At a water treatment plant in Santa Teresa Wednesday, New Mexico’s Lieutenant Governor John Sanchez said Gov. Martinez wants to dedicate a large portion of the 2015 fiscal budget to water.
Sanchez said Gov. Martinez wants to spend 60 percent of the state's capital outlay budget on water infrastructure.
The announcement comes as residents of Santa Teresa and Sunland Park have experienced recent water outages.
With a recent boom in business interest and business development, many business leaders see Santa Teresa as a future driver of economic activity for southern New Mexico.
The New Mexico Legislature will convene January 21 and will face deciding on a budget in 30 days.