Doña Ana County held a state of the county address for the first time in more than a decade to highlight accomplishments and future projects.
Doña Ana County Commission Chair Christopher Schaljo-Hernandez delivered opening remarks and said the county intends to make this State of the County address an annual event going forward. He introduced Doña Ana County Manager Scott Andrews, who has been at his job for less than a year after a national search the county undertook in 2024.
Schaljo-Hernandez talked about the county’s strategic plan, adopted in 2023, which creates seven areas of concern for county officials and departments. They include issues such as humane housing and basic needs for health and safety.
Andrews called the county staff “resilient.” One of the projects under way for the county that Andrews highlighted is an ice-skating rink expected to go in at the County Fairgrounds and be open just before Thanksgiving until just after Valentine’s Day, Andrews said.
Andrews told the Bulletin the county is making significant investments in the county’s Fairground, which will include, but is not limited to the ice rink.
Some accomplishments
Some of the county’s accomplishments the assistant county managers highlighted at the luncheon held at the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd., include a national search for a veterinarian who is now setting up a mobile clinic for the county to offer a spay and neuter program.
Assistant County Manager Deborah Weir said the county helped the Village of Ruidoso last summer after the deadly South Fork and Salt fires with pet evacuations and helped reunite families with their pets.
Assistant County Manager Stephen Lopez said the sheriff’s office has obtained a new crime scene vehicle and recently graduated deputies to fill almost 100% of the previous vacancies.
Lopez said the Doña Ana County Detention Center recently received an accreditation from the New Mexico Counties Adult Professional Detention Accreditation and that it had a graduation of detention center cadets.
The Fire and Rescue Department received three new units that are ambulances with firefighting equipment on board for enhanced emergency response capability, Lopez said.
Weir said the county’s Crisis Triage Center is now a 24-hour site and fully staffed.
Assistant County Manager Jonathan Macias said the county designed a new logo and hired a new public information officer as part of its effort to enhance the county’s transparency with the public.
Lopez said the county has 1,400 miles it is responsible for and that over the past year, the county repaired over 120 miles of road. He said 27 county-maintained roads are in various stages of planning, design or deployment for more repair and maintenance work.
Some projects under way
Lopez said one of the biggest is a $38 million project in partnership with federal, state and local government to improve how cargo moves along Industrial Avenue in Santa Teresa Industrial Park. Lopez called it a “critical area at the Port of Entry.”
Lopez said the Office of Emergency Management will be in a new building that is underway near New Mexico State University’s golf course in a partnership with NMSU. Lopez said it will open in about a year.
The county is working to expand broadband service in a 25-mile stretch between Hatch and Radium Springs. Weir said the project is 95% completed and will bring high-speed internet to more than 1,600 homes and 1,200 businesses. She said it will be completed in the next few months.
Weir said the county is also bringing high-speed internet to the County Fairgrounds and expects to improve wireless connectivity with new microwave towers by the end of June of this year.
Weir said a compensation study is also underway to ensure the county retains talent and can attract new talent and is “competing in the market in a fair and equitable manner.”
Weir said the county’s internship program is in its fifth year and this year the county is revamping it to tie it more closely to educational outcomes. She said that in partnership with the school districts, the county plans to better match student interest with business partners, will have a syllabus for the students and that they will learn life skills such as writing a resume and how to apply for jobs.
