El Paso... When I did the initial research about El Paso and the quality of living, everything seemed to validate that the quality of life here is excellent. Before I get into dissecting El Paso and what we've seen and encountered I want to say that El Paso has some of the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets we've ever been witness to! We have lived coast to coast and many places in between. What we have found is that much of the information online about El Paso is a bit misleading. 1. Buyer beware! If you are purchasing a home in El Paso, be prepared to pay the second-highest property tax rates of big cities in the entire nation. See https://learn.roofstock.com/blog/cities-with-highest-property-taxes 2. The City Manager earns more money than the POTUS. He has an ironclad contract that would cost the city millions if he were let go. My understanding is that he doesn't even live here. He lives somewhere in the Dallas area... 3. El Paso politics are anything but above board. They have circumvented voters by issuing "Certificates of Obligations." This is to the tune of $3 billion-plus dollars in obligations that breaks down to $719 additional tax per person in El Paso. https://eu.elpasotimes.com/story/opinion/2022/10/06/max-grossman-the-days-of-certificates-of-obligation-are-over/69541996007/ 3A. The political landscape is what the locals call run by an “Oligarchy.” There are a select number of people involved including one who has run for the POTUS and now for Governor. They funnel the money to elect the "right" people to continue/keep their backroom deals alive. 4. The streets and highways are at best, abysmal! They are in desperate need of resurfacing in many areas. 5. Drivers are very aggressive. The majority don't show any etiquette at all whilst driving, thus creating road rage situations. 6. Weeds and trash. All I can say is WOW! El Paso looks like a third-world city when it comes to weeds and litter issues. Many people blame the wind for the trash. If it was disposed of properly, there wouldn't be an issue. Lack of pride of ownership shows with the insane amount of weeds everywhere. Please note there are many people who go above and beyond within their respective communities to keep them looking good. Sorry for being long-winded here. After being here slightly less than three years, we are planning an exit strategy to move as soon as possible. The taxes, politics, and overall cost of living are making this an easy decision.
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