EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — State Rep. Mary González, D-San Elizario, is calling for City leaders to put “El Paso first” in the upcoming discussion about the hyperscale Meta data center in a statement released on Friday, June 5.
El Paso city rep. proposes to end Meta incentive agreement
This comes after a City Council member proposed an agenda item to cancel the incentive agreement with Meta. A day after that announcement, El Paso Mayor Renard Johnson defended the City’s legal and financial position on the project.
El Paso mayor defends city’s legal, financial position on Meta project
Here is González’s full statement:
“Every time I speak to a classroom of students, I ask the same question: ‘What does our El Pasocommunity look like 20 years from now?’ This is the question facing so many of us in leadershippositions right now. There are always decisions that elected officials that contribute to that answer, but the biggest decision for our region will be made on Tuesday. The Meta agreement will impact the air we breathe, the water we can or cannot drink, our local public schools, our energy affordability, our economy, our governmental finances and so much more.
“Considering the weight of this decision, it might feel like a hard one. But the truth remains thereis no borderland community without water to drink, air that we can breathe, and the temperature being unbearable. What makes this choice hard is fear and the potential risk of financial liability. Those things shouldn’t be taken lightly, but most of these are based in guesses and not facts. Other communities were faced with similar circumstances, and they choose to protect their local community.…