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Las Cruces GO Bond Election Community Meetings Planned

Mayor Ken Miyaghishima will host a series of community meetings on the City’s upcoming $35.6 million General Obligation (GO) Bond mail-ballot election to fund life enhancing improvements to the community. Those improvements include new sports fields and courts, a new animal shelter and fire station 3, and walking, biking, jogging and recreational trails. “This is a very important stage in our development as a community,” said Mayor Ken Miyagishima. “We have no GO bond debt and the last GO Bond initiative to pass was in 1968. So, the timing is right for Las Crucens to take our community to the next level.” Las Cruces was just named best-run city in New Mexico by WalletHub, a personal finance website. 

Meeting schedule:

Tuesday, July 17

Wednesday, July 18

  • City Hall, 700 N. Main St., Council Chambers, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
  • Munson Center, 975 S. Mesquite St., 7-8:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 19

  • Lynn Middle School, 950 S. Walnut St., Cafeteria, 5:30-6:45 p.m.
  • Frank O'Brien Papen Community Center, 304 Bell Ave., 7-8:30 p.m.

Four GO Bond questions will appear on the ballot. Votes shall be cast for or against each question:

1. 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?

2. 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?

3. 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 (at 390 N. Valley Drive), including acquisition of necessary land?

4. 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?

Also, six charter questions will be on the ballot. Votes shall be cast for or against each question:

1. Shall Section 8.02 of the City Charter be changed to give petitioners sixty (60) days to collect sufficient signatures?

2. 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?

3. Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to provide the City Clerk 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?

4. Shall Section 8.04 of the City Charter be changed to eliminate the amended petition process?

5. 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?

6. 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?

The special election will be conducted by mail-ballot. Beginning July 24, ballots will be mailed to eligible voters living in Las Cruces city limits with a postage-paid envelope for returning the completed ballot. Ballots may also be hand-delivered to the county clerk’s office at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Boulevard. Hand delivered ballots must be from the registered voter, legal caretaker or immediate family member. Ballots, mailed or hand-delivered, must be

received at the county clerk’s office by 7 p.m. on August 21.

City residents who want to vote in the special election, but are not registered, may register in person until 5 p.m. on July 24 at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Boulevard. Residents may also register online until 11:59 p.m. on July 24.

Information about online registration is available at https://www.donaanacounty.org/elections/registration. Accessible voting will also be available. Call the county clerk’s office at 575/647-7428.

Specific information about the general obligation bond special election can be found at clcbond.org.