El Paso Inc.

El Paso city officials have narrowed their search for the next city manager to four candidates. They all currently work for the city. A community meet and greet is scheduled for Aug. 7. https://bit.ly/4bGscjn 

El Paso city Rep. Brian Kennedy, who announced he is running for mayor, says he will be focused on fiscal responsibility and accountability. “You know, I’ve been watching the candidates as they were registered,” Kennedy told reporters stationed on the sidewalk outside City Hall. “I wasn’t pleased with the current field, so I decided I was going to step in and try to keep the momentum that we have going forward.” Kennedy enters a crowded field lining up to be the next El Paso mayor: city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez, El Paso businessman Renard Johnson, restaurant manager Marco A. Contreras, retired U.S. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Steven Winters, Jacob M. Chavira, and Robert Ryan Houle. https://lnkd.in/gxWV_qg9

Breaking: City Rep. Brian Kennedy has formally announced he is running for mayor. He registered Thursday morning with the city clerk. Behind him is El Paso County Commissioner Iliana Holguin, who is his campaign treasurer. “I know what I want to see from the mayor of our city. I just haven’t seen the strength or leadership from the current roster of contenders that I think we need to provide a stable environment for 3,000 city of El Paso employees, and hundreds of thousands of El Pasoans who just want to know the job is being done right,” Kennedy said in a statement. “I think I’ve shown that it doesn’t have to take forever to get some things done. We made a needed change in city manager. We’ve held the line on taxes. We’ve cut spending. We’ve taken a serious look at audits of 380s. We’ve strived to make people accountable. Those things need to continue." Also running for mayor are El Paso businessman Renard Johnson, city Rep. Cassandra Hernandez and Downtown restaurant worker Marco Contreras, a political newcomer. Photo by Ruben R. Ramirez

MountainStar Sports Group is now the title sponsor of the Amigo Airsho Inc, returning to El Paso in October after a decade-long hiatus. Tickets are now on sale for the event, which will feature the Canadian Forces Snowbirds air demonstration team. The airshow is also seeking volunteers. https://lnkd.in/d3_gwa9K

Shares in Helen of Troy, an El Paso-based company that makes Hydro Flask, OXO, Revlon and other products, tumbled nearly 30% after executives reported weak quarterly sales that fell short of forecasts. It is the only publicly traded company headquartered in El Paso. https://bit.ly/3VW9hv3 

Sun Metro was awarded $30.6 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law. “With Sun Metro replacing these older buses, you’ll have buses that are cleaner, less noisy, more reliable and less expensive to maintain. We’re very excited to make this award,” says Polly Trottenberg, deputy secretary at the U.S. Transportation Department. https://bit.ly/4cUtic7 

A project that will remake a portion of the old Cohen Stadium site into a music venue received a big boost from the city of El Paso. A divided city council narrowly approved a controversial $31 million incentives agreement with Venu, an entertainment development company formerly known as Notes Live. https://bit.ly/3xSfzDV

Farmland in Far East El Paso is being developed into a 3.7 million-square-foot logistics park, Rancho del Rey. “It’s rather difficult to see a transition,” said Ben Ivey, manager of the family’s farm. “But it’s inevitable because of the obstacles we have to encounter to farm inside a busy city area." https://bit.ly/3xQSDoC

Ecuador has implemented a new policy requiring visas for visitors from China, aiming to curb migration. The policy turnaround underscores how global migration is challenging governments worldwide, testing the tolerance of their citizens and drawing intense pressure from Washington, analysts say. https://bit.ly/45WGiMb 

Andrea Hutchins last day as CEO of the El Paso Chamber was Friday. She spoke with El Paso Inc. before she left in an exit-style interview. https://bit.ly/4cJ3csv