Senate to consider funding system reform
SANTA FE — A bill to change New Mexico’s system for funding dams, roadways and other infrastructure projects is headed to the Senate floor after passing a key committee late Tuesday.
But the legislation may amount to more of a baby step than a radical overhaul after its sponsor signed off on sweeping changes that scaled back the bill’s initial intent.
As originally drafted, Senate Bill 262 would have created a new legislative interim committee, tasked with reviewing and ranking potential infrastructure projects. The body would then submit a plan before the start of each legislative session — similar to how the state’s annual budget process works.
While the new 18-member committee would still be established under changes to the bill unveiled Tuesday in the Senate Finance Committee, the panel would only review potential projects, not rank them.
Sen. Joseph Cervantes, D-Las Cruces, insisted the measure would still improve the state’s capital outlay system, which has come under fire in recent years for being wasteful and ineffective.
“We can continue to bemoan the problem, or we can tackle it,” Cervantes said during Tuesday’s hearing, in which the bill was endorsed by a 11-0 vote.
He also said a flaw with the state’s current public infrastructure system is a lack of vetting, which could be addressed by having lawmakers study projects while the Legislature is not in session.
“The fundamental problem we have with capital outlay is we don’t have an opportunity and mechanism to dialogue,” Cervantes said.
But it’s unclear how much of a change the proposed legislation would represent as lawmakers would presumably still put together a final list of projects during legislative sessions — and without having to disclose which projects they funded.
Kristina Fisher, the associate director of Think New Mexico, a Santa Fe-based think tank that’s advocated for an overhauled infrastructure funding system, said Tuesday the bill would be a step forward.
“The substitute bill creates a solid foundation on which further capital outlay reforms can be built,” Fisher said. “It sets the stage for a more transparent review of infrastructure projects and better planning of projects on the front end, which will help move money off the sidelines and create jobs.”
Several other measures seeking to change the state’s public infrastructure system also have been proposed during this year’s 60-day session, but most have stalled in legislative committees.
Some critics have complained that various projects funded by legislators in recent years do not meet the definition of vital needs — with examples including rugby equipment, band instruments and the acquisition of zoo animals.
With the state facing a prolonged budget crunch, there’s also been heightened scrutiny of unspent New Mexico infrastructure dollars, due largely to a lack of planning and oversight.
In all, there were more 2,500 projects totaling $978.4 million in unspent public works, or capital outlay, money as of January, according to the Legislative Finance Committee.