County Council Budget Hearings Continue Monday April 25
COUNTY News:DFA Offers $330K In Grants To Local Governments For Surrender Safety Devices To Help Save Infant Children
DFA Cabinet Secretary Wayne Propst
DFA News:
SANTA FE — Local governments in New Mexico are eligible for $10,000 grants from the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) for Surrender Safety Devices.
DFA is providing grants on a rolling basis until the state reaches the funding cap of $330,000.
In October 2023, Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham approved $330,000 in funds for local governments to plan, design, construct, equip and install surrender safety devices for their communities.
“Surrender safety devices have the potential to save the lives of infant children and be a Read More
Heinrich Chairs Subcommittee Hearing On FDA Budget
From the Office of U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — At a hearing Thursday to review the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies, delivered opening remarks and offered questions for FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf.
During his opening remarks, Heinrich expressed his strongly held view that the “decisions the FDA makes, whether approving a medical Read More
New Mexico Delegation Announces $9.5 Million For Schools, Roads, Emergency Response Svcs., Forest Health Projects
CONGRESSIONAL News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and U.S. Representatives Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.), Melanie Stansbury (D-N.M.), and Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) announced a total of $9,588,527 to support public schools, roads, emergency services on national forests and grasslands, and for developing community wildfire protection plans for New Mexico.
The funding comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Secure Rural Schools program. The Secure Rural Schools program provides critical funding for schools, roads, Read More
Luján Welcomes NHTSA Announcement Of Steps To Address Underride Crashes, Advance Passenger Safety
U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announcement establishing a new Advisory Committee on Underride Protection, and publishing an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to consider requirements for side underride guards on new trailers and semitrailers:
“Since passing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, I have been clear with the Department of Transportation that it must urgently implement critical traffic safety initiatives to enhance Read More
Council Tentatively Oks CSD’s $29.9 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos County Community Services Department (CSD) Director Cory Styron presents the CSD’s proposed budget for FY2024 to County Council during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the department’s $29,648,944 proposed budget along with several budget options, which include $25,000 for a parttime office specialist for the Parks and Recreation Division, $110,947 for a program specialist, whose duties would include facilities contract management of social services vendors and assisting the Health Council strategy implementations, Read More
Council Tentatively Oks LAFD’s $56.9 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos Fire Chief Troy Hughes presents LAFD’s proposed budget for FY2024 to County Council during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. The council unanimously voted to tentatively approve the $56,997,556 proposed budget as well as 38 fulltime firefighter positions. Screenshot/LADP Read More
Council Tentatively Oks LAPD’s $14 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos Police Chief Dino Sgambellone presents LAPD’s proposed budget for FY2024 to County Council during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve the department’s $13,838,898 budget along with several budget options. These options are $100,000 for design plans for an emergency operations center at Fire Station #3, $31,050 for a crash data retrieval system and $35,000 for a canine program. Screenshot/LADP Read More
Council Tentatively Oks CDD’s $20 Million FY24 Budget
Los Alamos Community Development Department (CDD) Director Paul Andrus presents CDD’s proposed FY2024 budget to County Council during Tuesday’s second night of budget hearings in Council Chambers. Council voted 7-0 to tentatively approve CDD’s $20,480,213 budget. Screenshot/LADP Read More
Governor Declares State Of Emergency For Sandoval County
From the Office of the Governor:
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order today declaring a state of emergency in Sandoval County due to flooding in the Jemez River corridor, which affected the Village of Jemez Springs water treatment facility, the Jemez/Walatowa Pueblo and the Village of San Ysidro.
The executive order makes $750,000 in state emergency funding available to assist Sandoval County with emergency measures, help prevent additional damage, repair public infrastructure and lessen the overall recovery time related to flooding impacts.
The New Mexico Environment Read More
Heinrich, Luján Push To End Stock Trading By Members Of Congress
SENATE News:
ETHICS Act comes after over a year of collaboration and amid calls for government accountability
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Most voters believe members of Congress shouldn’t be able to hold and trade individual stocks. But that hasn’t prevented members of Congress from doing it.
