[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6581576,"mediaKeyId","3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6","parentId",3093096,"title","Votes at a glance: Council tentatively approves most departmental budgets; non-departmental and clerk items notable","audioSeconds",11538,"startMs",941000,"endMs",12479000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6&start=941&end=12479","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6/thumbnail_941000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6581576/New-Mexico/Votes-at-a-glance-Council-tentatively-approves-most-departmental-budgets-non-departmental-and-clerk-items-notable","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581576-f2ba42f0dbb0af61413cc9c1ba71a608/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036382&Signature=duM7NVqHru0yTS4s-gVH6XP0s2VW9nl0QcxwD7~HLSX82qJyPLRsNU~NynEpKPvJ1Mo3fcIAKaoFpkTmYBEfaVJaMcjb5ext9HsVfyb7TjkUf-CgvXNtuCTt~RDnwXjLR4KjcE1FGN2RELSmpaxI~OEqQrJbiPpTuNQRHPIBnS6UztuJ-M99IqRAqqNddiUmSz9CyzUuOjhw-7c4QMTb8wTOBxm3E8hCwUYfnX~jzqGuj4MlqO2qIXsRyWge8lO9GWmPKnUtBLyAbOF6x4v82dpsXX8qnXI7wGaEy~MB0MfyYbCRrR6GLa88ldkNSe2ksyOkaQs57zGwJSEl3QWRdg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-04-22T00:00:00Z","article","Los Alamos County Council took tentative votes on budgets for multiple departments during its April 22, 2025 special meeting. The council's recorded tentative approvals are summarized below. These are tentative approvals pending final adoption later in the budget process.

Votes at a glance (formal motions and roll-call outcomes recorded in the meeting transcript):

- County Assessor (proposed budget $1,041,212): Motion by Councilor Neil Clinton; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- County Clerk (proposed budget $1,333,520): Motion by Councilor Reedy to approve the operating budget without the clerk's optional indexing appropriation; roll-call result: passed 6-1 (Councilor Hammond opposed). The clerk's indexing budget option was later placed in the parking lot for further consideration.

- County Sheriff (proposed budget $17,762): Motion by Councilor Herman; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- Municipal Court (proposed budget $909,443): Motion by Councilor Hand; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- Probate Court (proposed budget $8,496): Motion by Councilor Hann; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- Fire Department (proposed budget $56,472,166): Motion by Councilor Veil Clinton; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- Police Department (proposed budget $17,226,071): Motion by Councilor Riedy to tentatively approve the police budget and budget option items 8, 9 and 10; after discussion the budget options were placed in the parking lot for further review; the department operating budget was approved on a 7-0 roll-call vote.

- Public Works Department (proposed budget $69,297,959 with budget option 12): Motion by Councilor Haberman; roll-call result: passed 7-0.

- Non-departmental (proposed budget $10,363,787): Motion by Councilor Hammond; roll-call result: passed 6-1 (Councilor Reagor opposed). The non-departmental budget includes debt-service items and ARPA-funded allocations that the council discussed briefly.

Why this matters: these tentative approvals set the operating and capital spending framework for fiscal year 2026, but council flagged several items for follow-up. The county clerk's optional indexing appropriation was deferred; police speed-camera and traffic-unit options were placed in the parking lot for additional staff analysis; and the non-departmental budget contains multi-year debt-service commitments that some councilors said should be weighed carefully against future revenue scenarios.

