We Got Played — and the Critics Got Silenced. 
During his campaign, Mayor Johnson promised that the $207 MILLION I-10 Deck Plaza wouldn’t cost El Paso taxpayers a cent. He sold us on the idea that federal grants and private funds would foot the bill. But now, the reality is hitting — and guess who’s paying? You. 
At this week’s City Council meeting, it became clear that city funding is now “on the table” — despite his original campaign promise. And that’s just the start.
Here’s the hard truth:
$207 million for the deck alone 
Over $412 million total with buildings, landscaping, and extras 
$35 million from the city’s share for general operations and programming $7 million/year for maintenance — that’s YOUR money to cover ongoing upkeep, potentially funded by a new Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone or Public Improvement District (read: more taxes). 
$750,000/year from the city and county for maintenance — with the rest coming from private funds (good luck with that). 
Higher property taxes are coming, which will lead to higher rents — we’re all paying for this, one way or another. 
Critics who raised concerns were silenced, even though they were right to warn us about the cost and consequences.This isn’t just about building a park — it’s about you footing the bill for years of maintenance, new taxes, and higher costs of living, all while basic services like roads and parks continue to be underfunded. 
So, when your property taxes go up, or your rent climbs again, remember who promised “no taxpayer dollars” and then switched the plan. 
El Paso deserves transparency, not more broken promises.
