The Las Cruces City Council was receptive Monday to Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley’s presentation on the need for a 1/4-percent increase in the gross receipts tax to help fund Spaceport America.
Councilors directed staff to draft a resolution supporting the increase, which will be presented to the council at its Jan. 16 meeting, according to the Las Cruces Sun-News.
Contrary to what was reported by the newspaper, the city council’s resolution is not necessary. The county’s resolution calling for a special election on April 3, assuming it receives final approval next month, is all that is required for an election, but McCamley is asking the governing boards of municipalities and school districts in the county to approve statements in support of the tax increase.
The Sun-News reported that there appeared to be “preliminary approval” from the council. It was a work session, so the council could not legally vote on whether to support the increase.
The biggest questions came from Councilor Ken Miyagishima, who asked why a statewide tax couldn’t be enacted, instead of just an increase in Doña Ana, Otero and
“Everybody is going to benefit,” the Sun-News quoted Miyagishima as saying. “Why should just these two or three counties pay for this when the whole state benefits?”
McCamley pointed out that the state has already appropriated $115 million of the estimated $225-million cost of the facility and might authorize an additional $25 million during the 2007 legislative session, so the state is paying for more than half the cost.
The tax increase, McCamley said, amounts to 25 cents of every $100 spent.
Councilor Dolores Archuleta, according to the newspaper, said she could support the tax increase if it would decrease the city’s poverty level.
“I think about the jobs it’s going to bring, and break the poverty level we can’t… seem to break,” the newspaper quoted her as saying.