[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6575446,"mediaKeyId","3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d","parentId",3104896,"title","County clerk proposes pause on expensive indexing contract to explore in‑house and AI‑assisted options","audioSeconds",131,"startMs",2547000,"endMs",2678000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d&start=2547&end=2678","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d/thumbnail_2547000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6575446/New-Mexico/County-clerk-proposes-pause-on-expensive-indexing-contract-to-explore-inhouse-and-AIassisted-options","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575446-03f03f990fa373e03fc0e015fc3de8bf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921688&Signature=kvNz~t9lcvb8vd5GIZIsypvJX2tbsQznkXhh89Ii~dJRD8eYEQNjUz6qNLGyHavWMZFj57gy8bLuz4dnU8VPIv7MA5oTlCz8Tp4WfWDK4SnNl~pU5oH1gya~73MpEPLHDouWvKUAH7SBsj8tYWR~PBrMU7cDGW2cXnhkpaNYzQx~fQhsrVDFtWSd23unUgMA3ffNUJ7asTsZJSM~p22NzTPpUTXd2rhqcdkk4boVYab6deHOXCYwbRuzeyvoO3p9ilvzA8CjwXXcl7EavtNSHBCoTUCmIqcqq33rVVeU83I~ZS7IT8UR3hnOv4vVEak7Xamx4mdEYsEcGZQjQtsjDw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Los Alamos County","date","2025-04-23T00:00:00Z","article","Los Alamos County’s clerk outlined four options for completing a long‑running records indexing project and asked the council for latitude to study lower‑cost alternatives, including emerging technologies.

County Clerk Martin Redondo told council that he inherited an indexing initiative started by his predecessor and was surprised by the highest price received in response to a request for proposals. \"My impression of the situation is that we essentially have 4 options,\" Redondo said. He listed them as: (1) pay an outside vendor to complete the indexing; (2) hire several casual workers to do the work in house; (3) continue doing the work slowly using existing staff time and accept a 5–10 year completion timeline; or (4) continue current efforts while investigating emerging technologies—\"particularly AI\"—to speed the work and reduce cost.

Redondo said his preference was to continue current operations while studying whether new technology could provide an affordable and rapid path to completion. He asked for council direction to delay committing to the high outside‑vendor cost and to allow staff to return with findings and recommendations. Councilors noted that the clerk’s budget was tentatively approved without the vendor budget option and said they were open to receiving a follow‑up report from the clerk before making a final appropriation.

Action/next step: Clerk to study in‑house, temporary‑hire and technology‑assisted options and return with analysis to council; no formal ordinance or contract award was made during the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Los Alamos County - County Council - Special Meeting on 2025-04-23 6:00 PM - Budget Hearings - Continued - Apr 23, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County Clerk Martin Redondo told council he will study options to finish indexed records work in a way that reduces cost, including hiring temporary staff or testing AI tools, and requested direction to delay spending on an expensive vendor proposal.","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},6575451,"Risk manager outlines reasons for insurance premium increases; deductibles and limits explained",415,1705000,2120000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d&start=1705&end=2120","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d/thumbnail_1705000.jpg","/articles/6575451/New-Mexico/Risk-manager-outlines-reasons-for-insurance-premium-increases-deductibles-and-limits-explained","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575451-b77dc9b6e90d613520e8e393bffaa074/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921688&Signature=Y8UuzA5qyfrnoZC-utr8c2X~-67ZT7z2lb3Xz7d~Jih0lcFog6N132UP5B5p23aZefdjjQC4-FeDD-Jj4MhpFwelXE6qX6sz8gOWX3kiVOsWLFNGvRixvTDgAQyl3OvThvDLeSITkE0cwPyqUFERgoFjnRuLf8LfkLY~u7DP2bupNEaM52wbWJfkEsLiEyXpuJ~w7iGWfguHqLwky~mJGJxKzFrVrP6JO4UsRQBRFC2-2CfjbNqJ-oJ5k582zIBTn6JDcvGqTuBMhhys9gxMjeb7oVf-EDnHEZq2zXViWxWnGruqPTnTNT5FK27qeWRvSJGPoEGrj3HTpuOBO7SpTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos County’s risk manager walked the County Council through a breakout of the risk management budget and explained why premiums rose for FY2026.

Victoria De Vargas, the county’s risk manager, told councilors the premium increases are driven by several factors, including payroll (which the county’s self‑insurer pool uses to allocate liability costs), increases in losses that raise a participant’s share of pooled costs, new or expanded coverage expectations for public officials and law enforcement, and higher reinsurance prices nationally following recent natural disasters. \"Liability coverage is driven by payroll,\" De Vargas said, summarizing the pool’s allocation method.

