There is less than a week of early voting left and on the ballot are five candidates vying to become the mayor of El Paso; Oscar Leeser, Veronica Carbajal, Carlos Gallinar, Dean Martinez, and Calvin Zielsdorf.

As of Sunday, more than 168,000 voters in El Paso County have already voted, according to a tweet by the El Paso County Elections Office. The last day of early voting is Friday, Oct. 30.

For those who haven’t voted yet, here are what the candidates for the mayor of El Paso have to say regarding issues important for students and young people. Leeser, Martinez and Carbajal did not respond to our questionnaire.

Dee Margo

Q: Are there any plans in your agenda to keep the cost of living low in the City of El Paso?

Margo: El Paso has been recognized nationally for being one of the most affordable cities in the U.S. Some have ranked us the most affordable. The way to maintain this is to balance the property tax burden between homeowners and commercial property owners by bringing in more commercial property investment and jobs, or simply stated, economic development. We pursued Amazon and recently announced a TJX warehouse distribution center with $150 million in capital investment, 950 jobs and $30 million in payroll. UTEP is also an important catalyst to attract jobs and investment. As a reminder, of your local tax dollar, 29 cents goes to the city, 46 cents goes to schools, and 25 cents goes to the County, UMC and EPCC.

Q: Do you think Downtown El Paso is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?

Margo: A vibrant downtown center is key to all growing cities. We have made vast improvements over the past few years with San Jacinto Plaza, the Plaza Hotel, soon open PDN Hotel and many restaurants and shops. Paseo de Las Luces on South El Paso street is a welcoming avenue from Juarez. This pandemic has slowed some development, but we’ll finally have some convention hotels and we just built public restrooms for the San Jacinto area. Over $300 million of public/private investment has been made in our downtown and more is on the way.

Q: How successful do you feel the education system is currently in the City of El Paso from the elementary school level to the university level?

Margo: The economic viability of El Paso will be solely predicted on the education of our workforce from secondary to higher education. I believe our secondary system is progressing and outcomes are improving, but we have more work to do. I chaired the El Paso ISD Board of Managers for two years, after its former superintendent was convicted of credit manipulation and the Trustees were removed for lack of control. We did a complete revamp of all systems and hired a new Superintendent. I was able to see and understand our successes and challenges. This pandemic has dramatically impacted our learning and I am fearful at the elementary level we may have lost a year, academically. For UTEP and EPCC, the impact is not quite as great. I also represented El Paso on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board 60×30 Plan, which has a goal of 60% of all Texans age 24-30 will have some sort of advanced degree or professional certification by 2030. This is an aggressive goal that will require coordination between secondary, higher ed, and technical training schools to achieve.

Q: What areas of improvement will you focus on if you are reelected to office?

Margo: If reelected I will continue to see that we make improvements in our infrastructure, complete bond projects on time and under budget, and meet the daily needs of our citizens with public safety, streets and parks. We are a growing city that has a population growth greater than our tax base. Managing our resources and needs will be a priority.

Q: Moving forward how do you envision the City of El Paso five years from now?

Margo: Over the last two years we have weathered three crises! Immigration, the unimaginable shooting on Aug. 3, 2019 and now this pandemic. Our resilience is unmatched, it is part of our historical DNA. We have been one region since 1659, over 350 years, 100 years before the US was founded. We are at the intersection of three states and two countries, the largest binational, bicultural, bicultural region in the western hemisphere – 2.7 million people with an average age of 31.

In five years, I envision us as more than the 6^th largest city in Texas or the 20^th largest city in the US or, the largest U.S. city on the Mexican border. I see us as an international leader in cross border commerce and culture. A true destination area that other communities want to emulate.

Q: Do you have an incentive to help students with student loans?

Margo: Direct student loan support falls outside our financial priorities of public safety and infrastructure. However, if we continue to have success in attracting business and investment, there should be plenty of opportunities for paid internships and job opportunities to supplement tuition. My wife, Adair and I have set up endowments for UTEP students.

Q: How will the city of El Paso be different socially and economically with you in office?

Margo: My grandchildren are 5^th generation El Pasoans. I grew up moving every three years and this community has given me roots, I care deeply for El Paso. I have been blessed to build a business that has sold, and give back to my community, including UTEP.

I have done the best I know how to do in leading us through the immigration crisis, the Aug. 3 shooting, and now the COVID-19 pandemic. We are not going to simply reopen our economy, we are going to have to rebuild, and for this task I am very qualified. I have used national and international platforms to tell our nation and the world who we are, where we are and why we are so special.

Calvin Zielsdorf

Q: Are there any plans in your agenda to keep the cost of living low in the city of El Paso?

