Doña Ana County manager hails high revenue, capital projects

LAS CRUCES — New Mexico’s second most populous county produced a multimedia “State of the County” presentation Wednesday by Doña Ana County Manager Scott Andrews highlighting investments in economic development, community assets and infrastructure. Andrews, who arrived at the county in 2024, introduced the annual presentation last year. 

“The state of Doña Ana County is strong,” County Chairman Manny Sanchez said in a nod to the regular State of the Union address delivered by presidents to Congress. “Strong financially, operationally and especially in its commitment to serve you, the public.”

Visitors to the county government building were greeted by armed deputies and filed through metal detectors — a layer of security last seen during commission debates and contentious protests over funding for Project Jupiter, the massive AI data center under construction in Santa Teresa. Andrews closed the presentation with calls for the community to participate in committees and engage in debate with “dignity and respect.”

Inside the commission chambers, Andrews and other county officials delivered a presentation with sunny updates about the county’s finances, a proud accounting of last summer’s emergency flood response and an optimistic forecast on industrial development.

Andrews said the county entered the current fiscal year with a $430 million budget, finishing the previous year with $173 million in reserve, steady revenue collection and securing voter approval of $140 million across a pair of general obligation bond issues.

The bond projects include upgrades to recreation centers and construction of two new ones, upgraded parks and trails, wastewater improvements, road improvements and upgrades at the county fairgrounds, to include an amphitheater at the site of the former speedway. Investments in a new emergency operations center and elections headquarters were also highlighted, with the former reportedly the largest ground-up construction project by the county in nearly a decade.

The county is also making new investments in water storage capacity following its vote last year to pull out of a joint agreement with the city of Sunland Park sustaining the troubled Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, a water utility that is preparing for absorption by the city with the county assuming responsibility for service outside city limits.

Commissioner Gloria Gameros, the county board’s vice-chair and a resident of Anthony, addressed the county’s disaster response after last summer’s 100-year flood event brought devastation to Vado, Berino and adjacent communities south of Las Cruces.

She said more than $4 million had been distributed to affected households via the Federal Emergency Management Administration, with more sought to help address $11 million in public infrastructure damage, including roads and drainage systems. She reported that the county had distributed $125,000 in local assistance in a mix of county funds and contributions from the Community Foundation of Southern New Mexico and United Way.

“We are working on long-term watershed management solutions so that we are better prepared next time,” Gameros said.

Project Jupiter

The county’s economic development director, Denisse Carter, and Andrews celebrated the start of Project Jupiter, an enormous facility in Santa Teresa under construction for the Oracle Corporation, which has promised thousands of construction jobs and up to 1,500 full-time jobs once its data center is operational. The stated purpose of the center is to provide computer capacity for training AI models for OpenAI.

Sanchez linked the start of construction to a $4.2 million spike in gross receipts tax revenue during December. “It means more funding for essential services for public safety, roads, infrastructure and community programs,” he said. “It means reduced pressure on property taxes by diversifying revenue sources. It means greater flexibility in the budget to respond to emergencies or unexpected costs. It is capacity to invest in long-term projects without relying solely on debt. And it means stronger reserves and financial stability which improves the county’s credit position and borrowing strength.”

The county supported financing for the project with a historically high $165 billion industrial revenue bond issue last year, which drew extended protests among community members concerned about the center’s water demand in a parched region, as well as air pollution from its planned natural gas power facility. Two lawsuits are seeking to reverse the county’s financial support of the project, which trades property taxes for contractually agreed payments to the county.

Algernon D’Ammassa is the Journal’s southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.