De Vargas also described program limits and out‑of‑pocket exposures. She told the council the county’s deductible for public‑officials errors and omissions liability was $25,000 per claim, and that claims under that amount are paid from county funds. She said aggregate limits for certain lines are in the low millions and that any loss above the insurance aggregate would be an exposure to the county budget. Reinsurance costs have risen materially, she said, and that increase is passed through to participants. Council members congratulated De Vargas for reducing the county’s internal deductible costs in recent years; one councilor cited out‑of‑pocket (IDC) payments falling from about $200,000 to roughly $65,000 year‑over‑year as a sign of improved claims handling.

Councilors asked how the premiums break down between lines (workers’ compensation driven by payroll, property based on values, and liability influenced by claims). De Vargas said some components are bundled by the pool and supplied as a single premium, which limits line‑by‑line granularity, but she identified the main drivers for the increases: payroll growth, increased claims experience, changes in pool discounting (a reduction that produced a base increase), coverage expansions for public officials and law enforcement and higher reinsurance costs.

Councilors accepted the discussion as a clarification for the risk management line in the budget and the item was treated as a clarification rather than a separate adoption vote.","Victoria De Vargas, the county risk manager, told council on April 23 that liability premium increases reflect payroll growth, increased claims experience, reduced pool discounts and higher reinsurance costs tied to national disasters.",{"_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},6575456,"Council declines to strip speed‑camera option from police budget; motion to remove cameras fails 5–2",1295,2778000,4073000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d&start=2778&end=4073","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d/thumbnail_2778000.jpg","/articles/6575456/New-Mexico/Council-declines-to-strip-speedcamera-option-from-police-budget-motion-to-remove-cameras-fails-52","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575456-134eb653caf70e53308b3d9f8de326eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921688&Signature=cC6zkAC~-aumkOnz0nGcxFve8b7NdCNo4zUI8~NqkfB3bA6S4Xc7z0VPeOnuYvZLhirUipFUiv~fj1zixmkZPo9YOygpE0o1DUpP4QEShr9m1~CdtkV6dlGVEaTWYJeFzeJFCespozM9WnOOjFCzIZWGRJs7xwVfqY8Xekld9CUiA7TiG3V1BglROErQGJtk86q2OdAPH3rrqZWoOQV7ECimortEEWwGlnT3LULExcy-RLzKytTPVXvW~Up-n1GgtgMIqj4fYNQGt40RZJolTuYDIyTT6lx9uBmCm45Nmjbzl7esWm24tDMPtrds2bcZ~q9wu539CzR5GEnGaRaqaA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Los Alamos County Council debated optional elements of the police department budget, with a contentious discussion focused on a proposed $300,000 speed‑camera program.

Councilor Neil Clinton moved to remove item 10 — the $300,000 allocation for speed cameras — citing opposition to the camera funding. \"For me, it was the, 300,000 for the speed cameras ... I'm not on board with,\" Councilor Neil Clinton said during discussion. Councilor Rieger seconded the motion. After discussion and a roll‑call vote, the motion failed 5–2: two councilors supported removing the camera allocation and five opposed the removal.

Supporters of the camera program, including multiple councilors and the police chief, described the cameras as one tool in a multi‑pronged approach to reduce speeding and modify driving behavior. Councilors who supported leaving the camera option in the budget stressed the program would be accompanied by reporting and evaluation. The police chief said the department could provide periodic statistics on implementation and outcomes and said the cameras were intended as a prevention and behavior‑modification tool rather than a replacement for officers.

Opponents argued the county should prioritize hiring and retaining additional officers first and questioned whether cameras would be the most effective or equitable approach given the county's traffic patterns and limited roadway options. Several councilors also tied speeding problems to regional traffic and housing patterns tied to workforce commutes from the laboratory.

Action: Motion to remove the $300,000 speed‑camera budget option (mover: Councilor Neil Clinton; second: Councilor Rieger). Vote: motion failed, 2 in favor, 5 opposed. Outcome: no change to the budget option. The item remained part of the tentative police budget as originally presented.

