Patricia Susan “Susie” Kimble

County management and accountability: Doña Ana County has faced significant findings involving its financial controls and management practices. What specific changes should the County Commission make to improve accountability, financial oversight and public confidence in county government?

The Commission must take the audit findings very seriously. The issues that were identified occurred over several years and in several departments in the County. Staff members have been working very hard to identify the areas that need to be corrected and strengthened to ensure the issues do not continue. Some corrections include policy changes; some require system changes.

As the findings are addressed, the resolution and plan for going forward are brought to the Commission at BOCC meetings. These presentations allow the public to hear and understand what has been done to correct the issues. The Office of the New Mexico State Auditor is then notified that the corrections have been completed.

The County is currently working with a fiscal agent as required by the Department of Finance and Administration to ensure public funding received is being utilized in a fiscally responsible way. The Commission receives updates on budget issues on a regular basis at public meetings, which allows residents to know how public money is being spent. 

The Commission needs to continue to ensure the findings in the audit are corrected and that policies are in place to prevent recurrences. Departments within the County are being directed to present their Polices to the Commission for review. 

Southern county infrastructure: District 3 includes communities that have long identified needs involving roads, drainage, water, wastewater and other basic infrastructure. What are the most important infrastructure needs in District 3, and what specifically would you do as a commissioner to get those projects funded and completed?

District 3 has many infrastructure needs, including roads, drainage, water, wastewater and even sidewalks and safe routes to school. These are ongoing, long-term issues that require more funding than the County has access to in any given year, so projects must be prioritized based on need and the potential for completion.

Dona Ana County is responsible for maintenance on over 1,300 miles of public roads which require regular maintenance. Recent storms have increased the need for emergency and urgent maintenance to ensure safety for residents and for property preservation which may delay some maintenance of other areas. Funding for roads also comes from the State and Federal Governments, as well as grants available for public roads.

Wastewater services are not available in all areas of District 3. The County is continually looking at solutions to assist residents in basic needs; a large project for wastewater services is currently underway in Chaparral.

The County works with state and federal legislators, as well as The Department of Transportation at the state and federal level to secure funds for projects. The County also seeks out grant opportunities that can provide funding for projects; recent grants include assistance from the Colonias Infrastructure Board, among others.

County staff and the Commission must continue to strengthen relationships with Legislators, Community organizations, and other potential funders to increase the ability to provide needed infrastructure improvements.

Economic development and Project Jupiter: Project Jupiter has raised questions about jobs and economic development as well as public incentives, water and energy use, environmental impacts and transparency. What should the county do now to oversee Project Jupiter, and what lessons from that process should guide the county when considering future large economic-development projects?

The County is monitoring Project Jupiter to ensure compliance with the agreements signed when the Industrial Revenue Bonds and Local Economic Development Act incentives were approved. The IRB allowed the companies to secure low interest loans which they will pay back. LEDA offers tax incentives to the companies of Project Jupiter.

One condition of the agreements is to ensure that residents of New Mexico would be employed to work on the project. Reports from the companies were delayed, so the numbers could not be verified.  The Commission is now actively receiving and reviewing data provided by the Project Jupiter companies and will continue to monitor for compliance.

Going forward, the County needs to fully investigate economic development projects that come to the BOCC. Sufficient time must be allowed to conduct due diligence before a large project that will affect the residents for years to come is approved. Pressure from the applicants cannot be allowed to dictate how quickly the approval process is completed. Subject matter experts should be consulted as needed. Public input should also be welcomed and considered in the decision-making process. 

Water and growth: How should the county balance the need for new housing, businesses and jobs with limited water resources, particularly in the rapidly growing communities of southern Doña Ana County? What county policies, if any, would you change to achieve that balance?

The County is researching options relating to water resources, exploring all avenues for solutions. As evidenced in the recent rain events, the county has episodes of too much water as well as episodes of too little water. The County is looking at ways to collect, divert, and store water to mitigate these extremes. Heavy rains likely will continue over the years as weather patterns shift. Developing a system to collect water as it descends from the higher areas of the county is a conversation that is taking place. Partnerships with BLM, the State Land Office, and the Soil and Water Conservation District as well as other entities can result in a comprehensive plan to build structures to guide and hold water that will then be used to recharge the aquifer that lies under Dona Ana County.

Desalination projects are being studied and developed in the area; the County is collaborating on the studies and supporting the research with NMSU and others. Discussions need to happen with all water companies in the county to develop working relationships that benefit the communities they serve. 

Water resources are vital to life; the County needs to be in the forefront of efforts to ensure that water is collected, conserved and utilized in the most efficient way possible. Policies that affect water need to be developed or updated to reflect current conditions and future expectations. 

The Bulletin asked each Dona Ana County candidate four questions to allow voters to assess where the candidates stands on important issues heading into the election. The questions vary for each office, but are the same for every candidate running for the same office.

We attempted to wait to publish until we heard from all candidates for a race, but in this race, we have not received a response from Willie Madrid, the Democrat candidate for County Commission District 3. If we can get a response from his campaign this week, we will run his answers in the Oct. 30 edition of the Bulletin.