Proponents says bond program essential for water system
Every two years voters will be asked to approve a $3 million bond issue under a program designed to reduce water losses, replace aging lines and facilitate water production and fire fighting capabilities
Ruidoso voters will be asked in the March 1 nonpartisan municipal election to approve a new pledge of $3 million in general obligation bonds to improve the village's water system. Early voting begins today.
The first question on most voter's lips is will approval increase property taxes. The answer is that passage will not hike taxes, because the new round of bonds would be a continuation of the village's Water Infrastructure Improvement Bond Program designed to set the property tax rate at a level providing for continual approval of $3 million at each regular election.
"By getting voter approval on a GO bond every two years, residents can continue the water infrastructure improvement program without increasing their property taxes," village officials wrote in a pamphlet covering the election.
Bonds secured by the general revenues of a town receive lower interest rates and better ratings on the bond market than those that pledge other avenues of revenue. The program was initiated by village officials and the village's financial consultants to reduce the annual loss of water from an old and failing infrastructure, they said.
The increase in property taxes occurred when the first round of bonds was passed in March 2014, but with a rotation program issuing and paying off the bonds, no additional increase will occur in the elections every subsequent two years, consultants said. That first year, 2014, a home with a residential value of $75,000 saw its property tax bill go up by $37.60; a home with a residential value of $150,000 by $75.19; and a home with a residential value of $325,000 by $162.92.
Since the first $3 million passed two years ago, which covered replacement of 8,000 linear feet of old lines, the interconnection of two village water sources and a dozen other projects, a loss reduction already has been seen. Village officials said a savings in overtime also has been realized, because crews are not being called out as often to find and repair leaks.
In tandem with the bond projects, village directors have pursued a water development plan outlining conservation measures to meet requirements of the State Engineer in connection with leased water rights, and are building a water model to assist the village in identifying areas of nonrevenue water loss and to indicate fire flow deficiencies. They cut leakage from Grindstone Dam by lining the structure and now are refilling the reservoir. A program is underway replacing old manually-read meters with automated units to measure the usage of the village's more than 7,500 customers and quickly detect leaks.
New projects targeted to be tackled if the second GO bond package is approved by voters include continuing improvement and replacement of the aging infrastructure, with specific work on Sutton Drive, Mescalero Trail and Dipalo Drive, Innsbrook Subdivision streets, Hemlock Circle in Ponderosa Heights, replacing pressure reducing valve stations, work on the Alto Production Plant, replacing booster stations, refurbishing or replacing water tanks at the Country Club area, and putting in place a water conservtion incentive program that could include rebates for low flow devices.
"Ruisodo has the most complicated water system in all of New Mexico, because it includes 39 different pessure zones," staff wrote in the pamphlets. "The mountainous terrain requires many additional zones to supply water and much of the existing infrastructure is more than 50 years old."
Galvanized piping was used in the past and that has accelerated deterioration, because of the soil conditions in the mountains, they wrote. The bond proceeds would be used on water distribution and reduction improvements.
Early voting begins today (Wednesday) in the village clerk's office, 313 Cree Meadows Drive, and ends at 5 p.m., Feb. 26. Absentee voting also is available. On eletcion day, voters from all village precincts will cast their ballots at the Ruidoso Convention Center, 111 Sierra Blanca Drive. The precinct numbers are 6,7,8,9,10,18 and 21.
Three seats are open on the village council and five candidates are running for four-year terms in the at-large positions. They are incumbents Joe Gomez, Job Eby and Lynn Crawford, former mayor and councilor Lonnie Ray Nunley and former airport manager Timothy W. Morris. Incumbent Beverly Rankins is running unopposed for reelection as municipal judge.