The council then proceeded to consider the larger budget. The discussion on policing options will be revisited as part of the final adopted budget and any future implementation would be subject to further council direction and departmental reporting.","Los Alamos County Council debated police budget options centered on speed cameras and a motion to remove the $300,000 camera option from the police budget failed on April 23 by a 5–2 roll‑call vote. Councilors supporting cameras argued technology and additional officers both play a role; opponents raised staffing and equity concerns.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6575461,"Los Alamos Council adopts FY2026 budget, directs staff to pursue half-cent GRT and housing fund plan",4891,4149000,9040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d&start=4149&end=9040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3104896-78d990c68331fabffe05bedaf69e393d/thumbnail_4149000.jpg","/articles/6575461/New-Mexico/Los-Alamos-Council-adopts-FY2026-budget-directs-staff-to-pursue-half-cent-GRT-and-housing-fund-plan","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6575461-c7f86dd79bd0474e11e306d148e64c95/orig.mp4?Expires=1770921688&Signature=ahiv46EbfmPaPvAA1gUiqlnsfgE78poRtX8KIN0gYHVDSbWExD1qytBh3qFhqRuPo~aEdQWmbg71dnaisUwkZ5foMQ-bupU65~H~EjLGNv8tOh~3qB3arHRGtd7NAFGIo1gyyV0vgl9ob6D1~tBud8rPcPWJB-CpYxwj3boCKtAJZ8wXkfXJ-yZ~rHuvU3Ab1eeYbMzZTC2dRrIUOZBDmezS2CKPK8k6LVtcjj0i0blJvDJi31Nd46nLh7OaM5-rkdqHLfx8Cp95rzHVO5ZtZAnj2R4pAY-OK6OGKD7N7vCSjYqP~sXirZgnTmVARfh6RtdfnFRPDObGelqKgFsqTA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Los Alamos County Council adopted the fiscal year 2026 budget and gave staff direction to pursue a gross receipts tax increase to shore up long‑term finances and help create an affordable housing funding source.

The council voted 6–1 to direct county staff to return no later than Oct. 31, 2025 with the necessary steps to move forward on a half‑cent GRT increase, to be effective July 1, 2026 if enacted. Councilors approved the FY2026 budget in the amount stated in the materials presented during the meeting; the adopted total reported during the meeting was $367,980,440. Councilor Reger cast the lone no vote on both the GRT direction and the final budget adoption.

Council and staff said the long‑range financial model shows the county’s baseline gross receipts tax revenue has declined from recent peaks and that, without an incremental tax change, reserves could fall below the county’s policy target in the later years of the 10‑year projection. Finance staff presented four scenarios: the baseline with the proposed quarter‑cent GRT, a scenario with no GRT increase, a scenario with no budget options and no GRT increase, and a half‑cent scenario that would add capacity for transfers and preserve target reserves. Staff told the council a quarter‑cent increment at current revenue levels was estimated to generate about $7.2 million in the first year; a half‑cent would roughly double that amount.

Economic development and housing staff described how a dedicated incremental GRT could be used. \"We could stockpile the cash and use it for purchases of deed restrictions like we recently did with the Ninth Scribe Apartments,\" a county staff member said during the presentation, adding that the fund also could be used to backstop bond financing for larger projects so developers could secure debt at better terms. Staff cautioned council that any designation of funds to a housing program would likely require a separate ordinance or agreement and that pledged funds become encumbered when the county enters contractual commitments.

Councilors debated timing, size and purpose of an increment and reiterated that the council would not be enacting an increase immediately; instead the direction was to return with ordinance language and final projections in the fall. Several councilors pressed for a funding vehicle that could support a range of housing tools, including deed restriction buy‑downs, down‑payment or developer incentives and accessory dwelling‑unit (ADU) programs.

County finance staff also noted modeling uncertainty: GRT receipts are volatile and current monthly statements lag activity by two months. Staff emphasized the proposed GRT increments were included in the long‑range plan to maintain operations and reserves in the face of a lower new baseline.

Votes at a glance: The meeting recorded multiple binding council actions tied to the budget discussion.

• Motion to direct county staff to return no later than Oct. 31, 2025 with a proposal to enact a half‑cent gross receipts tax increase effective July 1, 2026 (motion by Councilor Reedy; second by Councilor Hammond). Vote: 6 in favor, 1 opposed (Councilor Reger). Outcome: approved.

• Motion to adopt the FY2026 budget and related schedules as presented (motion by Councilor Reedy; second by Councilor Hand). Vote: 6 in favor, 1 opposed (Councilor Reger). Outcome: approved.

The council requested that staff return in the fall with updated revenue data and ordinance language so the council could consider enactment with more current information. Staff said the earliest practical enactment window for a fiscal‑year GRT change is to have final ordinance action before the fall so it can take effect July 1, 2026.

The council recessed to allow staff to build final budget documents based on the direction given and scheduled follow‑up in October.","Los Alamos County Council on April 23 adopted a $367.98 million FY2026 budget and voted 6–1 to ask staff to return by Oct. 31, 2025 with an ordinance to implement up to a half‑cent gross receipts tax (GRT) increase to support long‑range financial stability and to enable a dedicated housing fund, councilors and staff said.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

County clerk proposes pause on expensive indexing contract to explore in‑house and AI‑assisted options

Risk manager outlines reasons for insurance premium increases; deductibles and limits explained

Council declines to strip speed‑camera option from police budget; motion to remove cameras fails 5–2

Los Alamos Council adopts FY2026 budget, directs staff to pursue half-cent GRT and housing fund plan