New Mexico Veterans Department outlines cemetery reopenings, benefits outreach and $1.1M payroll request

Secretary Jamieson Herrero, head of the New Mexico Department of Veterans Services, told the Military & Veterans Affairs Advisory Council on Nov. 1 that the agency has advanced several initiatives to expand benefits access and facility readiness across the state.

Herrero said the department has completed a memorandum of agreement with the General Services Division and accepted a donation of property from Taos County to adopt a state cemetery there; staff offers have been accepted and training will begin ahead of interments. "We've been working very closely with Taos County as well as all of the vendors and our contractual people to get what we need there," Herrero said.

The secretary highlighted a spike in take-up of recently enacted state benefits. Herrero told the committee that the office has issued close to 6,000 state park passes since July and recorded roughly a 40% increase in tax-exemption certificates and a 45% rise in disability tax-exemption claims. "You came in for your VA benefits, but what about your state benefits?" Herrero said, describing an intake approach that bundles federal and state services.

Herrero also reported operational gains in staffing and outreach. The department reduced veteran service officer vacancy rates from about 22% to 2.7% and has expanded honor-guard teams and tribal outreach. The agency secured a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to support a rural transportation program and is preparing a mobile outreach unit for community events.

On agency funding, Herrero said she has briefed the Legislative Finance Council and is requesting $1.1 million in additional category-200 operating dollars to stabilize payroll and retain VSOs; the department is not seeking a head-count increase this year but said it could make use of another five to 10 staff to sustain services. She also outlined an ICIP request of about $33.2 million for safety and security upgrades at cemeteries and memorials, citing recent vandalism and aging infrastructure.

Committee members pressed on veterans' suicide prevention, cemetery capacity and the Westside Veterans Cemetery bid process. Herrero said New Mexico coordinates a statewide suicide-prevention effort and noted that callers to the 988 crisis line can press 1 to reach a veteran crisis responder; she reported a modest statewide decline in veteran suicides but said the rates remain “very high.” On the Westside Veterans Cemetery, Herrero said the VA has put the site out to bid and is awaiting vendor selection before a groundbreaking.

The presentation prompted expressions of support from lawmakers. Representative Collin said the department’s transportation services had enabled a family member to attend medical follow-ups, and multiple members praised the department’s outreach to tribal communities and women veterans. Several members asked for more detailed suicide statistics and for follow-up on ICIP and governor-level coordination for cemetery funding.

Next steps: the department said it will continue outreach to counties and the governor's office on budget priorities and provide requested suicide-rate data to committee members.