Serving the High Plains

Quay County slated for $1.7 million in capital outlay

QCS Senior Writer

Quay County government entities are set to receive $1.7 million in capital outlay money allocated to the region in a bill signed on June 17 by Gov. Susana Martinez in Las Cruces.

Martinez signed the Capital Outlay Bill (Special Session Bill 1) approved by the New Mexico Legislature on June 8 during a special session in Santa Fe.

“I am delighted that Gov. Susana Martinez signed the capital outlay bill making funding available to the entities of my district and districts throughout the state,” said state Rep. Dennis Roch.

Roch said this capital outlay allocation would be beneficial to all of the entities approved to receive money in District 67. He said rural communities in the seven counties of District 67 — Curry, Roosevelt, Quay, Harding, San Miguel, Colfax and Union Counties — need funding to help maintain or improve facilities and purchase equipment.

Roch said there was an urgency in holding the special session in June to have enough time for legislation to be signed by Martinez to beat the July deadline for the issuing severance tax notes (bonds). He said essentially the state issues bonds that are borrowed against the revenue generated by future severance taxes the state is expected to receive.

Roch said the New Mexico State Board of Finance is expected to issue some or all of the severance tax notes (bonds) by June 29.

He said entities receiving the money will be filling out a questionnaire in the next several days and submitting them to the Department of Finance Authority.

Roch said the questionnaire will have more detailed information about the entities’ intended use for the funds, the need for the projects and the current status of the project — shovel ready or design stage. He said depending on the urgency and the stage of the project some entities may receive their money in July or in December when a second issuing of severance tax notes is expected.

The largest portion of capital outlay funding in Quay County, totaling $1.3 million, will be allocated to Mesalands Community College for roof and infrastructure improvements.

The City of Tucumcari will receive $175,000 to aid in the purchase of a trash truck for the city sanitation department.

This will cover nearly the entire cost of a new trash truck, which the city needs, said City Manager Jared Langenegger.

Langenegger said the city was pleased to receive their primary request of $175,000 for the purchase of the trash truck and said the city’s secondary request was for $1.2 million that would have been used toward the replacement of the Center Street water tank.

Langenegger said the city is pleased to receive money from the capital outlay bill. He said the trash truck will be a valued asset to the city.

Quay County’s projected allocation of $85,000 will be used to purchase a skid steer loader for the county road department. County Manager Richard Primrose said the allocation will cover the cost.

Primrose said the steer loader would be used for clean up bar ditches and culverts. He said it is a smaller piece of equipment that get into areas a backhoe cannot access. Primrose said the county knew there was not going to be a large amount of capital outlay money available and kept its request within reason. He said there was another request for the purchase of vehicles for the road department that did not make the list.

Other allocations in Quay County:

·$50,000 to the Arch Hurley Conservancy District for equipment and trucks.

·$100,000 to the Logan Municipal School District for an activity bus.