Matt Geisel News Today

The City of Rio Rancho adopted the resolution that authorizes a budget adjustment to the State Appropriation Fund to accept funds to plan, design and construct phase two of the Broadmoor Senior Center.

Enchanted Hills and Lomas Encantadas residents were not happy Thursday night (Aug. 25) when the Rio Rancho Governing Body unanimously approved the Montreal Mini-Master Plan.

A 10-acre, 216-unit apartment complex, which some call low-income housing and others work-force housing, came one step closer to becoming a reality when the Rio Rancho Governing Body, in a vote of 6 to 1, approved the project’s initial site plan application at its August 11 meeting.

The mood of Thursday’s special meeting of the Rio Rancho Governing Board was downright festive as it approved an ordinance making the city fiscal agent for a Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) grant awarded to Deluxe Design, a local signage company.Several factors contributed to the board’s mood, including this being the first time the city’s been involved with a LEDA grant.

In the future RR can look forward to many things including roads, community events, funding for traveling education exhibits in public libraries, refurbishing public facilities, more inspector positions, and emergency vehicles and supplies.

Monthly NAIOP attendees are used to sitting down at the meetings, which lately have been at Premiere Cinemas. Those who went to the July 14 meeting were also sitting down – most of the way, at least – but this time in an air-conditioned luxury bus, and treated to a ride taking in and hearing about City of Vision current and future assets – namely buildings and neighborhoods being erected.

Does the city really need to regulate whether or not signs are in the public right of way? And what about flagpoles?At Tuesday’s Governing Body Work Session Meeting, these questions resulted in a great deal of spirited discussion

The City of Rio Rancho’s fiscal year 2022-23 budget will include funding for a pilot program to address residential roads, city employee raises and improvements to Fire Station 6 in Mariposa. The new budget the Governing Body adopted Thursday evening projects revenues to be about $84.7 million, 19 percent, or $13.8 million higher than the one the city adopted a year ago, $71 million.  

The City of Rio Rancho released its preliminary fiscal year 2022-23 budget, and among the items is a recommendation to give city employees a salary increase. 

Creating a permanent fund would turn $10 million into much more long-term for Rio Rancho. Tuesday’s municipal ballot contains several proposed charter amendments, including one to create a permanent fund with $10 million and collect income from it every year.