Lawmakers criticize capital outlay backlog, begrudgingly approve bill

SANTA FE — Billions of dollars earmarked for brick-and-mortar projects around New Mexico are going unused.

In many cases, the source of the problem is skyrocketing construction costs or the COVID-19 pandemic. So to keep from losing the money appropriated for those projects, lawmakers pass an annual “reauthorization bill,” which can extend the projects’ deadlines, expand their purposes or makes other administrative changes.

But on the Senate side of the Roundhouse, lawmakers are souring on the growing backlog of projects.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee passed Senate Bill 246, which would reauthorize more than 250 capital outlay projects, extending the time on most of them. While noting the bill — passed on an 8-1 vote — is needed, senators expressed frustrations with the measure.

“We created this monster (ourselves) in the Legislature,” Sen. George Muñoz, D-Gallup, said. “We throw money everywhere.”

Muñoz, the chair of the committee, added he doesn’t plan to hear a reauthorization bill next year, saying, “I think it’s time to draw the line in the sand, and just say, ‘You guys got to get (caught up).’ ” He further suggested holding off on new projects to backfill existing ones.

As of the second quarter of this fiscal year, an estimated $4.7 billion across about 5,000 projects was outstanding throughout New Mexico, according to a Legislative Finance Committee report.

Some of SB 246's projects, which include safety improvements for Albuquerque Rapid Transit, splash park construction and public school crosswalk improvements, have been delayed for years. Across the bill, an LFC analyst said the oldest projects date back to 2016.

“I’m going to vote no, because I know this is going to pass, and it needs to,” said Sen. Crystal Diamond Brantley, R-Elephant Butte. “At some point, we have to say, ‘Enough is enough,’ because we're sitting on this money.”