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Dona Ana County Approves Preliminary Budget

Dona Ana County passed a preliminary budget for Fiscal Year 2017 by a vote of 3-0, Commissioners Ben Rawson and Leticia Duarte-Benavidez were not present at the special meeting.

The preliminary budget for Dona Ana County totals about $153 million dollars. Anticipated revenues for fiscal year 2017 are expected to be around $137 million dollars. The budget difference is made up with restricted reserve funds or savings accounts for a specific use. The rest comes from the county’s general reserve funds, which Commissioner Billy Garrett says will be used for one-time costs.

“We’ve allowed for about 6.8 million out of designated and unrestricted reserves, again savings,” Garrett said. “For very specific capital projects, and included in that are some additional vehicles for the Sheriff’s Department, and communications equipment and things like that to make sure that we cover.”

Garrett says it’s appropriate to dip into savings accounts for important improvements that need to be made.

“So when you’ve got savings just leaving them in savings,” Garrett said. “An argument can be made that the taxpayers aren’t looking for us to stockpile money. So, I think this is a judicious kind of thing, we still have a good cushion in case something terribly goes wrong with the economy, but we’re not using reserves any longer for operations and that’s really important.”

Commissioner Garrett says even though the budget is tight, service levels should be the same throughout the county.

“I have not seen any indication that there will be cuts in services,” Garrett said. “The departments of course all put forward budgets that were beyond what we could afford, and so sometimes those were referred to as cuts when we brought it back down. But most of the programs are actually equal to, or better funded then last year or this current year, so I don’t expect for there to be any changes there. I think it’s been important that we maintain our service level.”

As part of the cost-saving efforts some positions at the county will purposely remain unfilled, Sheriff Enrique “Kiki” Vigil says he understands cost cuts have to be made, but he doesn’t want put people’s safety at risk.

“So they’re asking all the departments to make some cuts,” Vigil said. “So, we’re willing to cooperate, which we have with the county manager. I just don’t want to make cuts in my sworn law enforcement officers because that puts me back. I’m willing to give up some positions that I can possibly fill next year, but it’s very critical that they don’t make any cuts in my sworn law enforcement officers.”

Commissioner Garrett says they are looking to restore three Sheriff’s positions including two captains before final approval. The budget is now sent to the New Mexico Department of Finance that the commission will vote on final approval in July.
 

Samantha Sonner was a multimedia reporter for KRWG- TV/FM.