Curry commissioners hear budget requests

Curry County commissioners on Tuesday heard budget requests from county departments for the upcoming fiscal year.

County Road Department Superintendent Walon Jones put in requests for a number of items including:

• $84,000 for an open covered storage structure.

• $340,980 for two semi-trucks.

• $99,795 for an equipment trailer.

• $102,098 for a tractor.

Facilities Maintenance Supervisor Tyler Kelly requested funds for piping and toilet replacement in the District Attorney’s office, HVAC system repairs, floor scrubbers, and roof replacement for the generator in the County Administration Building.

Requests were also made from the county’s Information Technology Department and the County Clerk’s office.

In other business, Jones also appeared before commissioners to give his Road Department report.

Jones noted the department is working on $10.3 million in projects now.

He and commissioners discussed the deterioration of some county roads that have been micro-sealed.

Jones told commissioners he is looking into a solution.

Commissioners heard from acting Curry County Detention Center Administrator Joe Alaniz with his February-March report.

Alaniz reported there were 325 bookings in that time frame, 83 first-time bookings, 248 males booked, 77 females, 252 released males and 87 released females.

Alaniz and commissioners had a discussion on recidivism with Alaniz remarking a common cause for people to be incarcerated in Curry County is “failure to appear” in court.

USDA Wildlife Services District Supervisor Lisa Selner appeared before commissioners requesting the county continue participation in the Wildlife Services program.

In her presentation, Selner said in 2023 the program helped protect 1,685 head of livestock valued at almost $2 million in Curry County.

“We believe we prevented approximately $21,144 in livestock predation in Curry County last year,” Selner wrote in her presentation.

She also noted the program provided other services including airport wildlife hazard management for Cannon Air Force Base.

Commission Chair Robert Thornton asked if the program would take care of a skunk problem.

Thornton said he’d heard from a constituent who is being overrun by skunks.

“She’s killed 50 of them,” Thornton said.

After the meeting Thornton said the resident lives about six miles north of Texico and the skunks are coming from an abandoned calf ranch.

USDA State Director Jon Grant, appearing with Selner, said the Wildlife Program would be able to address the problem.

Commissioners greenlighted a plan put forth by Events Center General Manager K. C. Messick for naming rights for the Events Center.

The five-year contract put the cost of the first year as negotiable, then $40,000 per year for the following four years.

Discussion on the matter centered on the initial cost of signage by the sponsor.

Commissioners approved the purchase of a $266,912 virtual reality training system for the Sheriff’s Department.

The system uses four units.

Cost of the system comes from grant money.