This webpage is intended to provide information regarding the County's general obligation bond questions (Bond Questions) that will be included on Santa Fe County voters' November general election ballot.
- General obligation bonds fund critical infrastructure throughout the County in the areas of roads, water and wastewater, and open space, trails and parks.
- General obligation bond projects are selected to benefit a broad range of community needs and are leveraged with additional County funds to ensure successful implementation.
- Approval of the Bond Questions will not increase property taxes.
On August 13, 2024, the Santa Fe County (County) Board of County Commissioners (Board) adopted Resolution No. 2024-100, which authorized the placement of three Bond Questions on the November 5, 2024, general election ballot. The three Bond Questions ask County voters if they would like to fund up to $34 million in capital infrastructure projects in the following areas:
· Open Space, Trails and Parks
· Roads
· Water and Wastewater
If voters approve the $34 million in bond questions, this will not significantly impact property tax rates. The County structures its general obligation bonds to maintain a stable tax rate of 2.1 over time.
The Santa Fe County Board of County Commissioners respectfully encourages all Santa Fe County residents to educate themselves about the Bond Questions and be sure to vote on November 5, 2024. If you have any questions regarding the Bond Questions, please contact Deputy County Manager Leandro Cordova at 505-986-6200.
The questions are as follows:
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Bond Question 1 – $4,900,000 for County Road Projects
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CR 51 Ojo de la Vaca Low Water Crossing - Add box culverts at low water crossing for citizen and motorist safety.
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CR 109 N Drainage and Surface Improvements - Design and construct road, drainage and address safety issues on deteriorating roadway.
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Bond Question 2 – $12,500,000 for Water and Wastewater Projects
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County Water Reclamation Facility Expansion – Increase the flow to, treatment capacity of, and/or ability to reuse treated effluent at Santa Fe County’s Water Reclamation Facility located at the State Penitentiary off of NM 14. These improvements will support affordable housing and other planned growth in the County’s designated growth area.
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Chupadero Water Line Replacement & Fire Hydrant Installation – To replace old water lines under Camino Chupadero before the road is reconstructed, while adding fire suppression, and other underground utilities.
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Bond Question 3 – $16,125,000 for Open Space and Trails
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Santa Fe River Greenway Trail, Segment 4 (Caja del Oro to Cottonwood Dr.) – Design and acquire real property for next segment of the Santa Fe River Greenway Trail.
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Santa Fe Rail Trail, Segment 7 (NM 285 toward Lamy) – Design and construct trail under NM Highway 285 from Segment 6 Trailhead on West side of 285 toward the town of Lamy.
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Romero Park, Phase 3 – Design and construction a multi-sport field with lighting and additional pickle ball courts.
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Rio en Medio Open Space Restoration and Flood Prevention – Severely damaged by multiple flooding events in the summer of 2022, the 121.3 acres of open space requires significant restoration. Project restore the floodplain in the Rio en Medio Open Space area to remediate the flood damage and mitigate the impact of any future potential flooding events to downstream communities.
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Approval of the general obligation bonds is not anticipated to significantly impact property tax rates. The County structures its general obligation bonds to maintain materially stable tax rates over time, as demonstrated by the County Debt Service Rates since 2017:
| Poperty Tax Year | County Debt Service Rate in Mills |
| 2023 | 2.129 |
| 2022 | 2.124 |
| 2021 | 2.124 |
| 2020 | 2.124 |
| 2019 | 2.124 |
| 2018 | 2.123 |
| 2017 | 2.123 |
For more information on the general election and the bond questions, visit the Santa Fe County Clerk's webpage.
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