By Jesse Jones
Soaring property tax valuations and shrinking water access have Corraleños on edge, turning the village into a vivid example of how state policies hit home.
At an April 19 town hall, Rep. Kathleen Cates of Rio Rancho and Sen. Cindy Nava of Bernalillo met with Corrales residents to explain how recent legislation is being felt locally. With just one representative and one senator after redistricting, the village now leans on the two Democrats to help navigate challenges ranging from school funding to water access.
Residents voiced concerns about soaring property taxes, shrinking water supplies and strained local services, highlighting how decisions made at the Roundhouse ripple through daily life in the village. The discussion offered a snapshot of how statewide policy plays out in small communities.
“I am horrified by this tax assessor,” Cates said during the meeting, referring to Corrales’s sharp rise in property valuations.
Corrales is being treated differently from the rest of Sandoval County, according to local farmer Ken DeHoff. He said every acre is now valued at $290,000 — a 42% hike from last year, forcing small farmers to sell 400 more pounds of produce per acre just to hold onto their land, raise prices, or walk away.
Those concerns came to a head at the town hall, where Cates and Nava fielded questions and concerns from a packed room of residents. The meeting served as both a legislative update from the recent 60-day session and offered Corraleños a chance to connect their frustrations, particularly over taxes and water, to the lawmakers tasked with addressing them.
The Nava update
Freshman Sen. Nava said she ran to bring representation as an immigrant, former DACA recipient and daughter of undocumented parents. She serves on several legislative and interim committees and said she focused on healthcare, education, housing, water and agriculture — issues that directly affect Corrales.
“I could not be prouder to represent Senate District 9,” Nava said. “I grew up spending a lot of time here.”
According to Nava, she sponsored 17 bills and co-sponsored others, including one with Cates.
According to Nava, 247 bills made it to the finish line this session, with 195 passing and 160 signed into law. She said the state also passed its largest budget ever — $10.8 billion, which she said is exciting for everyone.
One of her proudest moments was Senate Bill 364, which removes the U.S. citizenship requirement for law enforcement jobs. She said it helps address officer shortages by allowing legal residents and DACA recipients to apply.
She said the bill mirrors policies already in place in Colorado, California and Illinois, and all applicants must be legally in the U.S. Nava said the change is common sense and helps tackle police shortages by expanding who can serve, especially as New Mexico struggles with recruitment, retention and rising crime.
“I am very proud of having presented along with Sen. Craig Brandt in every single committee, it made a difference,” Nava said. “It showed a much bigger spectrum of what we were trying to do.”
Nava also highlighted her support for the Turquoise Alert system to help address missing and murdered Indigenous women and her work on health care protections for providers of abortion and gender-affirming care.
Nava said she coordinated with Cates to avoid overlap in capital funding, securing $100,000 for Corrales Elementary along with money for fire suppression, police gear and a new ambulance. Public safety was a top concern across her district, she said, so they focused funding strategically in both chambers.
Nava said she also co-sponsored a trio of behavioral health bills to expand services, build long-term funding and target local gaps by creating a trust fund, allocating $140 million for regional care and forming an oversight committee.
Nava said they’re not a fix-all, but they’re a strong start, especially with federal funding uncertain.
The Cates update
Rep. Kathleen Cates said she pre-filed 17 bills, carried 39 and saw nine signed into law this session.
“This is only my second term, my third session, but I’ve learned to get my work done early,” she said.
Cates serves as vice chair of the House Agriculture, Acequias and Water Resources Committee and sits on the House Health & Human Services Committee. She also serves on several interim committees, including Water & Natural Resources and Finance Authority oversight groups.
Cates said she and Nava worked closely to maximize capital outlay funding for the district. With a fixed budget, it’s crucial to communicate to ensure that every dollar is used effectively.
Cates secured funding for a flood control project through the Southern Sandoval County Arroyo Flood Control Authority to benefit both Corrales and Rio Rancho, and helped fund a new turn lane near Loretta Drive in Albuquerque to improve traffic safety for boat drop-offs and horse riders.
