Early voting for Rio Rancho’s municipal election closed Saturday with 6,733 ballots cast, surpassing the pre-Election Day total from the 2022 municipal election and offering a more optimistic turnout picture heading into Tuesday’s vote. The final pre-Election Day tally, updated by City of Rio Rancho Clerk Noel Davis as of 1:49 p.m. Sunday, includes 6,494 […]
Rio Rancho
Rio Rancho council vote shapes future growth with new neighborhood, property restrictions
Property owners along Rainbow Boulevard will face new building restrictions under a unanimous vote Thursday by the Rio Rancho Governing Body, while nearly 800 future residents will gain a new neighborhood in the city’s northern section, decisions that city officials say will shape Rio Rancho’s growth for decades. The governing body approved three measures at […]
Memorial services set for BCSO sergeant killed during traffic stop to be held in Rio Rancho
A Bernalillo County sheriff’s sergeant who was killed when a tractor-trailer struck his patrol vehicle during a traffic stop on Interstate 40 will be honored with public memorial services this weekend and Monday, with his funeral falling on what would have been his 53rd birthday. Sgt. Michael Schlattman, a 13-year veteran of the Bernalillo County […]
Rio Rancho’s weekend lineup: Music, history and family fun
A farewell tour from a Latin music legend tops a weekend packed with live music, family-friendly exhibits, creative workshops and community gatherings across Rio Rancho and the surrounding area this Friday through Sunday. Before you make entertainment plans, make a plan to vote. Early voting runs through 6 p.m. Saturday at five locations in Rio […]
Will Rio Rancho voters show up? Turnout is down from 2022 ahead of March 3 Election Day
As the last weekend of early voting approaches, turnout for the Rio Rancho municipal election is currently lagging behind the 2022 pace, even as the city has added thousands of new registered voters over the past four years. As of Feb. 25, just 4,093 voters have cast their ballots for the March 3, election, representing […]
Rio Rancho council to consider zoning changes, master plan adoption
The Rio Rancho Governing Body will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Chambers to consider several zoning ordinances, a new master plan and a budget adjustment, among other items. The meeting will also be available via Zoom and streamed live on the city’s website. Among the most substantial items on the agenda […]
Rio Rancho’s ‘pizza slice’ gets state’s shovel-ready stamp
A triangular, 43-acre lot near King and Unser boulevards, nicknamed “the pizza slice” for its unusual shape, is one of five properties across New Mexico to receive the state’s first “strategic economic development site” designations under the Site Readiness Program, announced by Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s administration. The program, run through the New Mexico Economic […]
Rio Rancho’s Citizens’ Police Academy pulls back the curtain on police work
Eleven weeks. One night a week. And for many participants, a completely changed perspective on the people who patrol their streets. The Rio Rancho Police Department’s Citizens’ Police Academy is currently underway, with roughly two dozen residents getting an inside look at how one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing cities keeps itself safe. The program, which […]
Rio Rancho police, fire departments report mixed results in 2025
Rio Rancho’s police and fire departments handled tens of thousands of calls in 2025, with new data showing faster fire response times but a notable rise in structure fires and a wide spread in police response times depending on call urgency. The Rio Rancho Police Department received 66,232 total calls for service between Jan. 1 […]
Why is a mayoral candidate suing the City of Rio Rancho?
A federal lawsuit alleging that Rio Rancho has systematically ignored its own legislative rules has become a central pillar for one candidate in the city’s upcoming mayoral race. The city denies the allegations in the lawsuit and maintains that it has complied with all applicable rules and regulations. Corrine Rios, the lead plaintiff in Rios […]