Zielsdorf: Yes. With the district projects the goal is to supply El Paso Electric (EPE) with renewable energy to offset electricity prices and to continue building our energy infrastructure to eventually break the dependency of EPE by essentially becoming EPE’s power source. These will also inject more money directly into the districts and citizens’ pockets

Q: Do you think Downtown El Paso is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?

Zielsdorf: I believe that the city has done a lot to improve the environment of a small radius of downtown. Yet at the same time, besides entertainment value, nothing has benefited El Pasoans. What I mean by that is while we have entertainment, a massive amount of revenue leaves town. Never to be seen again.

Q: How successful do you feel the education system is currently in the City of El Paso from the elementary school level to the university level?

Zielsdorf: I think that our education system was adequate at best, but when the pandemic hit, we really got to see the flaws and the type of leadership that our school districts/higher education have. I would definitely listen to what parents, students and teachers have to say. I would not oppose sensible change to how our institutions operate.

Q: What areas of improvement will you focus on if you are elected to office?

Zielsdorf: I believe that we will offer more opportunities to more of our citizens. The goal is to give a springboard into life with a trade and a $200,000 retirement check, as an example. Maybe buy a house or pay off student debt. This would allow more people the opportunity to serve their community and have a more knowledgeable citizenry.

Q: Moving forward how do you envision the city of El Paso five years from now?

Zielsdorf: In five years, I hope to be in year two of a new style of city employment and with at least four district Projects completed. Change takes time to adjust to so I would like to use the first three years to get everyone on the same page and working together as a team.

Q: Do you have an incentive to help students with student loans?

Zielsdorf: Yes. Currently there is a partial tuition assistance program for those that work for the city and would like to attend a higher education. I would make sure that that program be able to retroactively pay off past student loans or a least a majority of them. Also, by speeding up the attrition rate, more El Pasoans will get that chance.

Zielsdorf: How will the city of El Paso be different socially and economically with you in office?

The goal is to make life more enjoyable by taking away some the stresses of day to day life. Stressors that are man-made. Of course, this will take work but with independent contracts made between the city and El Pasoans, more money will be directly injected into those districts. Growing the local economy and putting El Paso on the path to energy independence. That alone will attract larger businesses without such hefty tax incentives. That and the way the city departments operate will give more people the chance to prosper.

Carlos Gallinar

Q: Are there any plans in your agenda to keep the cost of living low in the city?

Gallinar: Yes. We need to make sure that El Paso cost of living is affordable for many.  But we also need to increase wages.  I will fight for a living wage of $15 an hour, focus on solar and renewable energy, high tech manufacturing and Eco-Tourism.  These are the kinds of jobs that will allow UTEP students and graduates to stay in El Paso and buy an affordable house, make money, and raise their families here.

Q: Do you think Downtown El Paso is healthy and successful? If not, what would you do to change that?

Gallinar: Under my administration, we will focus on Downtown El Paso. There have been great improvements in downtown but we can do more.  We need the following: a large central park, more housing opportunities, revitalize the empty buildings, a full-fledged grocery store, a movie theater, and more jobs downtown.  I am the only candidate with a robust Downtown Strategy: https://gallinarforelpaso.com/downtown-plan.

Q: How successful do you feel the education system is currently in the City of El Paso from the elementary school level to the University level?

Gallinar: We are still leaving many children and families behind.  We need to make sure that every young El Pasoan has a fighting chance to be successful in the city they were born and raised.  At the elementary school level, we need to focus and expand STEAM curriculum.  And ensure that every child has the necessary educational tools and the best technology to compete with others across the nation.  While we have done a good job of expanding higher education with the addition of the school medicine and programs at UTEP, we need to do more to create higher paying jobs so that graduates can stay in El Paso. I will work with the education community and identify programs and resources to make sure every El Paso student can have a great life and can give back to their community.

Q: What areas of improvement will you focus on if you are elected to office?

Gallinar: First, I will work hard to get us out of this pandemic.  We have unreliable data and no transparency on the clusters that would keep El Pasoans safe.As the first candidate to call for a shelter-in-place order I will lead with science and facts. I will vote to share the clusters and fully enforce the city’s orders and I will work with our partners around-the-clock to combat COVID-19.

 I will restore trust and bring transparency to City Hall. It’s time to bring an open-door policy to the Mayor’s office. I will create economic prosperity for every El Pasoan, increase wages, stop the brain drain and prioritize our public health.

Q: Moving forward, how do you envision the City of El Paso five years from now?