Water remains a top priority, Cates said she backed several bills to improve water quality and access.
Though she didn’t sponsor Senate Bill 21, Cates said she strongly backed it. The bill restores New Mexico’s authority to regulate pollutants in surface water, an important shift after a 2023 U.S. Supreme Court ruling limited federal oversight. She said the state already has tools like the Water Quality Control Commission in place to manage local oversight.
Cates said groundwater is especially critical in New Mexico. Under former Gov. Bill Richardson, the state handed over surface water regulation to the EPA, whose Dallas office has limited understanding of New Mexico’s needs.
“Back in 2022, Village Administrator Ron Curry told me this keeps him up at night,” she said.
She said the Supreme Court ruling made things worse. While it didn’t affect states like Ohio, it left many of New Mexico’s seasonal waterways and tributaries vulnerable. The Rio Grande is still protected, but most of its feeder streams are not.
“This bill brings that regulation back to us so we can protect our own water,” Cates said. “It’s a big win for our water and our future.”
She pointed to a 50-year water plan released by New Mexico Tech in January 2024 that projects the state could have 25% less water in the next five decades. Cates said the report highlights the urgency of better water management as the climate shifts.
One strategy involves tapping into non-potable sources for industry. Cates pointed to Intel as an example. The company lost its Rio Rancho water rights, turned to Albuquerque and began using brackish water to cool its chips — a move that removed demand from potable supplies and worked well for the company.
On crime, Cates said she supported bills that increase penalties for fentanyl possession, carjacking and gun conversion devices. She also pushed for a bill that lets law enforcement charge people for illegal gun modifiers, which are often overlooked by federal agencies.
She said the state’s crime problem ties back to a lack of behavioral health services, with many people ending up homeless or in jail without treatment. Cates said the legislature passed bills this year to improve mental health services and public safety.
Cates also backed SB 16, which allows independent voters to choose a primary ballot without changing party affiliation. Nearly a third of her district are independents, she said, and the change is a win for their voice.
“New Mexico was founded by independence,” Cates said. “In this state, you can be independent.”
Residents sound off
During the Q&A, Correlaños pushed Cates and Nava on everything from oil and gas to property taxes, farming and food security, giving the lawmakers a chance to speak directly to local concerns.
Paul Stokes, a Corrales resident and former nuclear inspector for the International Atomic Energy Agency, questioned the state’s climate priorities. He said New Mexico’s oil and gas production is projected to double by 2030, even as the state works to fight the climate crisis.
“I am not aware of any legislation that is being presented or has a chance of being passed to stop the production,” Cates said.
“What we can do is hold them accountable,” she said. Are they using water responsibly, capping wells correctly and paying what they should?
“Because this is private land, it becomes a much more complex issue.”
One Corrales farmer said drought and the state’s failure to recognize land conservancies are threatening her ability to stay in business. Without enough water to grow crops or prove production, she risks losing tax protections and could be forced to sell.
Cates said she’s working on it. She previously carried a bill, developed with Village Councilor Rick Miera, to ease the tax burden, but it failed three times. She said she’ll try again with stronger legal backing and urged farmers to stay involved through the local co-op.
Former Sen. Brenda McKenna asked why Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham pocket vetoed House Bill 284, a bill to manage free-roaming horses. The bill passed both chambers with bipartisan support.
“It had tremendous support in the House and it was unanimous in the Senate,” McKenna said.“Because she pocket vetoed it, we get to worry about accidents, injury and death.”
Both Cates and Nava said they were caught off guard.
“It’s very clear it’s needed,” Nava said.” Folks in Placitas remind us quite frequently of the desperate need.”
Bonnie Gonzales of the Corrales Growers Market asked how the state will protect food security programs like the Farmers Market Nutrition Program as federal support shrinks.
Cates said lawmakers increased state funding for programs that buy from local growers, including Meals on Wheels, public schools and some senior centers.
Other questions included everything from doctor shortages and asylum support to cannabis rules.
“At the end of the day, we are serving you,” Nava said. “I am here to listen to you and to see what your concerns are.”