Curry commission takes steps toward setting budget

CLOVIS — Curry County took initial steps Tuesday in setting a budget for the upcoming fiscal year beginning July 1.

County Manager Lance Pyle said he planned to bring a preliminary budget to the county’s first May meeting. The county’s budget for the current fiscal year is $39,987,399.

He said he expected a 2 percent increase in revenue and a 3 percent increase in money from property taxes.

He also said he was likely looking at increases of 20 percent in liability insurance, 15 percent in workman’s compensation and 1 percent in employee health insurance. While the percentage jumps might not turn out to be that big, Pyle said, he’d rather overshoot and have money set aside instead of having to pull money from other parts of the budget later.

Various county department heads gave commissioners a wish list for the upcoming year:

• Treasurer Debbie Spriggs requested software that would allow visitors to the county website to determine what they needed to pay on county taxes and then pay from the website. She said the clerk and assessors office both had records available online, but anybody with questions about their property taxes had to “wait until 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. when we’re in the office” to get questions answered.

“We get these calls daily,” Spriggs said. “In fact, we got one this morning.”

• Detention Center Administrator Mark Gallegos requested $6,975 for a steam table to keep inmate meals at a proper temperature.

• Ben Roberts, a safety and construction officer for the county, requested $7,750 to replace one of 10 heating, ventilation and air conditioning units at the health department building on 13th and Cameo. The building has 10, and Roberts plans to replace one annually. There are 10 overall, and three are recently purchased. Commission Chair Ben McDaniel said the rotation-based replacement seemed a better idea than having to replace all of them at once.

• Road Superintendent Dennis Fury requested a dump truck, new barn heaters for Broadview and Clovis and software that could track road improvements and help identify the places in most need of help.

The preliminary budget is due to the Department of Finance and Administration by May 31.

In other business at the Tuesday meeting:

• An update was given on construction of the new Broadview Fire Station.

Randy Kamradt, part owner of Davtek, the construction contractor, said there have been obstacles but expects the $439,000 project to be done within its contract window of August. He mentioned there were regulatory issues on the septic system and that a culvert needs to be modified to allow heavy equipment onto the construction site.

• Xcel Energy updated the commission on a trio of wind energy projects it’s adding under its umbrella.

David Essex, Xcel’s local regional representative said, one of those projects ws the 522-megawatt Sagamore project near Dora. There are plans for an open house May 2-3 on the site.

The Sagamore wind farm is being built by Invenergy, who will then sell it to Xcel.

Commissioner Angelina Baca said it was positive that private industry was taking initiative, as she doubted the federal government would have much inclination to help wind energy.

• The commission heard a presentation from Eastern Plains Council of Governments Executive Director Sandy Chancey about Stronger Economies Together (SET).

The USDA Rural Development program, one of several SET programs in New Mexico, would involve a five-county operation with Roosevelt, Lea, Chaves and Eddy counties to help identify economic advantages. Data from the USDA for the program, Chancey said, was more in-depth than what is available from the U.S. Census.

The program required no investment from the county, but did require a representative and alternate from the commission. Baca volunteered to serve as the representative, with Ben Smith agreeing to be alternate.

• Chancey updated commissioners on last week’s Eastern New Mexico Spring Job Fair, held by EPCOG at the Clovis Civic Center. She said attendance was 255, a little more than half of last year’s total, likely due to the proximity to the Easter weekend.

She said there were 197 interviews conducted on-site, and the expectation was 115 hires would be made from the fair.

• The county honored Darrick Shaw, who retired March 31 after eight years with the Curry County Sheriff’s Office.

Shaw, who has more than 20 years in law enforcement, had also helped Melrose’s police department over his final seven years.

• The commission met for an hour and 20 minutes in executive session. Commissioners did not give details beyond personnel matters, acquisition or disposal of property and consultation with the county attorney. No action was taken.