City Representative Chris Canales, District 8

09/05/2026

Join me for a District 8 Community Meeting on Thursday, September 10, 2026 at 5:30 PM at City Hall. My guest speaker will be Pablo Caballero, Director of El Paso Parks and Recreation, who will present about the department’s work and answer your questions about parks.

As always, I’ll also provide updates on what’s happening in City government and in District 8. The meeting will take place at City Hall, 300 N. Campbell Street. Remember, free parking is available after 5:00 PM in the City Hall parking lot across Campbell Street. We look forward to welcoming you!

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Acompáñeme a una Reunión Comunitaria del Distrito 8 el jueves 10 de septiembre de 2026 a las 5:30 p. m. en el Ayuntamiento. Nuestro invitado especial será Pablo Caballero, director del Departamento de Parques y Recreación de la ciudad, quien presentará información sobre el trabajo del departamento y responderá a sus preguntas sobre los parques.

Como siempre, también compartiré actualizaciones sobre lo que está ocurriendo en el gobierno municipal y en el Distrito 8.

La reunión se llevará a cabo en el Edificio Municipal, 300 N. Campbell Street. Recuerden que hay estacionamiento gratuito a partir de las 5:00 p.m. en el estacionamiento del Ayuntamiento, al otro lado de la calle Campbell. ¡Esperamos contar con su presencia!

09/03/2026

Statement on the End of the City’s Use of Flock

Comunicado sobre el fin del uso de Flock

This evening, I was notified by Police Chief Peter Pacillas that the El Paso Police Department “has effectively halted the use of” Flock’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) camera devices as a result of the termination of grant funding from the state government.

Earlier this year, I proposed that the City of El Paso not renew its agreement with Flock and discontinue the use of networked, AI-powered license plate readers. My proposal was not successful at that time, with the CIty Council voting 2-6 against it. I believe the decision being made now is the correct one.

Flock has time and time again shown itself to be untrustworthy as a company, with its system prone to misuse and abuse. I have many outstanding concerns about potential violations of privacy, data sharing and access, and the many scandals and negative incidents nationwide. For clarity, I haven’t seen these issues arise in El Paso. I understand the need for modern solutions to law enforcement, but to me, Flock was never a good solution becuase of these immense drawbacks and risks.

I’m glad this experiment is over.

Esta tarde, el jefe de policía Peter Pacillas me informó que el Departamento de Policía de El Paso “ha suspendido efectivamente el uso” de las cámaras de lectura automatizada de matrículas (ALPR, por sus siglas en inglés) de Flock, como consecuencia de la cancelación de los
fondos de subvención estatales.

A principios de este año, propuse que la Ciudad de El Paso no renovara su acuerdo con Flock y dejara de utilizar lectores de matrículas conectados en red y equipados con inteligencia artificial. Mi propuesta no prosperó en aquel momento, ya que el Concejo Municipal votó 2 a 6 en contra. Considero que la decisión que se está tomando
ahora es la correcta.

Flock ha demostrado reiteradamente que no es una empresa confiable, y su sistema es propenso al uso indebido y a los abusos. Mantengo serias preocupaciones respecto a posibles violaciones de la privacidad, el intercambio y acceso a datos, así como por los numerosos escándalos e incidentes negativos a nivel nacional. Cabe aclarar que no he obs

09/01/2026

You’re invited to the Segundo Barrio Block Party!

Join us on Sunday, September 6, 2026 from 6 PM to Midnight at E 4th Avenue & Park Street for a night full of community, baile, celebration, and pachanga.

Enjoy live music and entertainment including performances from Mazter Cuatro Rodriga Rockmore and more! There will also be a local artist and vendor mercado and food trucks.

This is a FREE event for the whole family. Hosted by City Representative Chris Canales, District 8 in partnership with the South Side Neighborhood Association with support from El Paso County Constable’s Office, Precinct 1 - Constable Frank Almada. Come eat, dance, take advantage of the holiday weekend, and celebrate El Paso’s historic Segundo Barrio!

09/01/2026

08/21/2026

08/17/2026

On Tuesday August 18, the City Council will decide on a budget for the City of El Paso for Fiscal Year 2027. Here is an explainer of the proposed budget, including discussion of what’s changing, why the property tax rate is proposed to increase, what it means for El Paso taxpayers, and how you can be involved.

08/14/2026

Join me for a District 8 Community Meeting on Monday, August 17, 2026 at 5:30 PM at the Central Fire Station. My guest speaker will be El Paso Fire Department Chief Jonathan Killings. This meeting will be an opportunity for you take a tour of the newly opened Central Fire Station, which consolidated the Fire Department Special Operations Division from multiple stations into one large one. It is, without a doubt, one of the City’s best facilities.

As always, I’ll also provide updates on what’s happening in City government and in District 8.

The meeting will take place at the Central Fire Station, 201 S. Florence Street. On-street parking is available around the Central Fire Station on Florence, 1st, Ochoa, & Campbell. We look forward to welcoming you!

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Acompáñenme a una Reunión Comunitaria del Distrito 8 el lunes 17 de agosto del 2026 a las 5:30 p.m. en la Estación Central del Departmaneto de Bomberos. Nuestro invitado especial será el Jefe del Departmento de Bomberos de la Ciudad de El Paso, Jonathan Killings, quien dara una presentación del Departmento de Bomberos. La junta sera una oportunidad para que tomes un recorrido de la recién inaugurada Estación Central de Bomberos, la cual reúne las operaciones especiales del Departamento de Bomberos, que anteriormente estaban distribuidas en varias estaciones, en una sola instalación de gran tamaño. Sin duda, es una de las mejores instalaciones de la Ciudad.

Como siempre, también compartiré actualizaciones sobre lo que está ocurriendo en el gobierno municipal y en el Distrito 8.

La reunión se llevará a cabo en la Estación Central de Bomberos, ubicada en 201 S. Florence Street. Hay estacionamiento en la calle alrededor de la Estación Central de Bomberos, sobre Florence, 1st, Ochoa y Campbell.

¡Esperamos contar con tu presencia y darte la bienvenida!

08/09/2026

City Representative, Chris Canales shares his thoughts on tonight’s Black El Paso Voice Business & Community Awards.

08/04/2026

“Every time someone moves through the Welcome Center, that is someone who is not on the street anymore and is looking to access services, so I think having that available is exactly what we need,” Canales said.

We have the opportunity to continue to fund this vital program without using local taxpayer dollars. I hope the rest of the City Council will agree that it’s worthwhile.

The El Paso City Council will decide whether to fund the center, a key hub for homelessness services, using American Rescue Plan interest earnings. Though a temporary solution, advocates say losing the center could leave more people on the streets, in hospitals or in jail.

07/17/2026

From marching in the 19th Annual Sun City Pride parade and funding improvements to Pride Square to opioid response and a new roof for a District 8 recreation center, swipe through for updates from recent City Council meetings as well as what l got up to from June 24 to July 7, 2026.