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The Veguita Senior Center will remain open while the City of Socorro works to bring the facility’s septic system into compliance with state regulations, but broader funding concerns continue to place the center’s long-term future in question.
In March 2023, Socorro County, which owns the Veguita Senior Center building, closed the building due to funding shortages. The center remained closed until May 2024 when the City of Socorro committed to funding the center’s operations, at which time the New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) notified senior center staff that the building’s septic tank was out of compliance and had never been formally permitted.
“In addition to the septic issue, there were also gas and electrical problems that needed to be addressed,” Lloyd Martinez, City of Socorro general services director, said, but added that those issues have already been corrected.
According to Martinez, the city replaced a propane gas line at its own expense, completed trenching work to assist a plumber and secured an electrical panel that had been flagged by the electric cooperative as out of compliance.
Once those repairs were completed, attention turned to the septic system — the most complex and costly issue.
Martinez said NMED requires a full analysis of the building before a new septic system can be designed and permitted. The study examines water usage and occupancy to determine the appropriate system size.
The city has contracted with NCA Architects to complete the required study and design work, which is expected to cost slightly more than $11,000. Once the study is complete a cost will be determined for the installation of a new septic system.
According to City of Socorro Finance Director, Ruby Lopez, NCA has agreed not to bill for the analysis and septic design until a final cost for the entire project is provided. She is currently searching for emergency funding, grant opportunities or other sources — potentially including county assistance — to cover the full project cost.
For seniors in the community, the center is a lifeline where Senior Center Director Linda Mares said they serve some of the most vulnerable seniors in the county. Many elders in the area who rely on the center live without electricity, running water, or heat, making the facility a critical source of hot meals, warmth, and basic sanitation.
Mares said the center currently provides home-delivered meals to approximately 50 seniors and serves about 20 congregate diners at the center. Meals are delivered weekly and include one hot meal and four frozen meals, or non-perishable food boxes for seniors without refrigeration or cooking appliances.
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“When we pick these people up and bring them here, they can use a bathroom, have coffee, eat a hot meal, and stay warm,” she said. “For many of them, that’s not available at home.”
According to Mares, the center’s septic system is still being used during the ongoing study, but it is just part of a larger financial uncertainty. She said she and Lopez have been working with the New Mexico Aging and Long-Term Services Department, the Non-Metro Area Agency on Aging, the governor’s office, and city and county officials in hopes of securing funding not only for the septic study and installation, but to cover the center’s general operating costs for the next fiscal year.
While during the Feb. 3 City of Socorro Council meeting mayor Ravi Bhasker said he would be closing the center at the end of February if operating funds aren’t secured, the center’s contract with the city does not expire until the end of the fiscal year on June 30, 2026.
“It's being used, but it's not being used by people who live in the city,” said Mayor Bhasker, adding that operating the center costs the city $75,000 that isn’t being recouped. “I'd rather spend it on my senior citizen center here rather than out in the county.”
Joseph Chavez, who was named Socorro County Manager in January, said he is expecting more conversations with the city to find a solution to funding the Veguita Senior Center.
