Commission discusses 2026 CIP priorities including Tom Holder Road and affordable housing funding

County staff presented a revised 2026 Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan project list for submission to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration by the July 1 deadline. The list, provided in no particular order at the start of discussion, includes road projects (Tom Holder Road and Ventto Road), a $1 million request for affordable housing vertical construction behind the county complex, a proposed new fire and EMS facility, vehicle replacements for the sheriff's office, and county administration and detention center security/camera upgrades.

Commissioners emphasized that the state typically reviews the highest-priority items first and asked staff to produce a ranked top-five list. Several commissioners said Tom Holder Road should be the top priority with affordable housing near the top as well. Staff noted the $750,000 entry on the fire/EMS building represents an estimate for design and engineering services, and the county has reserved some funds to address immediate badge-access and camera failures that affected county operations.

Given the need to finalize a prioritized list for the state, commissioners discussed convening a special meeting before July 1 to vote on a resolution formally approving the prioritized CIP list. No binding prioritization vote occurred during this session; the discussion closed with agreement to return with a ranked list and possible special meeting.