Capital outlay clears both chambers; senators worry about unfinished projects

Gabrielle Porter and Nathan Brown, The Santa Fe New Mexican
·2 min read

Feb. 14—New sewer lines and government buildings, water plant improvements and road projects are part of the Legislature's $1.4 billion capital outlay package this year.

Senate Bill 275 first passed the Senate on Wednesday morning, along with a second bill authorizing extensions on funding approved in recent years for projects that have since been delayed. Both bills then passed the House unanimously and with little debate Wednesday evening.

The lengthy list of more than 1,400 new projects this year includes about $406 million for state agencies, judicial and higher education projects, and about $526 million for local government projects, according to Sen. Nancy Rodriguez, D-Santa Fe, who sponsored the measure.

Some of the bigger local items include $11 million for a new Santa Fe County Magistrate Court; $7.5 million for Santa Fe city parks improvements; $40 million for Interstate 25 improvements in the Santa Fe area; $8 million for improvements at the Downs at Santa Fe; $5 million for renovations at Fort Marcy Park; and $5.455 million to expand Agua Fría village's sewer system.

Big items in other Northern New Mexico counties include $2.6 million for a new Santa Clara Pueblo police station, almost $2 million for improvements to Pecos' water system, $2.2 million for a new Española Fire Department training facility, several million for various facilities improvements at New Mexico Highlands University and $30 million to build a new New Mexico Behavioral Health Institute facility in Las Vegas, N.M.

Funding for capital outlay mainly comes from the general fund, though some also comes from short-term severance tax bonds and other state funds. The $350 million in short-term severance tax bonds this year will fund about $323 million worth of road projects and about $30 million in tribal projects, Rodriguez said.

While state senators moved both measures along, several lawmakers reiterated concerns about the size of the backlog, which is tying up about $5 billion.

"It's time for us to reform capital outlay," said Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup. "We can't look like we're not getting anything accomplished in New Mexico."

Muñoz, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said he "will not entertain" a reauthorization bill next year.

Sen. Crystal Brantley, R-Elephant Butte, said she will refuse to sign reauthorization forms for requests from her own district.

"That's kind of difficult for a politician in an election year," she said. "... When we allocate the money, they have a responsibility to spend the money."

Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino, D-Albuquerque, disagreed.

"Those projects apparently were badly needed so we put money into them," he said. "To say no more reauthorization, I think, would be a mistake."