Roosevelt commissioners update property tax rates

PORTALES — Roosevelt County Commissioners in a brief special meeting on Monday fulfilled an annual requirement to update property tax rates imposed by the state’s Department of Finance and Administration.

County Assessor George Beggs presented on the agenda item and said his office’s responsibility is to ensure there are no math mistakes in the finance department’s tax rates. Beggs told The News that rates are “about the same” and that “minor fluctuations from last year rates are normal.”

House Bill 407, “which allowed the schools to add their proposed bonds” to the Nov. 5 election, entails two sets of rates based on whether or not the bond passes. Commissioners were all present Monday afternoon and approved the tax rates unanimously, which will be conveyed to the treasurer’s office on Nov. 6 after the election, Beggs said.

Also at Monday’s meeting:

• No action was taken on a request to terminate an existing joint powers agreement between the county and the city of Portales regarding the housing of municipal detainees at the local jail, per recommendation from the Roosevelt County manager. Amber Hamilton asked to delay the item as officials “continue to be in negotiations with the city” and still have to look at “multiple joint powers agreements.”

Hamilton told The News on Saturday that the previous JPA on jail housing dated back to 2002 and that costs of services between the city and county have increased significantly since then.

• Renewal of contracts with Frank Levacy Trucking and Red Rock Oil Company for hauling road materials and diesel fuel, respectively, were approved per unanimous vote.

• An agreement with Autoagent Data Solutions for tax collection assistance to the treasurer’s office was approved. It comes with no fiscal impact, Hamilton said.

• Commissioners approved an agreement with aging and long-term services to tap into almost $7,000 of state funding for a new refrigerator and freezer for the Los Abuelitos Senior Center.