Commissioners to take last look at budget

CLOVIS — Curry County commissioners will take one last look at the final budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year, and consider a few fairgrounds items in advance of next month’s Curry County Fair during a special meeting Friday morning.

The county budget includes $37.312 million in expenditures, compared to a 2018-19 final operating budget of $45.852 million. County Manager Lance Pyle has said the difference between the two budgets is mainly tied up in detention center and courthouse renovation projects where completion is near.

Commissioners will also consider adjusting precinct boundaries and including new precincts, with voting locations remaining unchanged.

Other items on the 9 a.m. Friday meeting agenda include:

• An update on district realignment for elected officials from Deputy Chief Clerk Adrian Ancira. The New Mexico Secretary of State’s office held a one-time realignment on Monday to create a system going forward where all odd-numbered districts appear on presidential election ballots and all even-numbered districts appear on the gubernatorial election ballot.

Four of the commissioners ended up swapping district numbers, with Robert Thornton retaining his District 5 designation. The realignment does not change any geographical boundaries of the commissioner’s respective districts.

• A request for cameras for the ticket booth at the Curry County Fairgrounds.

A quote of $9,118 includes four high-definition fisheye cameras, two terabytes of storage and all necessary hookup equipment. In a letter to Pyle, County IT Manager Todd Ulses said it was difficult for him to see the expense as justifiable.

• Lighting upgrades in the Kevin Roberts Arena, using a combination of county dollars and a Spectra Venue Management contribution. Overall costs were not outlined in the agenda posted Tuesday morning.

• Rescheduling of a special commission meeting from Nov. 9 to Nov. 12. The meeting is primarily for the canvassing of 2019 election results, and a change to state law bars a county from canvassing for six days following an election.