The Las Cruces City Council will meet at 1 p.m. Monday at City Hall, 700 N. Main St., to discuss and consider adoption of a resolution that could call for a $35.6 million general obligation (GO) bond election, and proposed amendments to the Las Cruces City Charter regarding recall provisions.
Monday’s meeting will be televised live on Comcast Cable channel 20. It will also be webcast live atwww.clctv.com and facebook.com/CityofLasCruces/
City Council will decide if a special municipal election will be on Tuesday, August 21, and will be conducted by mail-in ballot. A change in state statutes, approved earlier this year by the New Mexico Legislature, requires the election to be conducted by mail.
The election will be open to all registered voters living within the Las Cruces city limits. City residents who want to vote in the special election will have until 5 p.m. July 24 to register at the Doña County Clerk’s Office, at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Boulevard.
GO bonds are a funding source for basic infrastructure and City Council will consider four GO bond questions:
- Shall the City issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $16,900,000 to construct improvements to parks, including sports fields and other related facilities?
- Shall the City issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $9,800,000 to construct a new animal shelter facility and related improvements?
- Shall the City issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $6,200,000 to construct replacement fire station facilities for Fire Station 3 (390 N. Valley Drive), including acquisition of necessary land?
- Shall the City issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $2,700,000 to construct and improve recreational walking, jogging, and biking trails, including acquisition of necessary land?
Information about the general obligation bond election can be found at clcbond.org.
City Council will also consider proposed amendments to the Las Cruces City Charter:
- Shall Section 8.02 of the City Charter be changed to give petitioners sixty (60) days to collect sufficient signatures?
- Shall Sections 8.02, 8.03, 8.07, 8.08, and 8.09 of the City Charter be amended to change the recall provisions for elected officials and create a new Section 8.10, which would require a written notice of intention to recall to be filed with the City Clerk, along with 50 signatures from qualified electors, the petition to recall shall include facts that support grounds of misconduct or violation of the oath of office and a district court judge shall determine if misconduct which violates local or state laws governing elected officials has occurred or if the elected official had been disciplined or suspended from a professional licensing body before the petition is circulated?
- Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to provide the City Clerk (to) have an additional five (5) working days for a total of twenty-five (25) working days to determine the sufficiency of a petition under Section 8.04 of the City Charter?
- Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to eliminate the amended petition process?
- Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to allow the Las Cruces City Council to review insufficient and sufficient petition on certificates for compliance with the City Charter?
- Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to allow petition signatories seven (7) working days after the petition is submitted to the City Clerk to withdraw their signatures by notarized letter received through certified mail or delivery in-person to the City Clerk?
All ballots must be returned to the County Clerk by 7 p.m. Aug. 21, either by mailing the ballot or delivering them to the County Clerk’s office.