Rio Rancho wins millions in state funding for parks, police and roads

Rio Rancho walks away from the2026 New Mexico Legislature with nearly $4 million in state capital outlay funding, covering upgrades to parks, police equipment and city roads — and in several cases, more money than the city asked for.

The legislature funded all but one of the nine priorities the city’s Governing Body approved in December, allocating $2.05 million for a new youth baseball field at Sports Complex North — $350,000 above the city’s request — and $175,000 for children’s shelving at Esther Bone Memorial Library, $75,000 more than asked. Havasu Falls Park will receive $276,000 to replace aging asphalt basketball courts and add four new pickleball courts.

Public safety and infrastructure requests were largely filled. The legislature approved $500,000 to replace five Rio Rancho Police Department vehicles and $110,000 for two traffic and equipment trailers. Westside Boulevard median landscaping, a joint project with Albuquerque, received $497,000, and ADA-compliant curb ramp reconstruction citywide was funded at $150,000. Broadmoor Boulevard’s Intelligent Transportation Systems improvements received $50,000 — about 29% of the $175,000 requested.

The lone major gap: the city’s $1.6 million request to replace a Fire and Rescue Ladder Truck received no funding. Rio Rancho had planned to cover the remaining $830,000 of the truck’s $2.43 million cost from its general fund.

By the numbers

• Sports Complex North baseball field: $2,050,000
• Havasu Falls Park sport courts: $276,000
• Esther Bone Library shelving: $175,000
• Police Dept. vehicles (5): $500,000
• Police traffic/equipment trailers: $110,000
• Westside Blvd. median landscaping: $497,000
• ADA curb ramps citywide: $150,000
• Broadmoor Blvd. ITS improvements: $50,000 of $175,000 requested
• Fire and Rescue Ladder Truck: $0 of $1,600,000 requested