The national elections are over, and political minds in El Paso are turning to the spring city council elections.

Mayor John Cook has already said he’s running for a second, four-year term, and Northeast city Rep. Melina Castro is open about her plans to seek re-election.

On Tuesday, Northeast resident Walt Phillips, who is active in a variety of civic causes, made his intentions to run for the Northeast seat known by filing his designation of a campaign treasurer, which he must have to spend or receive more than $500 on a campaign.

Also planning to run is Northeast activist Carl Robinson.

Phillips, 71, is a special education teacher and said he and his students run the El Paso school district’s paper shredding and recycling program. He plans to retire at the end of the year and to mount his first election campaign.

“I think people will listen to someone who will work for their interests and who can’t be bought,” Phillips said.

Phillips, who has been critical of Castro in the past, acknowledged that she has gotten better in her last year in office.

“She’s learning, but why did it task her four years to learn?” he said.

Phillips said he understands that if Castro were re-elected, she would be unable to take office because she owes the city more than $40,000 stemming from a lawsuit she filed against City Attorney Charles McNabb.

The City Charter prohibits anyone who owes money to the city from being sworn into elective office.

But Mayor John Cook said the city attorney’s office disagrees with Phillips’ view because as long as Castro’s suit is on appeal, there is no final judgment and, so, no debt.

In her suit three years ago, Castro accused McNabb of withholding documents from her regarding a settlement City Council approved with a previous city attorney, Rita Rodriguez.

Castro lost her case at the district court level, and the judge capped the court costs the city was entitled to at $30,000. The judge on the case also advised Castro that she would have to pay the city an additional $10,000 if she appealed and lost.

A losing appeal to the Texas Supreme Court would result in an additional court cost assessment of $17,000, the judge advised Castro.

Castro’s appeal is pending before the state’s Eighth Court of Appeals in El Paso and was scheduled to be heard Oct. 23, but Castro requested and got a postponement.

“Now, it is possible that the judgment would not be final before the May election,” Cook said, and that would mean she could take office if elected.

So far, the mayor said, Castro’s case has actually cost the city more than $60,000 in outside legal fees, but the attorney involved has capped his bill for the city at $60,000. However, further appeals could run that bill up.

Today’s telephone interview with Castro was disconnected before Newspaper Tree could ask Castro about her lawsuit.

But before the interview ended, Castro confirmed her intention to run again next spring.

“Definitely. If my constituents want me back, I’ll try it again,” she said.

Asked to cite several of her accomplishments in the past 3-1/2 years, Castro said she has consistently voted to hold down taxes and fees.

She acknowledged that she was usually on the losing end of those votes, but said her efforts were not without results.

“I didn’t win, but if I didn’t fight the battles I did, it would probably be worse,” she said. “If we were to say yes to everything, I don’t think that would be good policy-making.

“We have the right to ask questions and challenge the ideas to make sure we are making responsible decisions on how we spend people’s tax dollars.”

Robinson, who is 62 and retired, calls himself a community activist, as opposed to Phillips, who says he is active in the community.

Robinson ran for the open Northeast seat in the race that Castro won in 2005, said he wants to run to make a difference.

“The way I see it is our district is not being well represented,” he said. “The voice of the people needs to be heard and recognized.”

Asked what he meant by that, Robinson said, “As a representative, I have to realize that while my district is District 4, the decisions I make impact the city as a whole.

“I can’t just focus on my district. I have to be able to work with all the representatives to accomplish those things that we may want and need in this district.”