Hobbs City Commission approves contracts, budget adjustment and event grants

The Hobbs City Commission voted unanimously Jan. 28 to approve a set of contracts and a budget adjustment that city staff said will fund roadwork, building repairs and small-event grants.

City staff told the commission the session would authorize roofing and HVAC work at municipal buildings, a mill-and-overlay road contract on West County Road (New Mexico 208), design services for a downtown plaza renovation, a CDBG change order for neighborhood infrastructure and a near-$1.1 million construction change order for continued Midwest Street reconstruction. The commission also adopted a budget adjustment and approved lodgers-tax awards for local events.

City Manager Manny Gomez and Assistant Finance staff said the budget adjustment (adopted as Resolution 75-80) increases revenue by $46,820 and increases expenditures by about $1.8 million; staff said the change reduces the city’s general-fund reserve from about 59% to about 58% and that the city’s ending cash balance would be approximately $101,000,000. Assistant Finance staff identified uses including the previously approved PTO payout and salary adjustments.

Staff described the…