have guests from the police department in code enforcement to talk about nightlife and security and planning in relation to that.

Today, I submitted a letter to the General Services Administration —uniting my voice to those of my constituents — asking to keep commercial traffic out of any of the proposed Bridge of the Americas modernization plans. People want clean air. There are solutions. Let’s do the right thing.

This morning, my office attended Annunciation House’s press conference with El Paso leaders to condemn the actions of Attorney General Ken Paxton to try to shut down one of El Paso’s oldest shelters that has provided hospitality to hundreds of thousands of refugees for nearly 50 years. Ken Paxton’s actions to attack Annunciation House are unfounded and politically motivated. Instead of offering solutions, going after criminal organizations, Ken Paxton has decided to target a Catholic charity that provides meals and beds to the less fortunate. I stand with Annunciation House and the work that they do for our community to welcome people with dignity. We are a nation of immigrants and we can never forget that.

Did you miss the City’s Climate Planning Meeting last month? You can come to the community listening session this Saturday February 24th at Memorial Library. It’s at 11am to 1pm. It’s an update from January so now is a great time to come by.

Yesterday’s first community meeting was a success and I am grateful to everyone who came yesterday. Happy to provide important updates from city council, but more importantly, listen to your input on our city. If you couldn’t make it yesterday, don’t worry, we’ll be in Central next week!

Please join me for a special community meeting at Austin High School, next Monday, October 25! The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria.

This will be an a opportunity to provide feedback on the profile of our next superintendent.

There will also be other meetings taking place across the district in the next two weeks. The details of each meeting are attached.

I am looking forward to this designation at Austin High School! I appreciate the Austin High Alumni Association El Paso, Texas and their leadership, for taking the steps to place this local historical marker at Austin. I am also grateful to the EPISD Board of Trustees for their unanimous vote on this item.