Sandoval County approves LITA incentives for Castellian’s Project Ranger after safety briefings and public comment

The Sandoval County Board of County Commissioners voted Oct. 22 to adopt an ordinance authorizing Local Economic Development Act (LITA) incentives and related agreements to support Castellian Corporation’s proposed Project Ranger manufacturing site near Rio Rancho.

The ordinance approved the project participation agreement and intergovernmental arrangements that would make the county the fiscal agent for LITA funds. Under the deal outlined in meeting documents, up to $5 million in state LITA funds, up to $1 million from the city of Rio Rancho, and up to $4 million from Sandoval County could be committed toward eligible project expenses if Castellian meets benchmarks set in the agreement.

Why it matters: Project Ranger would build scale production for solid rocket motors and assemble “all-up rounds” used in defense programs. Castellian’s representatives said the facility would create roughly 300 jobs in the first five years, invest more than $100 million in the first year of construction and operations, and pay industry-level wages. County officials and state economic-development staff said the incentives are tied to job and investment performance with clawbacks, required security deposits and environmental insurance.

What the commissioners approved - The board approved a floor substitute of ordinance 10-22-25.0 authorizing (1) execution of the project participation agreement, (2) intergovernmental agreements by which Sandoval County would act as fiscal agent for state and city LITA funds, and (3) appropriation procedures for eligible disbursements. The substitute…