Roswell council adopts final FY2026 budget after heated finance‑committee remarks

The Roswell City Council approved multiple year‑end and quarter budget adjustments and adopted the city’s final budget for fiscal year 2025–26 after an extended discussion about changing documents and last‑minute revisions.

Councilors voted to approve a budget adjustment of $91,581 transferring auction proceeds into the Roswell Police Department capital outlay vehicle account and passed Resolution 25‑34, as amended in finance committee, totaling $1,706,814 to adjust several line items across departments. The council also approved Resolution 25‑35 (year‑end adjustments) and Resolution 25‑36 (fourth quarter financial report) by roll call, each carried by the recorded votes.

During debate on the final budget (Resolution 25‑37), Councilor Korn said he would vote against the measure in finance committee because “there’s a point where you gotta quit amending all this stuff” and complained that successive stacks of budget documents delivered different numbers. He told the council: “You gotta have a plan first, and then you budget to the plan. You can’t put the budget and then make it up as you go along.” Finance staff and other councilors pushed back that many of the changes were grant‑related and donations that must be reflected in the final budget. Finance staff explained that adjustments reflected updated grant awards — including an increase in the fire protection grant that raised revenues and corresponding expenditures — and added donation accounts for items such as animal control.

When the clerk called the roll on the final FY2026 budget resolution, the clerk recorded: Councilor Johnson — Yes; Councilor Korn — No; Councilor Oropesa — Yes; Councilor Cortez — Yes; Councilor Arnold — Yes; Councilor Halverson — Yes; Councilor Madrigal — Yes. The resolution passed and staff were directed to submit the adopted budget to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration by the required deadline.

Several councilors asked for a change in process going forward: they requested earlier distribution of final budget documents, clearer tracking of department requests and tradeoffs, and assurances that grant‑driven late changes would be flagged in advance. Council discussion noted the statutory deadline for submission and the practical need to balance timely adoption against accurate reporting of grant and donation revenues and expenses.