Taos County approves corrected 2025 property tax rates after error affecting college branch

Taos County commissioners on Sept. 9 approved a corrected 2025 property tax-rate certificate after staff discovered an error that had overstated the rate for the Northern New Mexico College branch in one district.

A county staff member explained at the meeting that staff "gotten approval last week in regards to the tax rates, only to discover that there was an error with Northern New Mexico College branch," and said the correction reduces that branch's rate to about 1.8925. The staff member told commissioners that all other mill rates remained unchanged.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about which area would be affected. A commissioner sought confirmation that the correction applied only to District 6, and the staff member confirmed it applied to that district and represented a small decrease from the prior number. The commissioner also noted the mill levy is set by the state, not locally: "the mill levy this particular mill levy comes down from the state. It's not one that's determined locally," a commissioner said during the discussion.

After the brief presentation and questions, a motion to approve the corrected 2025 certificate was made and seconded. The clerk conducted a roll-call vote and the board approved the corrected tax-rate certificate.

The action corrects a numerical error in the previously approved materials so that taxpayers in the affected unit will be charged the revised, lower rate. No additional fiscal amounts or budget transfers were announced at the meeting. The board adjourned after taking the vote.