New Reps Sworn-in; Ordaz Touts Plan

Last night was the swearing in ceremony for the city representatives that just won the last round of elections.

City Representatives Svarzbein, Noe, and Ordaz were in attendance. City Representative Cortney Niland was not at the event and was sworn in this morning.

I see why Mayor Leeser rarely does public events. He's a terribly awkward speaker and he looks like he hates every minute of it.

Shout out to the city protocol gurus who had a Christian invocation on the day the city was swearing in a new Jewish member of council. Talk about a d'oh!

I knew it was coming to, I was waiting for the "in Jesus' name we pray" part and there was no disappointment!

Svarzbein gave no reaction though.

The new reps all gave speeches and thanked their families.

The stand-out was Representative Ordaz and not because she was the only one who had a County Commissioner and not a judge, swear her in either. She stood out because unlike the mayor, she had acknowledged the rest of her colleagues on the stage that were in attendance, but more importantly for another reason, she's the one that sounded like a mayor.

Rep Ordaz, in addition to thanking her parents, family, and staff, laid out an actual agenda of what she wanted to accomplish in this, her first full term in office.

Ordaz is the first woman to represent District 6. She is also the first rep in God knows how long, that has actually done anything for the district and seems to actually have an idea of what she wants to do in the years to come.

Her plan focused on two major points, a home buyer incentive program to encourage people to buy homes in older established neighborhoods as a way to both control urban sprawl, manage costs, and improve economic development. Rep Ordaz highlighted the fact that the Ysleta Independent School District has the lowest tax rate in the area.

Ordaz then laid out an idea about focusing on plans to approach public transit from a regional perspective.

That is something you normally expect from a mayor and its no wonder that more and more people are seeing a future mayor in Ordaz.

Ordaz appears to be uncomfortable with that talk because she's focused on what is in front of her right now. But a mayor from the valley sure would be nice.

It would be another first. And given the fact that she has won with the highest margin of victory of anyone in a recent election, its yet another reason that talk will start to become more and more prevelant.

She does all the right things. She takes care of her district, empowers the communities to compete for more grant money to improve their infrastructure south of the freeway where that is the greatest need and beautification projects north of the freeway where that is the greatest need, while keeping an eye on the big picture for El Paso.

I had interviews with all the representatives and will post them tomorrow.