The El Paso Matters Podcast

As El Paso City Council and the El Paso County Commissioners Court remain on track to adopt budgets for the upcoming fiscal year in the coming weeks, El Paso Matters senior reporter Elida Perez joins the El Paso Matters Podcast to discuss how much homeowners should expect to see their property tax bills increase. We also talk about what's driving the tax increases and the politics of how El Paso voters might react to a tax hike. You can read Elida's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

At least two major AI data center projects are proceeding in El Paso, with another potentially planned on federal Fort Bliss property. However, the El Paso City Council recently adopted policies that would make it harder for a company to build another AI data center campus within city limits. Plus: an update on when $50 million promised by Project Jupiter's developers for water infrastructure in Dona Ana County may become available. And could we really see a data center begin operating on Fort Bliss by the end of next year? You can read El Paso Matters' free coverage of all things data centers at elpasomatters.org.

The city of El Paso says the county government, nearby towns owe the city hundreds of thousands of dollars for animal services. Why aren't they paying? El Paso Matters reporter Elida Perez joins the podcast to discuss her reporting on the feud over who should pay to round up and care for stray animals. Will a new shelter the county is building alleviate the problem? And why are there so many strays in El Paso in the first place? You can read Elida's reporting on El Paso city government at elpasomatters.org.

El Paso Matters editor Cindy Ramirez joins this week's podcast to talk about how the legal system is working -- or not -- for young migrant children living in the U.S. alone often in foster-like care. Cindy's emotional story shows how many children are forced to navigate their court cases without representation. You can read Cindy's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

EPISD considers a $445M bond after declaring financial exigency, YISD faces a shrinking savings cushion, and Socorro ISD may soon exit state conservatorship. Education reporter Claudia Silva explains the financial situation at each of El Paso’s three largest school districts. You can read Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

El Pasoans recently got a first look at the wide-ranging renovations El Paso County is planning for Ascarate Park, the region's biggest park. El Paso County Commissioners have tried for years to find ways to clean the lake, improve fishing and add new amenities at the park. Plans have shifted in recent years, but the county is now planning to deploy $31 million in voter-approved bond funds to elevate the park with new features to be completed by 2029. You can read our reporting on the Ascarate Park renovation project at elpasomatters.org.

Trustees overseeing El Paso Independent School District voted to declare financial exigency last week after the district's leaders discovered a $52 million hole in EPISD's budget. Afterward, two elected trustees resigned. On this episode of the El Paso Matters Podcast, education reporter Claudia Silva and CEO Bob Moore discuss the situation EPISD is in, what the trustees' resignations means and what to expect for the district going forward as EPISD prepares to lay employees off and put a bond election to voters later this year. You can read Bob and Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

El Paso's largest school district is experiencing a financial disaster weeks after the district's former finance chief resigned and district officials discovered she was withholding the truth about EPISD's finances and budget overruns. El Paso Matters education reporter Claudia Lorena Silva talks through how EPISD got here and what comes next for the public school district. You can read Claudia's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

New Census data show the city of El Paso saw a significant population decline between 2024 and 2025. El Paso Matters CEO Robert Moore discusses his reporting on El Paso's population trends, what declining population figures mean for the Borderland and what local leaders can do in the face of a declining population. You can read Bob's reporting at elpasomatters.org.

Lack of communication and coordination between different levels of government led to confusion and delayed a response to contain the measles outbreak in the El Paso area. El Paso Matters Health Reporter Priscilla Totiyapungprasert joins the El Paso Matters Podcast to discuss her investigative reporting on how the government response increased the risk of measles exposure in El Paso. You can read Priscilla's reported at elpasomatters.org.