The City of Sunland Park, which has been plagued by scandal, is making some tough fiscal decisions after being faced with the choice of doing it themselves or having the state do it for them.
From the Albuquerque Journal:
“To close the projected deficit, the council is considering: generating about $200,000 more through a property tax increase; nearly doubling development fees to bring in $75,000; selling a recently bought garbage truck to eliminate $52,000 in debt; and ending $63,000 in payments for local access to a bus service.
“The council is also considering replacing municipal garbage pickup, which operates at a $190,000 annual loss, with a private contractor who would be charged a franchise fee. With municipal pickup operating at a deficit, residents would likely see their collection fee rise under private management, (State Official Ryan) Gleason said.
“The council also found about $320,000 in savings by reducing salaries for administrators, eliminating several positions and consolidating some duties.”