By Jesse Jones
During its May 12 meeting, the Bernalillo Town Council got its first look at the town’s $12.5 million preliminary budget, which includes a projected $767,000 general fund surplus and major investments in infrastructure and essential services. The budget also highlighted upcoming road repairs, park improvements and progress on the town’s long-range Comprehensive Plan.
Bernalillo is looking at a $767,768 surplus in its proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 — a big shift from this year’s $579,648 deficit, according to Terri Gray, town treasurer and finance director.
Gross receipts taxes are still the town’s main money-maker, bringing in close to $6 million. Property taxes are expected to add about $897,000, with the rest coming from fees, fines and state support.
Departments requested a total of $831,457 from the general fund, mostly for staff and benefits, according to budget documents. Requests include $280,026 for museums, $214,438 for animal control, $170,577 for municipal court, $141,416 for the Motor Vehicle Division and $25,000 for elections.
According to the preliminary budget, the police department requested just over $4 million, a 12% increase from last year’s $3.82 million. The fire department asked for more than $2 million, up nearly 4% from last year’s $2.25 million.
The town expects about $5.9 million in revenue from water, sewer and trash services, with a small surplus of about $43,000, according to the budget. Capital funds will help pay for roadwork, utility upgrades and a new fire station. A $2.9 million state grant from a 2023 appropriation is fully set aside for the fire station’s design and construction.
In other news
The council also approved a trio of partnerships with Sandoval County, including one for the new regional 911 dispatch agreement. The council also renewed its partnership with the county to run the upcoming municipal election and accepted a library bond distribution of about $369,000, more than doubling its last award.
Mayor Jack Torres said the new emergency dispatch system, set to launch July 1, will give Bernalillo more control and better service after Rio Rancho pulled out of the previous agreement.
Torres said tensions between Rio Rancho and Sandoval County started a couple of years ago and only got worse with each meeting. Rio Rancho eventually withdrew from the joint agreement and got state approval to run its dispatch center.
The remaining partners — Bernalillo, Corrales, Santa Ana Pueblo and Sandoval County — chose to stay together under a new agreement. Torres said it’s unfortunate they couldn’t work things out, since the split will likely cost everyone a bit more. Still, he said the new deal addresses past concerns and feels fairer to all members.
Meanwhile, the 2025 library bond allocation from Sandoval County totals $369,339, a 164% increase over the 2023 amount, according to Joseph McKenzie, Library Director at the Martha Liebert Public Library.
McKenzie said the funding will support both media collections and long-overdue facility upgrades.
“Which is really good,” McKenzie said. “I hope that going forward, I’ll still be able to break through what many of us librarians consider to be the Rio Rancho centrism of the county commission.”
The funds can be used for books, videos, DVDs, sound recordings, digital media and internet-based materials, as well as capital improvements like lighting upgrades and repairs.
The council approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Sandoval County for the municipal officer’s election. The MOU outlines the minimal fees, which include overtime for election day and early morning or late-night work for staff, according to the town administrator.
“This is for state statute,” Torres said. “Our administrator will run and administer the election, but we do it with the support of Sandoval County.”
The council approved Adam “AJ” Bonnett as fire chief, following the retirement of former Chief Michael Legendre in February.
“I just want to say thank you for giving me the opportunity and for giving me this honor,” Bonnett said. “I look forward to working with everybody and moving everything forward that’s already been put in motion.”