Raton mayor details water trust award, I‑27 corridor work and downtown projects as economic priorities

Lori Chatterley, mayor of Raton, told the Legislative Education Study Committee the city has received just over $10 million from the Water Trust Board for initial improvements to Lake Maloyah Dam and will apply for additional funding to complete the project. "Right now, we have $10,000,000, just over 10,000,000 for that start of that project, and we're going to be applying for 50,000,000 more for the dam improvements, including 3,000,000 towards wastewater treatment," Chatterley said.

Chatterley said wastewater upgrades are needed to meet increasing regulatory requirements and that small cities struggle to cover costs without state assistance. She highlighted a high‑visibility New Mexico Department of Transportation project to reconstruct Exit 451 on I‑25 — part of the corridor designated for future I‑27 — and said the city hopes interstate alignment decisions do not bypass Raton. "We need to make sure that we're not getting bypassed because that travel district is so essential to our GRT," the mayor said, referring to gross receipts taxes that support city services.

The mayor also reviewed local economic and quality‑of‑life investments: $500,000 in ballfield improvements for Little League and regional events, more than $1.2 million in park upgrades, a downtown Great Blocks streetscape funded by New Mexico Main Street grants, and a depot renovation tied to Amtrak. Chatterley discussed a film‑school rehabilitation project (El Raton Media Works) that has encountered construction overruns and equipment funding shortages; she said the city is "scrappy" about assembling multiple funding sources to open portions of the building incrementally.

Workforce housing is a priority tied to health‑care staffing. Chatterley said the city is studying mixed approaches, with the hospital looking at a small initial cluster of 10–12 single units and the city considering larger multi‑unit projects near the courthouse and post office. She also described vacant‑building work and a proposed land‑banking legislative effort to help cities manage donated or derelict properties, but said the municipal league and city staff are still developing the specifics of such legislation.

Chatterley urged lawmakers to consider how state programs and matching funds can help small cities sustain infrastructure and economic development projects, and she invited committee members to visit city sites and events. The committee followed with questions about the I‑27 corridor, intercity rail possibilities and health‑care partnerships; the mayor said she had not seen plans to station medical residents in Raton but noted some university outreach for lung disease work.

Next steps: the city will continue applications to the Water Trust Board and NMDOT processes, pursue partnerships for workforce housing and film‑school equipment, and work with the municipal league on land banking policy considered for future legislative sessions.