Santa Fe County approves nomination of an outside‑city tract for Opportunity Zone 2.0, amid equity concerns

The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners on June 9 approved a motion to request that the governor nominate an eligible census tract outside the City of Santa Fe for Opportunity Zone 2.0 designation, while several commissioners said they will pursue follow-up action to protect equity and housing outcomes.

Economic Development Manager Juan Torres told the board the New Mexico Economic Development Department required county input by June 15 so the governor could deliver nominations to the U.S. Treasury for the 2.0 round. "There are 10 qualified census tracts in Santa Fe County under federal eligibility," Torres said, explaining the state and city had already identified tracks and that staff recommended a tract outside the city limits that aligns with regional growth priorities. Brady Maxwell of the Urban Institute briefed commissioners on national evidence from round one, noting that most Opportunity Zone investment flowed into market‑ready projects—largely market‑rate housing—and that states can impose reporting requirements or design choices to influence outcomes.

Commissioner Lisa Kakari Stone challenged the tract choice and urged the county to advance an equity framework, saying some lower‑income tracts felt left out of consideration. "If we're just cherry‑picking places where we want to develop, that's not fair to our districts that face chronic distress," she said. Several commissioners responded by asking staff to submit the county's preferred designation on the required timeline while committing to a letter to the governor and to U.S. delegates urging that the nomination window include appeals and be paired with local land‑use safeguards. Commissioner Hughes moved to approve the nomination and to authorize the county manager to transmit the designation; Commissioner Bamante seconded the motion, and the board voted in favor by voice vote.

Staff and the Urban Institute urged commissioners to consider land‑use policy levers—zoning, permitting checkboxes for OZ use, and local reporting—to steer investments toward workforce or affordable housing and to reduce displacement risk. Commissioners asked staff to research potential policy mitigations and to coordinate with the City of Santa Fe on aligned nominations.

The motion authorizes the county manager to convey the county's selection to the governor and directs staff to continue outreach to jurisdictions and stakeholders on mitigation strategies.