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GENERAL ELECTION GO BOND

Public comments welcome as city moves closer to choosing bond projects for November ballot

Posted

Questions to be placed on the Nov. 8 general election ballot asking City of Las Cruces voters to approve $23 million in general obligation (GO) bonds likely will include $10 million to replace Fire Station No. 9 in northeast Las Cruces, $6 million for continued East Mesa Recreation Complex development, $5 million for affordable housing and $2 million for parks and recreation improvements.

That is how Mayor Ken Miyagishima, speaking at the Las Cruces City Council’s June 27 work session, summarized city priorities and input received from city councilors and the public on a wide range of potential bond projects.

The council also discussed GO bonds at a June 13 work session.

About 20 people spoke at the two work sessions about bond projects. Most were members of the Las Cruces Coalition for Attainable Housing, who advocated for spending bonds “on attainable and affordable housing,” to quote coalition member Jo Galvan-Nash, who spoke at both meetings. There are “not enough affordable rental properties in Las Cruces,” she said.

Others speaking in support of using bonds for affordable housing included state Rep. Joanne Ferrary, D-Doña Ana, Doña Ana County Commissioner Shannon Reynolds, former City Councilor Sharon Thomas and Art Marrujo of Tierra del Sol Housing Corp. in Las Cruces.

Other speakers at the June 13 work session said GO bonds should help pay for additional pickleball courts. City Parks and Recreation Department Director Sonya Delgado said the city needs more sports complexes for all sports and needs to renovate infrastructure, including irrigation systems, at many city parks and facilities. George Pearson spoke at both work sessions in support of funding for trails projects.

At the June 27 work session, city Community Development Department Deputy Director David Weir reviewed results of a public survey the city conducted about potential GO bond projects. The city received 2,533 completed responses to the survey, which closed June 19.

Survey respondents’ top priorities included neighborhood reinvestment and improvements (streets, sidewalks, public lighting, etc.); affordable housing; rehabilitation of existing city parks; a new fire station No. 9; additional trails and multi-use paths; additional recreational fields, courts and facilities; a new multipurpose community facility/recreation complex; library system expansion/renovation; continued development of the East Mesa Public Recreation Complex; and new city parks.

Many of those projects also received community support at 11 public meetings the city held and through emails.

Public comments are still being accepted, Weir said.

“It is incredibly important that we get this feedback from the community to help set the direction for what projects the city will choose to benefit the community,” Weir said at the city council’s June 13 work session.

Councilors suggested the city’s 2023 capital outlay requests from the New Mexico Legislature include funding for projects that don’t make it into final GO bond questions.

The city council could vote on final GO bond questions at its July 18 regular meeting. The deadline for the city to submit ballot GO bonds questions for the general election ballot is Aug. 23.

Bonds approved by voters would be spent within the following four years.

A GO bond “is a form of debt financing secured by property tax revenues,” the city said.

$23 million in bonds could be approved by city voters without raising property taxes.

Email comments to gobond@las-cruces.org. Call the city Community Engagement office at 575-541-2100. You can also send comments to Mayor Ken Miyagishima and members of the city council. Visit www.las-cruces.org/1487/City-Council and click on the photos of the mayor and councilors for contact information.

General Election GO Bond

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