The city of El Paso is facing a financial crossroads as leaders look to generate more revenue, including possibly increasing existing fees and implementing new ones, to help offset ballooning expenses driven largely by public safety.
A five-year financial forecast presented to the City Council on Monday shows city expenses increasing by a combined $146.5 million over the next five years. Nearly $90 million of that increase, or 61%, is due to pay and benefit increases for police and fire department personnel if the terms of the current contracts are extended into the future.
Other rising costs include non-uniform employee pay raises and health insurance, utility costs, information technology expenses and materials and supplies. Sales tax and property tax revenues are also expected to level out as some COVID-era federal funding sources also come to an end…