By Hannah Grover
Local governments and entities in Sandoval County are set to receive approximately $42.8 million in capital outlay funding this year.
Capital outlay is awarded through legislation on a yearly basis and assists local governments and other entities with projects such as infrastructure and construction.
Local governments and other entities request these capital outlay projects. Not all of the projects requested ultimately receive funding. Sometimes, local governments request capital outlay funding for projects in phases over multiple years.
One example of this is the Town of Bernalillo’s project to construct and equip a new fire station. This project has a total price tag of $9 million and has previously received $2.6 million. This year, the capital outlay bill includes another $5.4 million for the project.
The capital outlay requests can also build upon other funding sources. One example is Jemez Pueblo, which is working to build a community services center that will cost an estimated $15.7 million. The Pueblo has already received $12.7 million in funding from other sources and requested $3 million in capital outlay funding, which was included in the final bill.
Sandoval County asked for $6.5 million to build on the $10 million it already has to construct an animal shelter. The capital outlay bill included $1.25 million for that purpose.
In Corrales, local leaders sought to address fire dangers with their capital outlay request. The village requested nearly $1.9 million for new water lines and a distribution system to tie into a 500,000-gallon water tank that would assist with community-wide fire suppression. The capital outlay bill includes $1.4 million for that purpose.
In the northern part of Sandoval County, the Village of Cuba is looking to address potential drinking water shortages. The village officials asked for $12 million for a new, advanced desalination facility. The capital outlay bill includes $1.5 million for the project.
The capital outlay bill passed the House of Representatives on a 41-25 vote and the Senate on a 25-16 vote. Some of the Republicans who voted against the bill opposed the inclusion of a reproductive health center in northern New Mexico.
The bill is now awaiting the governor’s signature. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham could sign the capital outlay package as a whole, or she could choose to use line-item vetoes.
The entire package appropriates $1.2 billion of funding for projects statewide. However, this is only a fraction of the total requested projects. This year, the capital outlay requests totaled $5.6 billion.
You can contact the governor about capital outlay projects via her website.