By Jesse Jones
The Village Council tackled a packed agenda May 13, starting with a public hearing, then discussing a conservative budget aimed at employee retention, public safety and infrastructure while trimming overall spending for the first time in years.
Councilors first held a public hearing on an appeal filed by Kirt Kirkpatrick and Angela Morgan challenging the Planning and Zoning Commission’s approval of a preliminary plat for Stephen Mullens. The council sided with the appellants and overturned the decision.
The proposed fiscal year 2025 budget includes cost-of-living raises, higher retirement contributions and targeted funding for drainage, sewer planning and animal services. Councilors also approved a new emergency dispatch agreement and unanimously adopted a long-debated comprehensive plan.
“It’s a conservative budget with high hopes,” said Village Administrator Ron Curry. “We think it’s possible to do our job here for the residents of Corrales, but also be cautious as we approach this coming year.”
Curry said village staff focused on retaining employees while drafting the preliminary budget, as Corrales competes with other metro-area municipalities. The administration has worked to add benefits that help keep current workers and attract new hires more easily.
“We are in a competitive marketplace here in Corrales,” Curry said. “We are competing with firefighters, police officers. We are competing across the board, with all of our employees.”
According to Curry, the budget includes a boost to Public Employees Retirement Association benefits and a 3% cost-of-living raise for Village employees.
The increase, costing about $254,000 annually, will take effect after employees vote to approve the increase and the state authorizes it, likely by the first quarter of the next fiscal year. He said these changes aim to help retain and recruit, especially first responders.
According to Curry, about 65% of the total budget goes to employee pay and benefits. The Village now employs 61 people, almost a 30% increase after adding 14 positions over the past two years.
“This is the first time, at least since I’ve been here, that we’re asking for a budget that is less than the preceding year,” Curry said. “I feel confident that revenues are going to be able to fill this budget, based upon what we’ve seen in the past.”
The budget also includes:
- Higher pay for lifeguards to compete with Rio Rancho and Albuquerque
- $50,000 for Animal Services projects
- Funding for new signage
- A legislative grant of $50,000 for a wastewater feasibility study at Public Works
The final vote on the budget is scheduled for May 27.
Emergency dispatch agreement
Councilors unanimously approved a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) to create a new regional emergency dispatch system called the Public Safety Emergency Communications Center (PSECC), which is set to launch July 1.
The move replaces the soon-to-be-defunct Sandoval County Regional Emergency Communications Center.
According to Mayor James Fahey, the agreement is an attempt to fix problems that caused Rio Rancho to divorce the old dispatch partnership.
“They’ve even defined a breakup in here, so it’s like a prenup,” he said.
Fahey said the governing commission — made up of members from Bernalillo, Corrales, Santa Ana Pueblo and Sandoval County — will draft the budget, but each JPA member must approve it.
Fire Chief Anthony Martinez said he’s comfortable with the agreement and noted that Corrales and its legal counsel actively shaped the final version.
“We were the only municipality that was going back and forth, making sure that this document would fit our needs for future collaboration with the new dispatch center,” Martinez said.
According to Martinez, the Village is locked into a 7% contribution to the JPA budget. A working group will make adjustments that will reflect actual service metrics such as call volume or time on the radio.
Martinez said there will be two public safety answering points (PSAPs) in Sandoval County and Rio Rancho, “which is good redundancy.”
$2 Million grant for sewer system design
Councilors approved a resolution granting signatory authority for a $2 million New Mexico Environment Department grant to design a potential village-wide sewer system, if ever needed.
The item was originally on the consent agenda, which lets the council approve routine items in one vote without discussion. It was pulled after two residents raised concerns during the Corraleños Forum.
Deputy Fire Chief Tanya Lattin said the project dates back to 2022, when the council approved funding for a preliminary engineering report and related grant applications. She said the nearly 600-page report was just finalized and paid for entirely with state funds.
The plan would help Corrales prepare for a future sewer system and deal with ongoing problems in the aging Septic Tank Effluent Pump (STEP) system, which uses septic tank effluent pumps. Current plans include a loop to bypass failing valves and protect workers.
Fahey said the Clean Water State Revolving Fund offers both grants and loans, but borrowing isn’t required. He said he confirmed with state staff the village could receive $75,000 for the report, $2 million for system design, and, if ever needed, access to a $20 million loan at 0.05% interest.
“I don’t want to borrow money, as we’ve talked about,” Fahey said, “but we had a chance to get $2,075,000 to plan and design a system three years ago, and it seemed like a good deal to me and you guys agreed at the time, because you approved our ordinance.”
The resolution moves the village into the design phase, which could guide a future system that might not be built for decades. Fahey said Corrales needs a sewer loop now to bypass STEP system breakdowns, which happen often due to low-quality plastic valves.
Councilor Stuart Murray, who voted no, said a $2 million design only made sense if construction happens within five years.
Fahey said the plan should have been done years ago and the design report is awaiting final state approval. He said the $2 million is a no-cost planning grant, not a loan or construction funding.
The design would cover the entire village, though construction could happen in phases. Future steps depend on state direction since the funds come from federal sources.
Lattin said the system would eventually connect to the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority. She said the project aligns with a 2020 Water Advisory Board recommendation that urged the village to move as many homes as possible to sewer due to concerns about water quality and contamination.
Councilors also discussed whether residents would be required to connect. Lattin said past policy only required connections for new construction, commercial properties or in cases of septic failure, and she hoped similar flexibility would apply.
In other news
The Council unanimously adopted a new 10-year comprehensive plan after years of public debate over village character, housing density and representation.
Shaped by months of committee work and public input, the plan drops all references to transferable development rights, a controversial concept critics said could increase density, and removes outdated language about a proposed Arts and Cultural District.
Councilors called the plan a “living document” and said it can be updated as needed. They also acknowledged calls from descendants and Hispanic families for more inclusion in village decisions.
Get involved
The next Village Council meeting is at 6:30 p.m., May 27, at the Village of Corrales Council Chambers, 4342 Corrales Road.
Future agenda items:
- May 27: Presentation from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission
- June 10: Presentation on interior drain update
- June 24: Discussion of proposed noise ordinance changes
- 5:30 p.m., July 9, Council Chambers: Public meeting to review interior drain plan