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Opinion: Coming together to clean up and build community [1]

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Date: 2025-03-19

By Jackie Butler

On Saturday, March 22, my office will kick off a series of community cleanup events across Precinct 1. These events are more than just about picking up trash — they are a call to action, a demonstration of our shared commitment to a cleaner, safer and stronger community. I invite each of you to join us as we take ownership of our neighborhoods and work together to make them places we are proud to call home.

Jackie Butler

Stretching from Eastwood and Album to Montana Vista and Hueco Tanks, Precinct 1 encompasses a diverse mix of urban and rural communities. While we are committed to precinctwide initiatives that enhance quality of life for all residents, our cleanup efforts are focused on unincorporated areas where illegal dumping is a persistent issue.

Illegal dumping has long plagued our unincorporated communities. Without the enforcement mechanisms and resources that cities have, these areas often bear the brunt of neglected waste, which harms the environment, poses health risks and erodes community pride.

Seasonal strong winds further worsen the problem, scattering debris across roads, open desert, and residential spaces, making cleanup even more challenging. By coming together for these cleanup events, we are taking a stand against illegal dumping and reinforcing our shared responsibility for a cleaner, healthier Precinct 1.

Clean streets and public spaces contribute to a healthier and safer environment. Studies have shown that when communities invest in their surroundings — whether through organized cleanups, beautification efforts or simply maintaining their properties — crime rates tend to decrease, community engagement increases, and overall well-being improves. When our neighborhoods are clean, we send a clear message: we care about where we live, and we are invested in its future.

But beyond just the physical impact, these cleanups are about something much deeper. They are about strengthening the bonds between neighbors and building relationships that will sustain us through difficult times.

In moments of hardship — whether economic struggles, policy changes that impact our daily lives or broader uncertainty — it is our sense of community that will carry us forward. By working side by side, we reinforce the idea that we are not alone, that we are in this together, and a community that knows each other, that works together, is a community that can withstand difficult times and emerge even stronger.

Many great community leaders have emphasized the importance of working collectively to enact change. Civil rights leader Ella Baker believed in the power of grassroots organizing, in ordinary people coming together to solve problems and lift each other up. Community organizer Grace Lee Boggs often spoke about the need to engage locally, to take tangible steps toward improvement and to see the work of building community as revolutionary in itself.

Their lessons remind us that transformation happens at the neighborhood level, through relationships, shared action, and a commitment to something greater than ourselves.

I encourage you to join us at 8 a.m. March 22 at the intersection of Cruz Tierra Street and Flowers Drive in Montana Vista, and for future community cleanup events. Bring your family, your neighbors and your friends.

Let’s clean up our community, not just for today but for the future we are building together. This is more than just a cleanup — it’s a movement toward a better, more connected and more resilient Precinct 1.

For information on upcoming events and activities and to partner with us, follow my office on social media @epcountypct1 or reach out to our office at [email protected].

Jackie Butler is county commissioner for Precinct 1.

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[1] Url: https://elpasomatters.org/2025/03/19/opinion-montana-vista-cleanup-effort/

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