Legislature approves nearly $180M in funds for capital projects.

Santa Fe area could get more than $20 million

There have been years in which there was much more money for brick-and-mortar projects in the state.

But thanks to a rebound in gas and oil revenues, New Mexico has far more severance tax funds this year than last. And that means a lot more money for roads, senior centers, sewage plants and government buildings around the state, including a new state vital records bureau building in Santa Fe, as well as an expansion of the municipal airport’s parking facility.

Lawmakers approved House Bill 306, which authorizes $179.8 million for capital projects.

This includes $142.4 million from severance tax bonding capacity, about $36.3 million from other state funds and almost $1.1 million from the state general fund.

More than $20 million is available for Santa Fe-area projects, though nearly $6.2 million of that would go toward a settlement in the decades-old federal Aamodt water rights case.

In 2017, the Legislature passed a modest $46 million severance tax bill, but Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed it amid a severe budget crunch.

Martinez would have to sign this year’s bill, sponsored by Rep. Carl Trujillo, D-Santa Fe. The governor has the power to line-item veto certain projects.

As in past years, funding requests were far greater than the available severance tax bonding capacity. The requests totaled nearly $600 million, according to a fiscal impact report by the Legislative Finance Committee.

The projects approved by the Legislature were determined by “criteria, site visits, review of infrastructure capital improvement plans, monthly meetings with major departments, and testimony at hearings held in the interim,” the report says. The majority of the projects “reflect the most critical projects impacting public health and safety and ongoing projects requiring additional funds to complete.”

Mark Duran, a lobbyist for the city of Santa Fe, provided a list of the projects for the city in the bill. These are:

Santa Fe Regional Airport parking expansion: $1.5 million

Santa Fe Meal Program facility construction equipment: $218,300

SWAN Park on the city’s south side, including purchasing and installing security cameras.: $200,800

Agua Fría Street/South Meadows Road improvements: $100,000

Sandoval/Montezuma Street intersection improvements: $100,000

Genoveva Chavez Community Center heating and air conditioning: $100,000

Harrison Road lighting and sidewalks: $28,000

The bill also contains money for state agencies located in Santa Fe. These include:

A new Department of Health vital records and statistics building: $5.1 million

Secretary of State’s Office information technology: $825,000

A new state police district office: $770,000

Simms Building renovations: $450,000

Repairing and upgrading the Palace of the Governors: $364,549

New Mexico Museum of Art improvements: $203,300

Projects in Santa Fe County include:

Santa Fe County Revenue Processing Division, computer equipment and other equipment: $372,000

Eldorado-area water supply improvements: $315,000

Edgewood wastewater system improvements: $300,000