What happens next: staff will return with budget revisions, vendor and cost detail for items placed in the parking lot, and any grant-matching or collections mechanisms needed to support proposed programs. Final budget adoption will occur through future council action after those follow-ups.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - County Council - Special Meeting on 2025-04-22 6:00 PM - Budget Hearings - Continued - Apr 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its April 22, 2025 hearing the Los Alamos County Council tentatively approved multiple departmental budgets for fiscal 2026. The council approved most department budgets unanimously; the county clerk and non-departmental budget motions recorded 6-1 votes on separate items.","taxTitle","Los Alamos, New Mexico","taxId",51137,"location","New Mexico","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6581580,"County clerk proposes indexing project for older records; council approves operating budget but declines one-time indexing appropriation",2161,1419000,3580000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6&start=1419&end=3580","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6/thumbnail_1419000.jpg","/articles/6581580/New-Mexico/County-clerk-proposes-indexing-project-for-older-records-council-approves-operating-budget-but-declines-one-time-indexing-appropriation","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581580-dae6bc3b1be9cddb24e67b14a732ddf1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036382&Signature=O0MIuUkMb5Mqizxs8E5kSnNd0G0gW459wwvXbxdbczNoe8MJWVMPI00G4fnSpTX1wuhEaj1J6hPhcrGE3I1skgTShwVYJCZipK4TsVb30PGwDM1L0k0YzrhTq7~TdGmHT9SHKqzSjg9AKNHpn5ywSqF-kQh6T8UQoCInxhUohc1AyFzSlMfMpVHC1GAHcXLiwjnAcEmVXoqJFMUzHXwLQHj4HWgCMoSLe3jXmYBvi0bF59KC6mwHol35ojDLLo5LOwAhiMqFq~yixf9U0RxJdM71Vu~4wassJB7thODA2Ox48rz20pHsUqy0H4xb8o8VYqLh5WzlO5rWCS4SrUJMdA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Los Alamos County Council on April 22 tentatively approved the county clerk's fiscal 2026 operating budget ($1,333,520) but rejected the clerk's optional budget request to hire an outside vendor to index about 144,000 legacy documents.

Clerk Manuel Redondo (identified in the transcript as presenter) told the council the county's records-management system digitized many microfiche images last year but that indexing and redaction remain incomplete for a large backlog of documents recorded before February 2001. He estimated in-house indexing would take \"probably closer to the 10 year period\" at the current staffing rate and said a vendor RFP produced widely varying costs; one respondent proposed per-keystroke pricing that could approach $1 million, while the clerk suggested a ballpark of $250,000 to $300,000 for a vendor contract.

\"At the current rate we're going, I'm expecting it to take between 5 and 10 years, probably closer to the 10 year period,\" Redondo said. He told council that indexing typically requires capturing grantor/grantee names and legal descriptions and that certain records require redaction of personal data such as Social Security numbers.

Clerk's office election costs: Redondo also explained the budget increase largely reflects additional election-related wages because fiscal year 2026 includes two elections (a local regular election and the federal primary), and because recent statute changes raised daily pay rates for election workers. He said much of election expense is reimbursed by the New Mexico Secretary of State under an MOU and that reimbursements appear in the general fund rather than a separate elections fund.

Council discussion and vote: Councilors asked whether the indexing request should be contracted out or handled in-house with additional casual staff. The clerk said a single 20-hour-per-week casual hire could cut a 10-year timeline to about five years at an estimated annual cost roughly in the $60,000 range; two casual hires might cost about $120,000. After debate, Councilor Reedy moved to tentatively approve the operating budget without the optional indexing appropriation. The motion passed on a roll call, 6-1, with Councilor Hammond opposed. Council later asked staff to place the indexing budget option in the parking lot for further consideration.

Why it matters: Clerk Redondo said indexing older public records would reduce staff time spent responding to requests and make historic deeds, mortgages and other documents searchable by grantor, grantee and legal description. He framed the work as a transparency and customer-service improvement; the council left the final decision for a later date pending cost comparisons, potential use of AI-assisted indexing and the option of hiring additional casual staff.

Ending: Council approved the clerk's operating budget tentatively and asked staff to return with more detailed cost estimates and implementation options (vendor contract vs. in-house casual hires) before deciding whether to fund an immediate indexing contract.","Los Alamos County Council tentatively approved the county clerk's fiscal 2026 operating budget but declined a one-time request to contract out indexing of archived microfiche documents, instead asking staff to study lower-cost options and bring back a plan.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6581585,"Council tentatively approves police budget; speed-camera plan moved to parking lot after debate",6515,5490000,12005000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6&start=5490&end=12005","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3093096-bfb8fabad885e4b97bdbf60c008724a6/thumbnail_5490000.jpg","/articles/6581585/New-Mexico/Council-tentatively-approves-police-budget-speed-camera-plan-moved-to-parking-lot-after-debate","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6581585-8c5354c0b73503489973e77bfbac876b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771036382&Signature=HuL9Opt7AF~zeDIGGspNOP~Ota0Pa9bftoqj-UpWCthlTltWe8FKt4BUqy5mHo3hNK~yOuh2RWWZY02BnSLD8DQPAlGtQdfBjKeabVvFglbDYYywbLqVBMVEJXNqmu8bQ2T2ptNv8QhFVnpfsF3Wso8A13SzJEVwhHflO9pIJFQ7srZZ0otfsz3erxM505srJwFJnzcnM~O1SYEH7onSoevuNi~aOV6DFjfwfh0zU7vZRI5~oBYNTiUPpLAYNkY9TR6vgu9Fi9TAnx0p8FBTj7XjXl0se5~acq4rU3RyZq7fHlxrLWvM~IWB5xjWEY0WIQ07xxgTFKLvt7KAQX8aEg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos County Council tentatively approved the police department's proposed fiscal 2026 budget totaling $17,226,071 on April 22, 2025, after a multi-hour hearing that included a prolonged discussion of budget options to fund a traffic unit and a program of automated speed enforcement.

