Las Cruces City Council sets tentative GO bond questions

Michael McDevitt, Las Cruces Sun-News
·2 min read
Joanne Ferrary, a New Mexico state representative, watches a presentation at City Hall on June 13, 2022. Ferrary was part of about a dozen people pushing for money to be sent to affordable housing.
Joanne Ferrary, a New Mexico state representative, watches a presentation at City Hall on June 13, 2022. Ferrary was part of about a dozen people pushing for money to be sent to affordable housing.

LAS CRUCES - Following discussion during a Las Cruces City Council work session June 27, councilors tentatively agreed on what projects they'll ask voters to fund using general obligation bonds this fall.

The city is considering asking voters to approve $23 million in GO bonds to finance a slew of projects. The city is ideally supposed to use GO bonds to fund projects that have little to no other funding sources. The bonds are paid back using a temporary increase in local property taxes. Those taxes were raised after voters approved $35.6 million in bonds in a 2018 election.

In order to keep property taxes at their current level, the city cannot issue more than $23 million in bonds. If voters do not approve of all the project funding requests this November, property taxes will come back down after the city pays off its current GO bond debt.

The city hired a firm to solicit public input on suggested projects using two online surveys, in-person town halls, virtual meetings and email canvassing.

Following Monday's discussion, councilors agreed to consider a slate of four project funding requests:

  • $10 million for the construction of a new fire station in City Council District 5 on the East Mesa

  • $6 million for the next phase of improvements to the East Mesa Public Recreation Complex.

  • $5 million for affordable housing initiatives.

  • $2 million for Parks and Recreation improvements.

Though the council agreed, the project requests aren't final until the council votes to approve them. Councilors could vote to approve this slate of requests as early as their July 18 meeting. They have until Aug. 23 to submit the project requests as ballot questions to the Doña Ana County Clerk. Voters go to the polls Nov. 8.

Michael McDevitt is a city and county government reporter for the Sun-News. He can be reached at 575-202-3205, mmcdevitt@lcsun-news.com or @MikeMcDTweets on Twitter.

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This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Las Cruces City Council sets tentative GO bond questions