Bernalillo County asks state for funding for senior housing, facility upgrades and public-safety projects

Bernalillo County commissioners on Capitol Day in Santa Fe outlined a slate of capital outlay requests to the New Mexico Legislature and Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham, asking for funding for senior affordable housing, renovations to county-owned residential facilities, public-safety facility upgrades, youth services improvements, a regional sports complex and an expansion of the county animal care center.

"Each year our lawmakers and our governor help us serve our citizens by making good policy...and by allotting capital outlay fundings to projects which our Commission has agreed are the most needed and urgent projects that benefit the citizens," said Eric Olivas, District 5 commissioner and chair of the Bernalillo County Board of Commissioners.

The most prominent request: a $1,500,000 state capital outlay ask for a proposed 40-unit affordable senior housing project planned for Sixth and Cole in downtown Albuquerque. "This is a real crisis," said Commissioner Barbara Baca, District 1, noting county data cited in the presentation that a large share of shelter occupants are 65 or older. Baca also said the county is "advocating for a hundred million dollars in the city of Albuquerque and Bernalillo County for affordable housing."

Commissioner Adrian Barboa, vice chair, described two county-owned residential properties slated for renovation: the facility referred to in the record as Sable/Sabo/Savoy Village, which serves people with disabilities, and El Centro Familiar, which serves older residents. The county requests $500,000 in state capital outlay funds to upgrade flooring, cabinets, security and fire systems, paint and HVAC. Barboa said the combined scope would cover about 75 units (21 at the disability-serving property and 54 at El Centro Familiar). The total project cost was cited as about $5,300,000, with roughly 34% already secured from local and other contributions.

Commissioner Frank Baca, District 2, urged support for two district projects: a renovation and completion funding request for PB&J (a 50+-year-old nonprofit that serves at-risk children) and the Mesa del Sol Regional Sports Complex. The commissioners are seeking $1,000,000 toward PB&J's new facility. For Mesa del Sol — described in the presentation as an 80-acre complex with 32 fields — the county cited a total project cost of $48,000,000 and said 56% of that funding is already secured; the county is requesting $4,300,000 in this session.

Public-safety and justice-related requests were highlighted by Commissioner Walt Benson, District 4. Benson said the county seeks $1,000,000 to expand and renovate the Youth Services Center medical department to add a nursing station, waiting area and larger medical and dental exam rooms. He also requested funding to upgrade the Metropolitan Detention Center, citing the need to replace cell-door food-pass portals and aging boilers; the transcript lists a capital outlay request of $2,300,000,000 for the Metropolitan Detention Center, an amount that appears inconsistent with typical capital outlay figures and may reflect a transcription error in the record.

Olivas also asked for an additional $1,000,000 for courthouse expansion tied to the county's second judicial courthouse, which was built for 21 judges but now houses 30, and for $1,000,000 toward a major expansion of the Bernalillo County Animal Care Center. "Our shelter is bursting at the seams," Olivas said, describing the expansion as intended to provide more space to keep animals with families when possible and house animals awaiting adoption.

No formal votes were recorded in the presentation; commissioners spoke to lawmakers and sponsors during the Capitol Day event. The remarks combined statistical references, project cost figures and requests for specific dollar amounts; several item names and numeric figures appear with variant spellings or possible transcription errors in the record.

The commissioners closed by thanking state lawmakers, the governor and county staff and invited attendees to a group photograph in the rotunda.