Serving the High Plains

Governor Martinez signs capital outlay bill

QCS Staff

Gov. Susana Martinez signed the New Mexico Legislature's package of capital outlay allocations into law Tuesday.

The capital outlay bill includes nine allocations that apply to Quay County, according to Rep. Dennis Roch (R-Logan).

The Quay County allocations include:

l $50,000 for Ute Lake firm yield study.

l $75,000 for NMSU Ag Science Center equipment.

l $300,000 for Tucumcari landfill trash compactor.

l $186,000 for Quay County Detention Center roof repairs.

l $150,000 for San Jon ambulance.

l $790,000 for Mesalands Community College roof repairs and infrastructure.

l $190,000 for Quay County senior center vehicle needs.

l $109,000 for Tucumcari senior center renovations.

l $10,500 for Quay County senior center equipment needs.

A news release from Gov. Martinez's office Tuesday said the capital outlay bill signed by the legislature included $89 million for critical water infrastructure projects throughout the state.

Beyond water projects, the news release said, much of the remaining capital outlay dollars were allocated toward other core infrastructure improvement areas — including repairs of public school facilities, necessary improvements of our roads and highways, and the construction or repair of public buildings all over New Mexico.

The bill also allocates money to complete infrastructure projects designed specifically to recruit new businesses to the state and heavily invests in broadband IT projects to improve the access of schools to the Internet and enhance the public safety network used by law enforcement officers to communicate with one another, the news release said

Altogether, Governor Martinez authorized funding for $182 million worth of severance tax bond projects and $46 million worth of projects using other money, while vetoing nearly $2.6 million worth of projects in the bill, according to the news release.