Commissioners approve corrected 2025 property tax rates after college-branch error

On Sept. 9, 2025, the County Commission voted to approve a corrected 2025 certificate of property tax rates after staff discovered an error that overstated the mill levy for the Northern New Mexico College branch affecting District 6.

County staff told commissioners the mistake reduced the branch’s rate back to roughly 1.891 mills from the higher figure shown in the earlier certificate; staff said the 2024 rates had been about 1.925–1.93 mills. Maria Dimas, a county staff member who presented the item, said the error appeared to come from the state’s data and that the correction would ensure “the constituents and the sixth area will pay their fair share and not more than what they need to.”

Commissioner Brush asked for clarification that the error only applied to District 6; staff confirmed that it did. A commissioner noted that the mill levy at issue is set by the state rather than locally. Commissioner Romero moved to approve the corrected certificate; the motion was called and adopted by roll call with the named commissioners voting yes. The clerk conducted the roll call and recorded affirmative votes.

The action was limited to approving the corrected certificate; no ordinance change or local mill-levy setting was made during the meeting. Commissioners did not propose additional changes to other taxing entities’ rates during the discussion. The meeting moved on and adjourned after the vote.

Details recorded in the staff presentation and in the roll call: staff said the corrected mill rate for the Northern New Mexico College branch moved to 1.891 mills; staff compared that to 2024 rates around 1.925–1.93 mills and said the erroneous certificate had shown an amount near 3 mills for that branch. The presenter attributed the error to the state’s data and asked the commission to approve an amended certificate described in the meeting as the “certificate of property tax rates analysis.”