Before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, dozens of House and Senate members made over a thousand financial transactions after receiving closed-door briefings, according to the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center. In 2022, members of Congress made more than 12,700 individual trades, with dozens of members Read More
Council Tentatively Oks Clerk’s Office $985 FY2024 Budget
County Clerk Naomi Maestas
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County Clerk Naomi Maestas presented her department’s 2024 budget remotely Tuesday evening to County Council.
Following her presentation, Council tentatively approved the $985,04 budget as well as a budget option for a deputy clerk position, which total $106,741. Read More
Council Tentatively Oks Its (Councils) FY-24 $421K Budget
Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously to tentatively approve its own $421,189 budget for FY2024 during the budget hearing Tuesday night. Councilors from left, Vice Chair Theresa Cull, Chair Denise Derkacs, Keith Lepsch, Melanee Hand, Randall Ryti, Suzie Havemann and David Reagor. Courtesy/LAC Read More
Council Tentatively Oks Sheriff’s Office $17K FY24 Budget
Sheriff Jason Wardlow Herrera
County News:
Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously Tuesday night to tentatively approve the Los Alamos County Sheriff’s Office $17K FY2024 budget. Read More
Council Tentatively Oks Probate Court $6.4K FY-24 Budget
Probate Judge Michael Redondo
COUNTY News:
Los Alamos County Council voted unanimously to tentatively approved the Probate Judge’s FY2024 budget, which totals $6,436.
The vote was taken during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. Read More
DPNM Highlights Native American Representation On Governing Body Ahead Of State Central Committee Meeting
DPNM News:
ALBUQUERQUE — Saturday, April 22, the State Central Committee (SCC), which is the governing body of the Democratic Party of New Mexico, will meet to conduct official Party business, including announcing the election results for Party Officer positions, voted on by the SCC.
For the first time in the Democratic Party of New Mexico’s history, these votes will include the 14 additional SCC positions that are allocated to sovereign tribal members.
These additional SCC positions were created by an amendment to DPNM State Party Rules that codifies these positions specifically allocated Read More
Council Tentatively Approves County Manager’s Office $53.4 Million FY2024 Budget
Los Alamos County Manager Steven Lynne presents the County Manager’s Office FY2024 budget during Tuesday night’s budget hearing. Council unanimously approved to tentatively approve the $53,430,881 budget. Additionally, Council tentatively approved the following budget options: $250,000 for a regional workforce development initiative utilizing the communities of excellence framework, $50,000 for contractual services for grant writing and $100,000 for funding set aside for potential grant match requirements. Finally, Council moved to the ‘parking lot’ for later discussion Read More
Council Tentatively Approves $13.6 Million Budget For Administrative Services Department For FY-2024
Los Alamos County Deputy Manager Anne Laurent presents the FY2024 budget for the County Administrative Services Department to County Council during the first night of budget hearings Tuesday in Council Chambers. Council voted 6-1 with Councilor David Reagor opposed, to tentatively approve the department’s $13,695,491 budget. Council also voted to move a proposed fulltime position of Administrative Services Director to the ‘parking lot’ for future discussion. Screenshot/LADP
Read More
Lynne: FY 2024 Budget Hearings
By STEVEN LYNNE
Los Alamos County Manager
Welcome to the FY 2024 budget hearing season. I wanted to let everyone know that budget hearings start tonight at 6 p.m. in Council Chambers and you can also stream the hearings using the following zoom link.
I want to remind the community that this is your budget, and that budgeting is a communal event. The overall goal is to move the County in a direction that the community wants to go. Of course, there is not a single direction and sometimes specific goals can conflict, but that is all part of the process. County staff propose a budget, the community provides Read More
Governor Announces $500 Rebates Go Out Mid-June Putting Over $673 Million Back Into Pockets Of New Mexicans
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham
STATE News:
Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham announced Friday that the state will begin sending out the newest round of rebates in mid-June, putting more than $673 million back into the pockets of New Mexicans.
The state Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD) will send rebates of $500 to single filers and $1,000 will be sent to married taxpayers filing jointly, heads of household and surviving spouses. Any New Mexico resident who filed a 2021 New Mexico Personal Income Tax return and who was not declared as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return will receive the rebates Read More
