Adrian Hedden
El Rito Media
achedden@currentargus.com

About $1.2 billion in local infrastructure projects throughout New Mexico will be funded after lawmakers passed House Bill 450 on March 20, two days before the end of the 2025 Legislative Session.

The bill passed the House on March 19 on a 41-25, and then the Senate the day after, 25-16. It now goes to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham to sign into law. Lujan Grisham could remove projects from the bill via line-item vetoes or “pocket veto” the measure by taking no action by April 11.

HB 450 funded hundreds of capital outlay projects, which are proposed each year by lawmakers from each county in the state, mostly to pay for infrastructure improvements in local communities such as roads, facilities and buildings.

The money comes from the state’s General Fund, which is used to develop the state budget and fund projects across New Mexico.

Bernalillo County led the state in capital outlay dollars with $293.6 million funded by HB 450. Bernalillo is New Mexico’s most populous county, includes the state’s biggest city, Albuquerque, and is represented by the most members of the Legislature.

Here’s how Eddy County faired.

Eddy County – $10.4 million total

County

Malaga Municipal District Water Company vehicle purchases – $175,000

Otis water line replaced on Kelly Road – $700,000

Artesia

Artesia City Hall renovations – $1 million

Designs for new city park – $300,000

Artesia rescue vehicle purchase – $500,000

Artesia Police Department vehicle purchase – $500,000

Roof replacement at Grand Heights Early Childhood facility – $650,000

U.S. Highway 285 and Mill Road traffic signal – $1 million

Carlsbad

Affordable housing construction – $1.5 million

Double Eagle water line – $1.1 million

Carlsbad Police Department vehicle purchase – $800,000

Plan for Carlsbad Public Safety Complex – $500,000

Eddy County Courthouse exterior improvements – $1 million

Old Cavern Highway Construction – $770,000