{"id":4219,"date":"2009-02-06T17:50:00","date_gmt":"2009-02-06T23:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nmpolitics.net\/index\/2009\/02\/land-commissioner-says-steinborn-wants-his-job\/"},"modified":"2009-02-06T17:50:00","modified_gmt":"2009-02-06T23:50:00","slug":"land-commissioner-says-steinborn-wants-his-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/2009\/02\/land-commissioner-says-steinborn-wants-his-job\/","title":{"rendered":"Land commissioner says Steinborn wants his job"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Responding to lawmakers\u2019 reform bills, Lyons says \u2018anti-growth\u2019 agenda includes electing Steinborn as land commissioner in 2010<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons<\/a> says a trio of Do\u00f1a Ana County lawmakers proposing to reform his office have an \u201canti-growth\u201d agenda and a plan to carry it out that includes electing one of them to replace him next year.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons, a Republican who term limits prevent from seeking a third term in 2010, said in an interview that several people have told him Rep. Jeff Steinborn<\/a>, D-Las Cruces, plans to run for land commissioner next year. Lyons said he believes the legislator plans to run, and the reform bills Steinborn is proposing along with Rep. Nate Cote<\/a>, D-Organ, and Sen. Steve Fischmann<\/a>, D-Las Cruces, are designed to help make that happen.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cPart of it is Steinborn running for land commissioner; the other part is their anti-growth agenda,\u201d Lyons said.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The legislators, who introduced their reform package<\/a> earlier this week, say it would improve accountability and transparency in the land office\u2019s dealings. The bills come in response to the land office\u2019s handling of a controversial land deal on Las Cruces\u2019 East Mesa, which they all represent.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Steinborn\u2019s name has been tossed around in progressive circles as a potential 2010 land commissioner candidate. While acknowledging that, Steinborn said in an interview that he has \u201cnever really seriously contemplated running for that office.\u201d He said his only interest in pushing reform is dealing with the controversy that has played out in his own legislative district.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The allegation about the 2010 election is not the only one Lyons is tossing at Steinborn. In the interview, the land commissioner accused Steinborn and the other lawmakers of going after one developer\u2019s controversial project in Las Cruces so more state land would be available to Steinborn\u2019s father, another developer.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

An escalating fight<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

The attacks from Lyons are the latest escalation in a fight over growth and development on the East Mesa. Many area residents, in part because they are fed up with growth policies, have replaced more conservative lawmakers in recent years with Steinborn, Cote and Fischmann and overthrown the Las Cruces City Council to give it a more progressive bent.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In that context, Cote made a request to Attorney General Gary King<\/a> last year for an opinion on the legality of a lease agreement<\/a> between Lyons and Las Cruces developer Philip Philippou, who agreed to develop thousands of acres on the East Mesa in exchange for being paid the value of the improvements, other project costs and 40 percent of the change in value of the land as a result of the improvements. King\u2019s formal opinion<\/a> on The Vistas at Presidio land deal said state law allows developers who improve land for the state to be compensated only for the appraised value of the improvements.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Among the bills the lawmakers have introduced is one that would make that opinion explicit in law.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

In his interview, Lyons pointed out that Steinborn\u2019s father, David Steinborn, has a lease with the land office that similar to but smaller than Philippou\u2019s. David Steinborn, a former Las Cruces mayor who is a developer, is a partner in a company that has leased several hundred acres from the land office for development.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons questioned whether the lawmakers want to stop Philippou\u2019s development because it would \u201cmean more business going to (David) Steinborn.\u201d He suggested that helping his father\u2019s business is Jeff Steinborn\u2019s \u201culterior motive.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Jeff Steinborn called the allegation \u201claughable\u201d and said he has \u201czero, zero, zero financial interest in my dad\u2019s business.\u201d He pointed out that his father has a state land lease similar to Philippou\u2019s, and one bill in the legislative reform package would make such leases illegal in the future. Another bill, he pointed out, would require a competitive bidding process before such leases can be awarded to a developer.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Because of that, he said, Lyons\u2019 \u201clogic is faulty, to say the least. \u2026 It\u2019s a low blow with me and a low blow with my dad.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Opportunity for compromise?<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons takes issue with most of the reform bills being proposed by the lawmakers but said he would probably support, with one minor change, one that\u2019s sponsored by Steinborn: House Bill 606<\/a>, which would require the land office to issue development leases only following public notice and a competitive bidding process. Lyons said he wants an exemption for smaller projects, and cited a one-acre parcel in Eunice on which a convenience store is being built as an example.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cThis doesn\u2019t bother me that much,\u201d Lyons said of the bill. \u201c\u2026 It would probably be better for future commissioners.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons said he would also be more open to Cote\u2019s House Bill 607<\/a> and Fischmann\u2019s Senate Bill 474<\/a>, which would make clear that developers can be compensated for tangible improvements to the land but nothing else, if the legislation also allowed developers to take a profit of 8-10 percent of the appraised value of the land.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

That\u2019s far short of what Philippou\u2019s arrangement allows but more than what Cote and Fischmann are proposing.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

A lack of communication<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Steinborn said he\u2019s willing to consider any amendments that are proposed. But there\u2019s no communication between the land office and the legislators about any of the bills.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons complained in his interview that Steinborn, Cote and Fischmann didn\u2019t talk with him before introducing their bills but are now saying they would appreciate the land commissioner\u2019s support.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cIf they want to work with me, why didn\u2019t they bring them to me beforehand so we could work something out?\u201d Lyons asked. \u201cObviously, they came up here with an agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Steinborn said they didn\u2019t contact Lyons because, since the controversy over East Mesa development erupted, Lyons has been hostile and often not returned phone calls. In response to Lyons\u2019 lack of communication with the lawmakers and others in the community, Steinborn said, the bills are designed in part to \u201ccreate a statutory, professional, collaborative process with communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wish we had a better working relationship with the land commissioner too, but I think when you look at all the smears he\u2019s leveling against me personally, you\u2019ll understand that the communication issues are not coming with us,\u201d Steinborn said. \u201c\u2026 I have consistently said in every interview I have done that we hope to work with the land commissioner, and the same remains true right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

Lyons said his office is open to communication and has done a good job of promoting economic development and funding education. He pointed out that the University of New Mexico is about to break ground on a branch campus in Rio Rancho in a deal that was worked out with the land office.<\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have any problems anywhere around the state, except down there (in Las Cruces),\u201d Lyons said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Responding to lawmakers\u2019 reform bills, Lyons says \u2018anti-growth\u2019 agenda includes electing Steinborn as land commissioner in 2010 State Land Commissioner Pat Lyons says a trio of Do\u00f1a Ana County lawmakers proposing to reform his office have an \u201canti-growth\u201d agenda and a plan to carry it out that includes electing one of them to replace him […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4219","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4219"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4219\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nmpolitics.net\/index\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}