City has six items totaling $7 million in legislative capital outlay requests for 2021 session

The Las Cruces City Council has compiled a list of six capital projects with a total price tag of just more than $7 million that it will send to the New Mexico Legislature for consideration during the 2021 session that begins Jan. 19.

The list was approved at the Dec. 7 council meeting, as the city reduced its final priorities list from nine items totaling $9 million that it had discussed in October.

The funding priorities are

• East Mesa roads and drainage: $1.25 million to acquire rights of way, plan, design and construct roadway, utilities and flood-control infrastructure.
• Septic System Replacement: $3.8 million to plan, design and construct septic system replacements and improvements to include Hacienda Acres, Brittany Estates and other areas of Las Cruces.
• Madrid extension: $400,000 to acquire rights of way, plan, design and construct roadways to extend Madrid Road from Martha to Triviz, including utilities and flood-control infrastructure.
• Public safety communications upgrades: $844,000 to plan, design, purchase, install, construct and equip upgrades to P‐25 interconnectibility for the Las Cruces police and fire departments.
• Las Cruces International Airport Terminal: $500,000 to plan, design, construct, equip and furnish an expanded terminal building at Las Cruces International Airport.
• Branigan Cultural Center phase two improvements: $1.5 million to plan, design, construct, equip and install improvements at the downtown cultural museum.

At the October meeting, city legislative lobbyist Larry Horan said the continuing impact of COVID-19 on the state’s budget could mean the legislature will have little or no capital outlay funding available for local projects during the 2021 session.

“At a time like this, the shorter the list the better,” Horan said.