Doña Ana County commissioners authorize lodgers tax publication, approve MOU for La Casa and OK liquor license, festival sponsorship

Doña Ana County commissioners on March 11 authorized publication of a proposed lodgers tax ordinance, approved a memorandum of understanding to serve as fiscal agent for La Casa domestic violence shelter, approved publication of revisions to the county code of conduct, granted a liquor license to Icebox Brewing for its Anthony location on Highway 28, and authorized a $20,000 presenting-sponsor allocation for the Las Cruces International Film Festival, county staff said in a meeting recap.

The actions were recorded as authorizations or approvals; the meeting recap did not include formal vote tallies or mover/second information. Meeting materials described the lodgers tax item as a proposed ordinance that would impose and provide management of a tax paid by people using tourist-related accommodations, but the text and proposed rate of the ordinance were not specified in the recap.

The commission approved a memorandum of understanding under which Doña Ana County would serve as fiscal agent for La Casa, the county’s only domestic violence shelter, to help La Casa seek government funds to purchase land for a larger location. The meeting recap described the MOU as an administrative step to support La Casa’s search for funding and property; the MOU text and any related financial commitments beyond fiscal-agent services were not specified.

The commission also authorized publication of an ordinance revising the county’s code of conduct; details of the revisions were not provided in the recap. Separately, the commission approved a liquor license for Icebox Brewing’s Anthony location on Highway 28. The meeting recap did not supply vote counts, conditions or license restrictions.

On economic development and community promotion, commissioners authorized a $20,000 allocation for Doña Ana County to be the presenting sponsor of the tenth annual Las Cruces International Film Festival, scheduled for April, county staff said. The recap described the festival as student-led and encouraged community attendance; details of the sponsorship agreement were not provided in the recap.

Informational updates at the meeting included a midyear budget report from the finance department summarizing how much of each department’s budgets had been used at the fiscal-year midpoint, and an internal auditor presentation outlining options to define the scope and objectives for an external audit of the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office; the auditor’s presentation was framed as preparatory work for selecting an audit firm, with further details to come at future meetings.

The assessor’s office reported it is still awaiting an update on the veteran’s property tax exemption and said property evaluation notices will be mailed May 1 instead of April 1, according to the meeting recap.