Santa Fe County adopts ordinance to recognize historical and cultural events after controversy over Fiesta access
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Summary
Following testimony from community leaders and criticism from residents about denied access for Fiesta organizers, the Board passed an ordinance requiring recognition of cultural and historical events at BCC meetings and clarifying paths for proclamations and agenda recognitions.
The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously Nov. 10 to adopt Ordinance 2025‑03 establishing policies for recognizing historical and cultural events at Board meetings, including a requirement to schedule a meeting to celebrate Fiesta de Santa Fe and provisions to recognize Indigenous and other community observances.
The measure grew out of a dispute earlier this year about access for Fiesta organizers to county facilities. Several speakers urged the board to adopt a durable policy to avoid repeating last season’s problems. Crystal Lucero, president of Santa Fe Fiesta Inc., urged the commission to pass rules that "strengthen collaboration and community organizations, not limit access," and said Fiesta is "a living tradition" that should remain welcome in county spaces.
Not all public testimony was celebratory. Several speakers, including Virgil J. Vigil and Elmer Maestas, said the county and specific staff or officials had failed the Fiesta Council by denying customary access in a prior incident and demanded corrective action. Vigil characterized the earlier denial as a ‘‘black eye’’ for Santa Fe and called for personnel accountability.
The ordinance sets three recognized pathways for the board to recognize events at meetings: formal board action (proclamation or resolution), placement on the agenda for recognition or presentation, or recognition at the chair’s discretion when previously noticed in the agenda. Legal staff advised the board the ordinance complies with applicable law and provides a binding framework for future recognitions. The commission adopted the ordinance by roll call vote (5–0).
What happens next: county staff and relevant advisory committees will work with community leaders to implement the ordinance’s procedures and ensure culturally appropriate protocols for recognition and county‑sponsored events. The county’s Lodgers Tax and event funding processes remain separate but were discussed in the hearing because many county‑funded events overlap with cultural celebrations.
Representative quotes from the hearing: “By passing this ordinance with the spirit of inclusion, the county sends a powerful message that Santa Fe honors its past while embracing the future together,” Crystal Lucero said. In contrast, Virgil Vigil criticized prior actions: “He actually failed you ... by denying the Fiesta Council to appear with this jubilous celebration,” he said, calling for corrections.
The ordinance is numbered 2025‑03 and was approved in a unanimous roll call.