Los Ranchos trustees solicit public input on draft economic development plan tied to quarter‑cent tax

The Village of Los Ranchos de Albuquerque hosted a public hearing to review a draft economic development plan and discuss a proposed quarter‑cent local gross receipts tax that would provide a dedicated funding stream for village projects. Mayor (speaker 1) said the Board of Trustees has published an ordinance that would direct staff to develop a plan and that trustees will consider that ordinance at an upcoming meeting later this month. The hearing’s purpose was to present a working draft and gather community feedback before the trustees move the plan toward final adoption.

Grant Taylor (speaker 2), who said he has more than 20 years of economic development experience, described the legal and practical role of the Local Economic Development Act (referred to in the transcript as LETA/LITA). He told residents that passing a LETA/LITA ordinance would allow the village to act as a fiscal agent for state funds, to provide incentives tailored to local needs, and to use a local revenue stream to match state or other grants. “A LETA ordinance allows a community to act as a fiscal agent or a pass through for state resources that may be used as an incentive for economic development projects,” Taylor said.

Shanna (speaker 3), the village planning and zoning director, presented the draft plan’s framework, saying it is intended to align with the village’s 2035 master plan and to preserve Los Ranchos’ semi‑rural character. She listed candidate investments focused on the 4th Street commercial corridor and village anchors, including the Anderson House property, the Del Norte Open Space and the Agri‑Nature Center. Shanna described potential eligible uses—wayfinding and interpretive signage, lighting and sidewalk improvements, parking and small‑scale amenities for existing businesses—and outlined a three‑step review process: staff technical review, a five‑member community review committee, and final approval by ordinance from the Board of Trustees. She also described the Project Participation Agreement (PPA) that would set funding amounts, performance benchmarks and recourse if benchmarks are not met.

Residents raised several recurring concerns. A number of commenters asked whether projects such as multifamily housing or improvements to village‑owned facilities would be eligible; Shanna said the plan can be written to allow or exclude specific project types but projects must align with the adopted plan and follow the public application and PPA process. Mayor (speaker 1) added that, even if voters do not approve the quarter‑cent tax, the village still needs a plan so it can receive and manage any state funds that might come to projects in Los Ranchos.

Several speakers pressed how much discretion trustees would have if the staff or community committee recommended approval but there was public opposition. Shanna and the mayor said the trustees, as the governing body, retain final decision authority, but noted that if a project meets all legal and ordinance requirements it is difficult to justify denial; the transcript shows trustees discussed building “guardrails” into the ordinance (for example, ineligibility periods after awards, budgetary set‑asides, or explicit criteria) to give the Board clearer tools for prioritization.

On revenue and timing, the mayor estimated the quarter‑cent tax would generate “probably about half $1,000,000 a year” for the village if approved. She said recent state tax administration changes mean the earliest a new local tax could be imposed would be July 1, 2026, and that realistic availability of funds for projects would likely begin in 2027. The mayor also noted the trustees could choose to bond against a predictable revenue stream for a larger capital project but that any spending must be appropriated in an annual budget process.

Public commenters offered implementation ideas. John Edward (speaker 12), a resident and trustee candidate, urged reinvestment in local businesses and compared community renewal to tending a tree: “This is a way that we can reinvest in ourselves,” he said. A preschool owner on 4th Street (speaker 11) asked whether the village would offer application assistance; the mayor and staff said Main Street staff and village staff would help applicants complete proposals. Gwen Baldwin (speaker 8) recommended permitting joint applications from business clusters so groups of small businesses could pursue coordinated projects.

Shanna and trustees also cited examples from other New Mexico communities where similar funding mechanisms were used to restore theaters, convert hotels into housing, or support downtown revitalization. Staff emphasized accountability mechanisms in PPAs—benchmarks, recoupment clauses and public review—to protect public funds.

Next steps: the draft plan will be posted online for further comment, staff will incorporate ideas gathered at the hearing, and the Board of Trustees will consider the ordinance that establishes the plan‑development process at an upcoming meeting later this month. The mayor encouraged residents to meet with Shanna, submit ideas and watch for the posted draft.