Council reviews draft ordinance to create Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency; questions about terms and leadership

Town Manager Mara Martinez and municipal counsel “Miss Nixon” presented draft Ordinance No. 2501 to the Taos City Council during the Feb. 24 workshop, proposing the establishment of a Metropolitan Redevelopment Agency (MRA) board with powers and reporting obligations set by statute.

The ordinance would authorize an MRA to exercise statutory redevelopment powers and establish board composition, appointment and reporting rules. Under the draft language explained by Miss Nixon, commissioners are to be appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the council; initial appointments are staggered and subsequent terms run five years. The ordinance also requires the MRA to deliver an annual report to the council covering its actions and financial position.

Why it matters: An MRA can pursue redevelopment activities, including planning and project implementation, that affect property owners, developers and neighborhoods in Taos. The board’s term lengths, appointment process and reporting obligations will determine how the council retains oversight and how leadership continuity is managed.

Council discussion

- Term limits and chair terms: Councilmember Oswald asked whether commissioners’ terms could be limited and whether the agency’s chair and vice chair could be set for two‑year terms to provide leadership continuity. Miss Nixon said the statutory language requires the mayor to designate a chair and vice chair and that the statute does not prescribe term limits; she said the council could consider local ordinance language to add term limits so long as it does not conflict with state statute. “The statute does not prescribe yes or no on that question. So that is certainly something this council could consider,” Miss Nixon said.

- Appointment and confirmation: The draft follows statutory direction that the mayor submits names for confirmation by the governing body; initial terms are staggered to provide continuity and later terms are five years in length.

- Oversight and reporting: The draft’s Section 7 requires the MRA to submit an annual report to the council listing its actions, assets and liabilities, and financial information. Miss Nixon told the council that the annual report will allow the council to retain oversight while the MRA performs redevelopment work.

No vote recorded

Council discussion of Ordinance No. 2501 was strictly at the review stage in the Feb. 24 workshop; the transcript does not record a motion to adopt or a formal vote. Town staff and counsel were asked to return with options on term‑limit language, potential two‑year chair terms and any recommended ordinance text to implement council preferences.

Clarifying details from the presentation

- Board composition and terms: initial staggered appointments, subsequent five‑year terms; appointing authority rests with the mayor and confirmation by the council (statutory requirement), as explained by municipal counsel.

- Annual reporting: ordinance includes a requirement for an annual report to the council listing actions and financials (Section 7 of the draft ordinance).

- Next steps: staff directed to return with proposed language and options for council consideration; no adoption date set in the Feb. 24 transcript.

Quote (from the meeting)

“The biggest things to keep in mind is, just like all appointments, that will be made by the mayor and then confirmed by the governing body,” Miss Nixon said while outlining the draft ordinance.