El Paso City Rep. Larry Romero Set Up A Meeting With Water Utilities Execs And His Former Business Partner

So far, El Paso City Rep. Larry Romero has gotten streets paved in his district that were not supposed to be paved, he’s gotten speed humps put on Stanton that do not comply with city regulations, and he's come under fire for trying to get his former business partner, Noe Hinojosa, hired as the city’s financial manager.

Now, the El Paso Times has uncovered that he also arranged a meeting between El Paso Water Utilities officials and Hinojosa’s company to do business with the water utility.

John Balliew, the CEO of EPWU said that he met with Romero and Noe Hinojosa in Romero’s City Hall office back in 2013, a meeting he characterized as “an effort to allow Estrada Hinojosa to make a pitch."

Oddly, Romero told Balliew they once worked together — something he didn't tell former city leaders about when he tried to set up a meeting with them and the firm.

Romero said Thursday that he only introduced Hinojosa to Balliew and was not pushing for the firm to be hired.

During a news conference yesterday Romero asked quote "What is wrong with me introducing them?"

Balliew said that the utility wasn't looking for a new financial adviser and had no further contact with Hinojosa or Romero.

Seriously, Mr. Romero, when are you going to realize that all your ‘introductions’ look like nothing more than you trying to get your boys in El Paso taxpayer’s business.