Under my administration, El Paso will lead on solar and renewable energy. Let’s be the Sun City, not just in name, but in practice. At this moment, we remain the last major city in Texas without a climate change plan.  We will create the country’s largest solar farm and create high wage jobs for the people of El Paso. I see El Paso thriving and turning around the population decline, where more people move to El Paso and visit because we have created the regional hike and bike trail connecting neighborhoods to the Franklin Mountains and to the Mission Trail.  El Paso will be the best city in the country.

Q: Do you have an incentive to help students with student loans?

Gallinar: As Mayor, I will work with Congresswoman Escobar and the Democratic Party to make college affordable and to get rid of outstanding college debt.  I will also work with our community college to make community college tuition free. As a graduate of EPCC, a current adjunct professor, and someone who is still paying off my student loans, I know first-hand the challenges of pursuing a higher education and I want to ensure every other child in the city has an option to go to college without the financial barrier.

Q: How will the city be different socially and economically with you in office?

Gallinar: As mayor, I will fight for living wages for our working class. We can also bring higher paying jobs if we begin to diversify our economy. We will focus on solar and renewable energy while combating climate change.  I will work with UTEP to create jobs in high tech manufacturing so that graduates can stay in El Paso instead of leaving for better paying jobs in other cities.  We will develop an ecotourism industry by capitalizing on our natural assets: the Franklin Mountains, our beautiful sunsets, our desert, our gateway to Mexico and New Mexico, and our river. This will invite people to visit our region and spend money while creating small business opportunities for people here.

Socially, I will increase public participation and engage with youth. I have outlined seven plans for El Paso and every plan includes engagement with youth. I want to be a mayor that connects with the community year-round, not just during elections and I will work to increase funding to arts and culture, recreation, mental health, libraries, and museums.  By building a large regional hike and bike trail system — giving our residents opportunities to be outdoors and be healthier and happier — we can improve our total well being and health.

Oscar Leeser: Did not respond.

Dean Martinez: Did not respond.

Veronica Carbajal: Did not respond.

About the candidates

Dee Margo is running for reelection and was first elected as mayor in 2017 after previously serving as president of the El Paso Independent School District Board of Managers from 2013 to 2015. According to his campaign website, Margo plans to make improvements in El Paso’s infrastructure, complete bond projects on time and under budget, and meet the daily needs of the city’s citizens with public safety streets and parks. He currently serves as vice chair of the Border Security on the United States Conference of Mayors Criminal and Social Justice Committee.

Oscar Leeser is running for mayor after serving in the position from 2013 to 2017 and decided to not run for reelection making him eligible to run for reelection this time. He decided to not run for reelection due to health issues according to his campaign website. Leeser is the president of Hyundai of El Paso and states he pledges to not issue certificates of obligation for quality of life projects which includes the Children’s Museum and Hispanic Cultural Center without voter approval and will reevaluate the scope and responsibilities of the city manager.

Veronica Carbajal if elected would become the first Latina mayor of El Paso and is a Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid Inc. lawyer. She is a Burgess High School and Brown University graduate. Carbajal’s priorities elected include improving city services such as public transit, fighting climate change by implementing environmental protections to safeguard water and reduce air pollution. On the topic of policing in the city she said she plans to transform the police department from one that is overaggressive and overprotected to one that is community-based and focused on preventing and solving crimes.

Carlos Gallinar manages Gallinar Planning & Development, LLC, a business that focuses on community development and urban planning. A Rutgers University graduate, Gallinar served as EPISD’s executive director for facilities and construction. Gallinar states in his campaign website that he will conduct a complete audit of the city’s finances and the 2012 Quality of Life bond, something that he states has not been done under Mayor Margo or former Mayor Oscar Leeser. If elected, he plans to push for a comprehensive downtown strategy that includes a resolution on the multipurpose performing and cultural arts center. Gallinar also plans to increase public participation at city hall and has outlined seven plans for El Paso and every plan includes engagement with youth.

Dean Martinez previously ran for mayor in 2013 and worked for the U.S. Department of Defense. Regarding El Paso’s Texas Department of Transportation (TX DOT) Downtown expansion project, Martinez believes that TX DOT is against the project and said that we need help from Governor Abbott as far as taxes in the mayoral forum Sept. 22. Martinez gave words of advice in the mayoral forum saying to “not let this COVID thing pull you behind.”

Calvin Zielsdorf a Cathedral High School swim coach plans to keep the cost of living low in El Paso with the goal of supplying El Paso Electric with renewable energy to offset electricity prices and to continue building the city’s infrastructure to eventually break the dependency on El Paso Electric. Zielsdorf believes that besides entertainment value, nothing has benefited El Pasoans as far as the status of Downtown El Paso. He also plans to speed up the attrition rate of student loans so El Pasoans will have a better chance of paying off student loans.

Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at [email protected]; @_IsaiahRamirez1 on Twitter.