Roosevelt tax bills delayed for election

PORTALES — With the exception of death, life’s biggest inevitability remains taxes. That’s the case in Roosevelt County, as well, but the inevitable is being delayed a few weeks.

Treasurer Layle Sanchez said at Tuesday’s county commission meeting that county property owners would normally be receiving their tax bills right now.

However, that will be delayed for a few weeks because the county is waiting on the Nov. 2 election.

On the ballot are six different tax questions — two general obligation bond questions and four capital improvement tax questions — among four school districts. The county, Sanchez said, will calculate tax bills based on the passage or failure of those questions.

Sanchez said tax bills will likely get to property owners around Thanksgiving week. The due date will be Dec. 10, with a Jan. 10 deadline to avoid penalties.

For tax preparation purposes, Sanchez said, residents are advised to handle payments by Dec. 31. The spring billing schedule will not change, Sanchez said, with April 10 billing and a May 10 deadline to avoid penalties.

In other business during the Tuesday meeting:

n County Emergency Manager Johnny Montiel updated commissioners on the Federal Emergency Management Administration’s floodplain map updates. The federal matter clearly frustrated commissioners and County manager Amber Hamilton. The new map, which impacts homeowner insurance rates, is available for viewing at the Roosevelt County Courthouse.

Commissioner Dennis Lopez, when told by Montiel protests of the map would require data refuting FEMA findings, didn’t like that the burden for errors would be placed on property owners.

Commissioner Shane Lee, who ran the meeting in place of Chair Tina Dixon, didn’t like the potential impact on people with mortgage payments already set up for current rates. Lee also said it was frustrating as a county to let citizens know because there are limited media outlets and many people get their information off of social media.

Hamilton said the floodplain maps are a federal matter, and the county’s only role is to bring awareness despite any frustration she and others have with the process. She said citizens in unincorporated areas will likely see the biggest impact, but, “Everyone should just assume their floodplain is going to change.”

n Hamilton said she and county staff did a walkthrough of fairgrounds drainage upgrades, and that she expected to do another walkthrough in the next week or two. Fairground roof repairs are nearly done, Hamilton said, with youth building window replacement pending.

n The commission appointed Commissioner Rod Savage to a shared services committee and Dixon to be the commission representative for the Eastern New Mexico Local Workforce board. The shared services committee, Hamilton said, has come about because the city of Portales has a new city manager and the entities felt it was a good time to discuss what to charge each other for various services — i.e. the county detention center housing inmates apprehended by city police.

n The commission approved a one-year renewal of its contract for banking services with JP Stone Community Bank.

n A contract for hauling road materials was approved with C&K Cattle Company. Rates are $75 per hour, plus a per mile per ton fee that changes based on the material and total trip length.

n The commission approved acceptance of $20,308 in grants on patrol efforts for ENDWI and the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program.

n The next meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Nov. 8.