El Paso City Council To Reconsider $61,000 Pay Raise For El Paso City Manager

There was major backlash against El Paso City Council when they voted to give City Manager Tommy Gonzalez a $61,000 raise. City reps say they have been innudated with phone calls and emails from furious constituents who want to know why they rushed to take Gonzalez's salary to 300,000 from $238,000.

City reps said they also got an earful about discussing the raise in executive session for several hours and then making the motion to increase Gonzalez's salary without any public discussion. City Rep. Claudia Ordaz, who initially voted for the raise, has now has placed an item on next week's Council agenda to revisit the raise. Ordaz said she can admit when she makes a mistake, and that's why she wants an open, public discussion about it.

The agenda item gives Mayor Oscar Leeser the chance to veto the pay hike. Leeser told various media outlets that he was not happy about the raise because City employees had not gotten a pay increase in a couple years.

City reps Larry Romero, Dr. Michiel Noe, Emma Acosta and Cortney Niland said Gonzalez eservd the raise because he saved the City millions of dollars. There have been media reports, however, that the raise had more to do with Gonzalez's family being unhappy about the move to El Paso. There are even reports that his wife and children do not live here.

Ordaz says she hopes that council can come to a compromise on Tuesday, but there needs to be more clear performance measures before a raise is awarded.