El Paso County Commissioners Court is showing strong support for a nearly $400 million bond proposal for the University Medical Center (UMC) of El Paso, set to be voted on by the public this November alongside a $295 million county bond.
According to El Paso Matters, the proposal was presented on July 15, 2024, by UMC CEO Jacob Cintron, who emphasized that the bond is essential for meeting the community’s healthcare needs.
Approval from the Commissioners Court is required for the hospital district to call for a bond election, with a vote set for August 12 to decide whether to include the bond on the November 5 ballot.
“You are very well-aligned with what we want … our bond is quality of life, accessibility, and you are enhancing that,” County Judge Ricardo Samaniego told Cintron during the meeting. “It’s not about adding money, it’s about what the community needs.”
If the voters approve the bond, projects are proposed in four key areas:
- Improving the UMC Campus
– New Surgical Suites
– New Cardiac Catheterization
– Expanded Observation Unit (25 beds)
– Improved Imaging Technology
– Enhanced Laboratory Services
– Expanded Parking (garage and surface) - Burn
– Additional Critical Care Beds
– Swing Beds for Inpatient Burn Care
– Two New Operating Rooms - Healthcare Access Points
– Central Geriatric Clinic
– Horizon Health Center
– Ambulatory Surgical Center West
– West Emergency and Urgent Care
– Central Specialty Clinic (TTHSC Building)
– Eastside Rehabilitation Services Addition
– Center and Critical Care Beds - First Cancer Center in El Paso
– Approximately $30 million of the bond would fund equipment for a planned $97 million cancer center, supplementing the $65 million approved by the state last year.
– Set to open by 2026, with the bond financing the relocation of infusion centers, new imaging equipment, and a specialized pharmacy for rare cancer medications.
The bond’s impact on property taxes would see an increase of about $95 per year for the average homeowner over the next decade, followed by $52 annually for the subsequent 20 years.
Commissioners Carlos Leon and Sergio Coronado also spoke in favor of the bond during the meeting. According to El Paso Matters, Coronado said he understands the community is concerned about taxes, “but this is dire services we are required to provide.” Leon, for his part, asked if the court would “stand in the way” of UMC and its doctors “saving lives.”
In addition to the UMC bond, the Commissioners Court is considering a $295 million county bond proposal, which would raise the average homeowner’s property taxes by approximately $45 per year.
Other potential inclusions for the county bond are $60 million for renovations to the 82-year-old El Paso County Coliseum, with a seating capacity of just over 5,600.
