May 9, 2008
While so many eyes are focused on El Paso's District 3 city election, residents of the county have a critical election that affects the daily lives of thousands of residents.
Despite years of efforts – many quite successful – there remain more than 2,000 Horizon-area residents without water service to their homes. Thousands more in the area live with aging and often broken and over-flowing septic tanks.
The critical election for those residents is for the Horizon MUDD Water Board. The board is responsible for water and sewer systems in the Horizon community.
All four candidates running for positions on the water board attended an Inform the Vote session regarding the election on April 27 at Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Horizon.
More than 80 residents attended the session, which was sponsored by the El Paso Interreligious Sponsoring Organization (EPISO). Discussions focused on the little-noticed but critically important board and its role in serving the needs for water and sewage infrastructure in El Paso Hills and elsewhere in Horizon.
Incumbent Bonnie Morehouse and challenger Bob Jarvis from District 1 and incumbent Patricia Randleel and challenger Benny Davis from District 2 listened to colonia leaders’ stories about the challenges their families face due to leaking septic tanks and costly trucked-in water.
EPISO members and representatives from churches in the area are now going door-to-door in the community to ensure that residents are aware of the election and the board's role. Voters will be encouraged to go to the ballot box on Saturday, May 10.
Horizon MUDD's role in meeting this community need was reinforced during a visit to the colonias by Gov. Rick Perry last year. “It is vital that the municipal district respond and respond appropriately, especially since the federal agency wants to provide that funding” Perry was quoted as saying in the El Paso Times (4/21/07). Perry encouraged residents and EPISO to put pressure on Horizon MUDD to secure drainage and wastewater services.
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Eloiso DeAvila, Santa Lucia Parish, and EPISO Co-Chair