State legislators Tara Jaramillo, Gail Armstrong and Crystal Diamond Brantley convened with local government representatives on Oct. 11 to hear requests for capital outlay money.
These yearly capital outlay sessions are not noticed to the public, even though it’s likely a quorum of local governments will be in attendance. But when have local governments ever worried about violating the Open Meeting Act or about informing and including the public?
Mayor Rolf Hechler, during the Oct. 23 T or C city commission meeting, briefly went over what T or C requested. So, dear reader, I pass this sparse information on to you.
Hechler said these requests “are just the small stuff,” implying that the city will lobby for big money for other capital projects from other state coffers.
- Lift station at Riverside and 3rd to partially address the failing sewer vacuum system currently operating along Riverside. $400,000 requested
- Animal shelter. Hechler said the capital outlay Brantley awarded the animal shelter two years ago—about $400,000—is not enough “to fix this up,” and $1 million is needed. $500,000 requested
- Lee Belle Johnson Building on Foch St. Hechler said the MainStreet project will soon pump $2 million into improving Foch St., therefore the city should “save the building.” $225,000 was requested for “design and some work,” Hechler said.
- New police building renovation. The city bought the old PNC Bank building at 210 Main St. A people’s petition to referendum the city commission’s ordinance to issue “up to” a $2-million bond to renovate the building was successful, and put a stay on the bond issuance and public debt until it is decided in a February 2025 special election. In prior meetings, Hechler estimated the building renovation could be done for $700,000 or so. The legislative request made on Oct. 11 was for $500,000.
The last time I learned about the capital-outlay-request meeting in time to attend was 2022 and Assistant City Manager Traci Alvarez tried to keep the public out. We prevailed after Jay Armijo, the longtime director of South Central Council of Governments agreed to let us in. SCCG traditionally sponsors the session. I called Armijo to learn when this year’s session was to be held, but he didn’t return my call. The public is increasingly shut out from decision-making sessions resulting in huge public expense.
At the 2022 session, I learned that about $3 million in capital outlay was available. Brantley said she received about $1.5 million and Jaramillo and Armstrong received about $500,000 each. I don’t know if those figures hold true for 2025. Of course T or C is competing with all the local governments within those legislators’ districts.
A recent study the New Mexico Legislative Finance Committee had prepared in preparation for 2025 funding requests for water and wastewater projects pointed out that New Mexico’s capital outlay process should be done away with. Awards are too driven by “politics,” vs. evidence- and fact-based decision making, the study said. See: https://sierracountycitizen.org/truth-or-consequences-one-of-three-case-studies-in-legislative-report-on-water-infrastructure/
Lobbyists can be helpful in the political process. The city hired lobbyist Kathy Elliot of Civility Government Relations last year and renewed the contract this year for about $50,000. Elliot will also push for these four projects to be funded.