New Mexico’s state auditor says the legislature should tackle capital outlay reform. State Auditor Tim Keller says…the way New Mexico pays for infrastructure projects is not working. The so-called capital outlay process allows legislators to designate money for projects in their respective districts even if those projects are not fully funded. So sometimes…money sits for years without being used.
Keller told KUNM….projects should be prioritized and fully funded or the money should eventually revert to the state.
Keller says capital outlay is often used for public education infrastructure and he says that’s indicative of another problem: public schools are underfunded and legislators sometimes try to fill the gaps through capital outlay.
The non-partisan group Think New Mexico is also advocating for capital outlay reform.