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Mayor Pro Tem briefs commission on legislative session, water funding and capital outlay concerns
Summary
Mayor Pro Tem Bryant reported on municipal league activity during the state legislative session, highlighting a $360 million water package, a $70 million capital bill (HB450), EMS funding provisions, and a possible shortfall on capital outlay for an animal shelter project requested by the city.
Mayor Pro Tem Bryant provided an update to the Clovis City Commission on March 20 about the Municipal League’s work during the current New Mexico legislative session and the status of several bills and funding streams that affect municipalities.
Bryant said the legislative package includes roughly $360 million for water initiatives, most of it directed to the State Water Trust Fund, which the mayor said is the principal source cities use to apply for water-project assistance. Bryant called the capital bill represented in the legislature’s spreadsheet House Bill 450 and said the bill’s capital outlay spreadsheet lists $70 million for statewide infrastructure projects.
On other priorities, Bryant said the municipal league has seen progress on EMS funding and bonding authority for that revenue and that proposed Chapter 3 changes to the municipal code and IPRA-related items appear to be moving favorably. He reported that SB218 (a local election bill he and others tracked) has stalled and is not moving forward.
Bryant raised caution about proposed legislation to create an Office of Housing in the governor’s office, saying the draft approach “very much preempts the local municipalities” and that the league cannot support a model that removes local control. He also noted ongoing multistate compact bills for physicians and psychologists (including references to PSYPACT) and said those measures were not yet calendared for further floor action.
Bryant flagged one local concern: the city’s capital outlay requests were listed in the HB450 spreadsheet, but the mayor said the governor’s capital allocations may leave a shortfall for specific projects the city sought, notably an animal shelter project for which the city requested $2.5 million in governor-directed funding. “We may be looking at a shortfall in terms of what we ask for in capital outlay, specifically for the animal shelter project,” Bryant said, adding he had taken steps that day to try to address the issue.
Finance Director Miss Melodson presented the monthly investment report for February, noting beginning and ending cash positions and balances across funds. Melodson reported total beginning cash of $88,900,000 and ending cash approximately $88,200,000 for the month; she listed balances for the general fund, solid waste, environmental tax, wastewater, economic development and other funds, and provided gross receipts tax figures showing the city was 0.48% above last year for the same period.
No formal action was taken on the legislative items during the meeting; the presentation served as an informational briefing and a request to monitor bills that could affect local authority and revenue streams. Commissioners asked no substantive follow-up questions at the time of the report.
