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Hobbs Municipal Schools presents plan to maintain 2- and 4-mill property tax on Nov. 4 ballot
Summary
A Hobbs Municipal Schools staff member presented details of a proposed ballot question to maintain an existing two-mill and four-mill property tax that funds facilities, maintenance and safety upgrades. The presentation described how the levy has funded district upkeep for decades, outlined recent and proposed projects, and provided voting dates.
A Hobbs Municipal Schools staff member presented the districts plan to maintain an existing two-mill and four-mill property tax on the Nov. 4 ballot, saying the levy generates about $13 million annually for maintenance, repairs and security upgrades.
The staff member said the district has kept the mills in place for more than 20 years and said, "by no means is this a new tax. It's a maintaining of an existing tax that we currently have." The presentation explained the levy's revenue pays for most facility needs other than direct construction.
Why it matters: District officials said the mill levy pays for routine and major upkeep across aging school buildings, including electrical and HVAC repairs, plumbing work, interior door replacements, technology and intercom upgrades, playground replacement and contractual joint-use agreements with the City of Hobbs for athletic facilities. The presenter described some buildings as about 80 years old and said the average facility age in the district is "in the sixties." The district estimated the levy yields roughly $13,000,000 per year.
Details provided: The presenter said the two and four mills (a total of six mills) cover annual maintenance and safety work. Examples mentioned included: plumbing repairs, HVAC and electrical maintenance, playground replacement (including a contribution from Commissioner Fields to Taylor Elementary), secure vestibules and security software, and tests of ballistic film and weapons-detection software called ZeroEye. The district said it is updating its facility master plan and that the facilities committee will help prioritize capital improvement projects over the next five years.
Voting and outreach: The presenter outlined voter deadlines: absentee and early voting begins Oct. 7, the last day to request an absentee ballot is Oct. 21, and election day is Nov. 4. The district has created a bilingual landing page and a QR code linking to voter registration information from the Secretary of State and to sample ballot question language; the presentation and a forthcoming video of the presentation will be posted online.
What the presentation did and did not do: The staff member presented information about the ballot question and district needs; there was no board motion or formal vote recorded in this presentation. The presenter encouraged questions and provided contact and online resources for voters seeking more information.
Supporting quote: The presenter said the mill levy allows the district "to maintain our facilities, to outfit our facilities with equipment" and that without the funds the district "would not be able to do those activities and maintain those projects."
