Doña Ana County puts proposed $140 million GO bond question on November ballot

The Doña Ana County Commission voted June 10 to place a proposed $140 million general obligation bond question on the November 4, 2025 ballot.

The measure, drafted by county bond counsel and staffed with financial advisers, would seek voter approval to issue bonds for fairgrounds, recreational facilities and county buildings. "The current draft in front of you has it at $140,000,000," said Chris Muirhead, the county’s bond counsel. Financial advisers presented estimated tax impacts tied to that amount.

Asma Dawood, Doña Ana County finance director, told the board the county used a conservative model to convert the proposed issuance into a homeowner impact: the estimated increase for the average taxable household in the county (based on a $285,000 market-value house) is about $172.92 per year — about $14.41 per month — for the $140 million scenario. "If the board wants to proceed with 140,000,000, the impact to them is a $173 for the year," Dawood said.

Advisers from Hilltop Securities presented scenarios and amortization schedules for bond amounts ranging from $100 million to $170 million. The county’s model used a $6 billion assessed value base (conservative for current conditions) and a 20-year repayment for the new issuance. For the $140 million plan, the advisers estimated a total required levy of about 1.9196 mills per $1,000 of taxable value, an increase above existing debt service levies.

County Manager Scott Andrews framed the request as part of a broader quality-of-life and economic-development push that emerged from the board’s April retreat. "Quality of life and economic development were at the forefront of that conversation," Andrews said, noting staff plans to pair the bond question with a parks and recreation master plan and community outreach so projects align with local priorities.

Commissioners discussed the timing and scale. Several members said they want robust district-level outreach before finalizing project lists and emphasized the board’s intent to target investments across the county. Commissioner comments included references to improving parks and trails, adding recreation centers in underserved areas and potential fairgrounds and amphitheater upgrades to attract events and tourism.

The board approved the resolution to submit the ballot question by the statutory deadline; the measure was assigned resolution number 2025-67. The vote was unanimous.

Next steps: if voters approve the question in November, the county will sell the bonds in accordance with the plan and start project design and procurement. County staff said they will hold community meetings, refine a parks and recreation master plan and return with recommended project lists and timelines before any bond sale.