Spaceport officials will hold a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. today at Hot Springs High School in Truth or Consequences two weeks ahead of Sierra County's referendum on a spaceport tax increase, the Las Cruces Sun-News reported.

New Mexico Spaceport Authority Executive Director Steve Landeene is scheduled to attend tonight's information meeting, which is hosted by the political action committee, People for Aerospace, the paper said.

Also expected to attend are former Gov. Garrey Carruthers and state Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming, both supporters of New Mexico's venture into the commercial space industry that is expected to be an economic boon to southern New Mexico, the Sun-News reported.

Sierra County voters will go to the polls on April 22 to decide whether to approve a gross-receipts tax increase that would generate about $300,000 a year to help pay for the proposed Spaceport America that officials hope to open in early 2010 in southern Sierra County, the paper said.

The Legislature has allotted most but not all of the $198 million for the project, with the difference to be made up from gross-receipts tax revenues from three counties -- Dona Ana, Sierra and Otero, according to the Sun-News.  

Dona Ana County voters narrowly approved a similar tax increase last year, but creation of a tax district requiring approval of two counties is needed before the Dona Ana County tax can be collected, the Sun-News said.

Meanwhile, the New Mexico Spaceport Authority voted unanimously Monday to authorize Executive Director Steve Landeene to enter into a legally binding agreement with Spaceport America anchor tenant Virgin Galactic, according to another Sun-News story.

The agreement commits the British firm to a 20-year lease to host its space tourism operations at the spaceport, but is not an actual lease but a precursor to a lease, Landeene told the Sun-News.

A development agreement could be worked out and signed within the next few weeks but would not include financial terms, Landeene said.

The actual lease could be signed this fall, he added. 

Part of the Legislature's funding for the project is contingent on a signed lease agreement with an anchor tenant, the Sun-News reported. 

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