By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
Rio Rancho’s governing body closed the books on fiscal year 2027 July 23, unanimously approving a $452 million budget that survived a late round of belt-tightening after last year’s savings came in lighter than city hall hoped.
The vote on Resolution R57 sends the final budget to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration ahead of the state’s July 31 deadline. Director of Financial Services Stephanie Yara told the council the final version updates the interim budget approved May 28 to reflect the city’s actual cash position after FY26 closed the books, plus encumbrances and project balances rolling into the new year.
What got cut
The squeeze wasn’t painless. Yara said inflation and expenditure savings running $1.7 million below projections forced the city to defer renovations and improvements at City Hall, and to shrink the scope of the Tulip Road design project, in order to keep the budget structurally balanced.
Mayor Paul Wymer thanked Yara’s team for the trim job but didn’t hide his disappointment over what landed on the cutting-room floor.
“Unfortunately, we had to cut some things out that we really wanted, and I think still need,” Wymer said. “But we’ll move on to that in another fiscal year.”
BY THE NUMBERS
- $452 million — total FY27 city budget
- 31.39% — share going to the Rio Rancho Police Department
- 20.18% — Fire and Rescue
- 12.27% — Public Works
- 11.46% — Parks and Recreation
- $170 million — total city revenue, including $114 million from taxes
The budget still holds a 25% reserve in the General Fund through the five-year financial plan, a benchmark the city says protects its bond rating. Council members also approved roughly $381,000 for AFSCME union and non-union pay reclassifications during the same resolution.