$46 millon pool complex proposed by NM Tech

Last Tuesday, The Socorro City council meeting included recognition of the Fire Department, an ICIP request from New Mexico Tech and a preliminary budget presentation.

Public Input

Conner Johnston thanked the City of Socorro for supporting the eighth annual Conner’s Cause 5k. He reported 185 participants and a fundraising total of about 4,500 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

“The first 5k I did, I only did it because there’s cupcakes at the end,” Conner said.

After that experience, he really liked the idea of a 5k race to raise money for a good cause.

Esperanza Lopez and coach Joe Lopez of the Archery Club told the council they are fundraising for nationals in Nebraska.

“I’m pretty sure this is Socorro’s first time sending an archery team to Nationals. So it’s a really big accomplishment for us, especially for our team who has been trying for years and years,” Esperanza Lopez said.

The council and mayor had a brief conversation about potentially hosting an archery competition at the Rodeo complex and agreed to sponsor the Archery team.

Recognition

Socorro Fire Chief Lawrence Baca introduced and recognized each member of the Fire and EMS team, presenting them with challenge coins and noting their individual certifications and contributions to the department.

He highlighted their hard work, sacrifices, and dedication and said the past months have been tough, with the team being very busy and handling some difficult calls.

City Councilors and the mayor expressed appreciation to the Fire Department, describing them as professionals, recognizing their involvement in the community and expressing the sense of safety they feel in the city with their team.

The city members and audience stood up in applause.

“They are the best friends a community can have,” Councilor Peter Romero said.

ICIP

During the ICIP public hearing, Delilah Walsh, vice president for administration and finance at NMT, and Al Garcia, director of capital projects at NMT, requested a letter of support and inclusion on their ICIP list for their proposed Wellness Center.

They said the facility would be a multi-level, 60,000-square-foot facility that would feature a full-sized indoor swimming pool, indoor track, weight room, basketball arena and spaces for esports, yoga, weights and other activities.

The estimated total project cost is around $46 million, with $1 million already received for planning and design. They aim to request $30 million from the state in the next legislative session. The facility is planned to be built around 2029, said Walsh.

Walsh said their goal was to demonstrate to legislative bodies and the Higher Education Department that they have community support. She emphasized they’re not asking to be a top priority project, just to appear on the list.

Mayor Ravi Bhasker said he supported the project and suggested a joint bond issue with the county and schools. He said he wanted to make sure there was a clear benefit to the city’s citizens, such as a written agreement about facility usage and access.

Budget

Finance Director Ruby Lopez presented a preliminary budget to the council. She said the general revenue fund increased by about 7%, and the enterprise revenue increased by about 4%. Gross receipts tax (GRT) was up 25%, but she recommended budgeting it conservatively.

“In a meeting with all the department heads. The concerns are inflation. The cost of the items for recurrences to maintenance, that has gone up a lot,” Ruby said.

She reported that general fund expenditures were up about 6%, joint enterprise expenditures were up about 2%, Salaries increased from $12.3 million to $14.3 million and health insurance went up 24% for both employees and employers.

“If you go back six years, it was about 6 million. So it’s doubled. Salary is double.” Ruby Lopez said.

Bhasker expressed concern about high health insurance costs and suggested potentially helping individual employees with insurance costs. He also noted uncertainty about future economic conditions.

Other business

Councilor Anton Salome reported on his meeting with Councilor Mary Ann Chavez-Lopez and the county commissioners. He stated that he felt there was an agreement that the county would provide salary funding for three staff members in the EMS department.

He also proposed the concept of council members meeting with members of different commissions and boards, such as the school boards, county and New Mexico Tech, with the goal of building relationships and understanding each other’s needs.

Bhasker emphasized the importance of collaboration and advised everyone to familiarize themselves with their bylaws before forming the group.

The councilors voted unanimously to cancel their first Tuesday meetings of the month for summer, including July, August and September.

The next city meeting was held at noon on June 3.