The police chief described a proposed package of budget options that would create a traffic unit, outfit two specialized patrol vehicles and implement a mix of fixed and mobile speed cameras. The chief said the department deployed a temporary radar sign near the truck route by the LANL entrance between April 11 and April 20 to gather baseline data. That device recorded 23,938 vehicle passes in the sampling window and showed that 580 vehicles exceeded the posted speed limit by at least 11 mph; the chief said about 35 percent of vehicles were at or above 56 mph in the sampled span and that 42 percent of drivers slowed between their first detection by the sign and their approach to it.

\"This camera was set up on the truck route westbound or uphill, near the s curves by the entrance to the Lance facility,\" the chief said, describing the temporary deployment. He added that speed-camera hardware used in other jurisdictions typically requires an officer to review each alleged violation before a citation is issued.

Why it matters: councilors pressed for more detail on where cameras would be located, who would pay administrative costs, how many citations would be issued and how the program might affect residents' jobs or security clearances. Supporters said automated enforcement is a safer way to reduce dangerous speeding on key corridors where officers cannot safely perform traffic enforcement.

Public comment and outside support: Ted Wieke, the Department of Energy's federal manager for Los Alamos National Laboratory, told the council the DOE and NNSA support the LAPD's efforts to improve traffic safety on county and lab roads. \"The Department of Energy as well as the National Nuclear Security Administration supports the Los Alamos Police Department and its efforts to improve, traffic safety across Los Alamos County as well as the lab,\" Wieke said.

Local resident Maura O'Neil, who described being struck by a vehicle in 2024, urged the council to follow the police recommendation and prioritize safety over concerns about tickets. \"Nobody likes a citation, but nobody likes to see someone they know and love or even somebody they don't know be injured or die in a crash that could be prevented,\" she said.

Council response and next steps: councilors voiced mixed views. Councilor Hahn asked whether the staffing and camera purchases were interdependent and whether tickets would be issued for small overages; the chief said typical enforcement thresholds used elsewhere start at 11 mph over the limit but can be set lower in school zones. Councilor Hammond said she strongly supported aggressive traffic enforcement, citing personal safety concerns for cyclists and pedestrians. Councilor Reedy asked about capacity to expand enforcement onto Pueblo or DOE roadways; staff said jurisdictional expansion would require separate ordinances or MOUs with other authorities.

Formal action: Councilor Riedy moved that the council tentatively approve the full police budget including budget option items 8, 9 and 10. During debate, councilors agreed to place the camera/staffing budget options in the parking lot for further review and to ask staff for more detail on vendor contracts, collections, locations and projected revenues and costs. A roll-call vote approved the tentative budget 7-0. The camera and traffic-unit options were not rejected but set aside for additional study and council discussion.

What comes next: staff said a public education period and a warning phase would precede any automated enforcement, and that vendor contracts typically handle administrative mailings while officers must still review alleged violations. Councilors requested additional information about administrative costs, likely citation thresholds, potential revenue offsets and the program's impacts on residents with security clearances; staff committed to returning with those details and to further meetings with DOE and other stakeholders.

Several councilors and the DOE representative emphasized safety as the principal rationale for pursuing automated enforcement and for creating focused traffic resources.

Ending: The council's tentative approval keeps the department funded for the next fiscal year while postponing a final decision on the speed-camera program and two traffic-specific budget options pending more detailed cost, operational and legal analysis.","Los Alamos County Council gave tentative approval to the police department's fiscal 2026 budget but moved detailed discussion of a proposed speed-camera program and related staffing and equipment budget options to the parking lot for further review after extended debate, public comment and a Department of Energy statement of support.","actionData","errors"]

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Votes at a glance: Council tentatively approves most departmental budgets; non-departmental and clerk items notable

County clerk proposes indexing project for older records; council approves operating budget but declines one-time indexing appropriation

Council tentatively approves police budget; speed-camera plan moved to parking lot after debate