Tax hike effective July 1

A quarter-percent increase in the city’s gross-receipts tax approved by voters Tuesday will not go into effect until July 1, when the city begins its next fiscal year, City Manager Ray Mondragon said.

“Our first collection won’t be until September, because we get the reports from the state every two months,” he said.

Mondragon said newly elected city commissioners will be sworn into office at 5:15 p.m. Monday in a public ceremony in the North Annex of the Clovis-Carver Public Library. Their first city commission meeting will be March 11, he said.

Officials have said the tax increase will generate approximately $1.2 million a year, which would fund expenses under the Ute Water Pipeline Project, residential street improvements, storm water drainage systems, police and fire vehicles, and equipment and expansion at the wastewater treatment. It also will free up other money that can be used for city employee raises, they said.

Two new city commissioners will take office Monday: Randal S. Crowder in District 1 and Fred Van Soelen in District 2. Incumbents who have been returned to office are Robert O. Sandoval in District 3 and Lunell Winton in District 4.