Dec. 10 -- Affordable housing, mental and behavioral health services, homelessness and crime were all major subjects at a Tuesday morning discussion of Santa Fe's funding priorities for the upcoming legislative session.
There were few surprises at the early morning gathering of city leaders and Santa Fe-area lawmakers at the Santa Fe Teen Center. The city was on surer footing than at last year's legislative breakfast, when city officials hastened to reassure an at-times skeptical delegation they would be prepared to spend new capital outlay shortly after announcing the city would miss the deadline for turning in its 2023 fiscal year audit by five months.
"Any funding that is appropriated to the city this legislative session -- we are ready and able to spend it," city Finance Director Emily Oster said at Tuesday's breakfast.
With that audit submitted in May and the 2024 audit on track to be turned in on time next week, city officials were confident as they addressed the delegation about their priorities.
The city is asking for substantially less money from the state this time around: just over $32 million in requests compared to $150 million last year, of which it received just $18.9 million. That's likely a response to mounting concerns over the $6 billion in unspent capital outlay statewide, fueled in part by rising construction costs that have driven the price tag on many infrastructure projects beyond what municipalities currently have in the bank to spend.
"What we're looking for is money that would complete a project, complete a phase, so that we're not adding to that balance of money that's not being used," said Jesse Guillén, a legislative liaison for Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham.
City Public Works and Utilities Director Regina Wheeler said that was the city's intention when setting its priorities for 2025.
"We believe by the time we get the money in the door we'll be ready to encumber 100% of the amount that we requested, so that is our goal," she said.
The city's main financial priorities this time are permanent and transitional housing for the homeless, the wastewater treatment plant, the Arroyo de los Chamisos/Richards Avenue extension project, phase two of the Santa Fe Regional Airport expansion and infrastructure improvements at the midtown campus.
The importance of funding mental and behavioral health initiatives was raised by both city and state officials and is likely something that will receive top billing in the session.
"Mental and behavioral health continues to be such a powerful driven of other factors in the community," said Mayor Alan Webber. "If we don't address it, nothing else will change."
Senate Majority Floor Leader Peter Wirth said there will be a focus on introducing a comprehensive behavioral health package and a public safety package during the first several weeks of the session. Wirth said there is no quick fix but the Legislature is prepared to be responsive to concerns about homelessness and crime.
"It's not just public safety; this is a long-term behavioral health situation that needs investment, and I think you're going to see that," Wirth said.
Wirth said an approach that proved successful last year was the delegation pooling its capital outlay requests and asking the governor to fund the balance, an approach that worked to secure $4.5 million for a new connection from the Santa Fe Regional Airport to N.M. 599.
Wirth said the governor was very generous last year and he hopes they can work together again in the upcoming session.
"She came through big time for Santa Fe and I want to publicly acknowledge that," he said.
Along with discussing the upcoming session, the group also took the time to thank outgoing Sen. Nancy Rodriguez for her many years representing Santa Fe. Rodriguez, who has been in office since 1996, didn't run for reelection and will be succeeded by Linda Trujillo.
Despite her upcoming retirement, Rodriguez said she is still working up until the very end of her term.