Attorney General Gary King’s office is looking into the issue of how long the Las Cruces City Council has to act on a proposal to annex 4,200 acres on the
AG spokesman Phil Sisneros said his office received a written request from Sen. Leonard Lee Rawson and an oral request from Rep. Nate Cote today.
“Our office is working diligently and expeditiously on the request,” Sisneros said.
At issue is whether a state statute would prevent councilors from delaying a vote on the annexation to allow more time for public scrutiny. Some interpret the statute to mean that the council must act by early May, making the postponing of Monday’s vote impractical. Others interpret the statute to mean the council could postpone the vote until early June.
It’s not clear whether the opinion will be ready before Monday’s council meeting, but King has provided legal opinions much quicker than his predecessor, Patricia Madrid.
Scroll down or click here to read today’s earlier article on this topic and a more in-depth explanation of what’s happening.