Government
The City of Las Cruces is a home-rule city governed by its charter and has a council-manager form of government. The role of the City Council is to develop a long-term vision for the City and to seek input from and communicate with residents, businesses and other stakeholders. The powers of the City Council lie in its action as a public body.
The City Council is charged with making policy, approving the City budget and the employment of the city manager. The council and its individual members do not address personnel issues other than those related specifically to the city manager. The City Council works with the city manager to shape the strategic direction of the City based on specific goals (PDF). The City Council is also responsible for issuing and selling municipal bonds, purchasing and selling property, and setting the City’s tax rate.
Elections
City councilors are elected by the voters in their respective districts and must reside in the districts they represent. Once elected, Council members choose the Mayor Pro-Tem from among the elected members. All city council seats carry four-year terms. Councilors have no term limits and the city council determines the annual salary of councilors and the mayor by ordinance.
Council members also receive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits. Council members may also qualify for public employee retirement benefits.
Anyone interested in holding city council office may call the City Clerk’s Office for details at 575-541-2115 or visit the Municipal Elections page for more information.
2020 Legislative Priorities
For a list of proposed legislative priorities for the coming year, please click here.