Under construction: Village road work underway

The village of Magdalena secured a $2.6 million grant for sewer line relining and infrastructure upgrades.

In the last village meeting, Mayor Rumpf said the grant came from a recent Water Trust Board session in Santa Fe. Engineering work is underway, including GPS mapping and easement reviews for water line replacements, said Rumpf.

A proposal to apply for a $213,750 loan from the New Mexico Finance Authority for the purchase of a Caterpillar 120GC motor grader was postponed.

Trustee Donna Dawson said she had questions about operator certification, usage frequency, and cost-effectiveness compared to contracting county services.

Similarly, a Memorandum of Agreement with Socorro County for limited road grading and maintenance was postponed due to missing documentation. Trustee Michael Thompson said there were changes needed to be made to the documents before moving forward.

Finances

The board approved the FY2026 Quarterly Financial Report presented by Finance Officer Michael Steininger.

“The cash balance in that fund is negative again, but it reflects what is currently outstanding. Overall, the cash balances are good except for water and wastewater, which are still a little bit on the low side for those two entities,” Steininger said.

Steininger said that the report highlighted a $45,000 grant received by the Magdalena Public Library, which significantly boosted its revenue for the quarter.

The board also voted to restore the library’s operating hours to 40 hours per week, staffed by three part-time librarians without benefits. Rumpf said recent grant will cover the associated costs.

The board approved a $3,000 broadband reimbursement grant for the Magdalena Public Library from the New Mexico Department of Cultural Affairs.

In another unanimous decision, the board authorized $8,000 in funding for ambulance supplies for Socorro EMS, which regularly provides emergency services to Magdalena.

“Why are we spending the $8000? When the people pay for their supplies. Number one out of their billing” Donna Dawson, Village Trustee said.

Rumpf said the insurance pays for some of it, but not all of it and the funds will come from the village’s ambulance fund.

In other business, the board confirmed Charlie Blaylock as the new Fire Chief of the Magdalena Volunteer Fire Department, following the resignation of Rumpf as Fire Chief.