The Las Cruces City Council was presented with proposed capital outlay request priorities for the upcoming 2023 New Mexico state legislative session at its Monday, Oct. 10, 2022 work session in Council Chambers at City Hall, 700 N. Main St.
The proposed list of capital outlay priorities for the City, if approved by the Legislature includes:
- Improvements at Las Cruces International Airport that could enable commercial interstate travel to start at the airport.
- Sewer installation for properties in the Brittany Estates and Estados Serenos subdivisions not connected to the City’s wastewater system and currently utilizing septic tanks.
- Completion of intersection improvements for the Telshor Boulevard and Spruce Avenue intersection and continued road improvements and flood control infrastructure for the East Mesa area of the city.
- An evaluation to determine if an additional HAWK pedestrian or pedestrian safety crossing systems could be installed on west University Avenue to enhance safety.
- Street lighting and road improvements in the Lift Up Las Cruces area.
- Public safety enhancements to include replacing existing body cameras for Las Cruces police, and improvements to Fire Stations 2, 4, 5 and 6.
- Parking lot improvements at Gomez Park and completing the renovation of the historic gazebo at Pioneer Women’s Park.
The 2023 New Mexico Legislature will meet for a 60-day session from Jan. 17, 2023, to March 18, 2023.
City Council also received a presentation from the City's federal lobbyist, MMO Partners, of Washington, D.C. For the 2023 federal fiscal year, the City received $51,378,404 in combined Discretionary and Formula funding from the U.S. government. Among the Discretionary funding was $14,305,021 from the Federal Transit Administration for RoadRUNNER Transit. Formula funding included $24,800,000 in COVID Relief Mitigation and Recovery, or American Rescue Plan Act, funds.
Additionally, during Monday’s work session, the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance reviewed its performance assessments with City Council, then reported on its accomplishments and challenges during the past year. Davin Lopez, MVEDA President and Chief Executive Officer, told the Council MVEDA recorded $246,336,837 in capital investments in Doña Ana County during the 2022 fiscal year, which ended June 30.
Lopez added 210 jobs were created at the Las Cruces Innovation and Industrial Park during the 2022 fiscal year. Also, five economic development projects that benefitted Las Cruces during the past year created nearly 1,000 new jobs with an average hourly wage of $25.23
As an economic development partner with the City, MVEDA is required to periodically report to City Council.