Rio Rancho, Bernalillo hope to gain federal road funds

By Eric Maddy
The SCORE

A decision by the Mid-Region Council of Governments next week could be a signal if Rio Rancho is gaining any clout in the way other government agencies respond to the city, especially when it comes to funding.

Mayor Tom Swisstack said Friday the MRCOG’s Metropolitan Transportation Board will consider shifting more than $5 million in projects from Albuquerque to Rio Rancho, Bernalillo and Los Ranchos.

MRCOG is the designated local agency that serves as a pass-through for the allocation of some federal transportation funds. Because Albuquerque doesn’t currently have the matching funds available to go with federal money, Swisstack said MRCOG could lose the federal contribution.

His idea is to have MRCOG use the federal money to go with matching funds available in Rio Rancho now. In turn, he pledged he would support Albuquerque requests when the Duke City comes up with the matching funds in future funding cycles.

As one would image, losing a $5 million commitment doesn’t sit well with some Albuquerque officials, including Mayor Martin Chavez and city councilor Michael Cadigan.

“We’re probably eligible for little over $5 million to widen Unser, Southern and Northern,” Swisstack said. “Their projects aren’t ready, and if they don’t use the money in a timely fashion it generally goes back to the federal government.

“The Metropolitan Transportation Board is supposed to deal with regional issues on road programs. They can get their turn in the barrel when additional funding comes and we would step back from that. But they don’t like the idea.”

The request will be considered at a 5 p.m. meeting Thursday at the MRCOG offices in Albuquerque.

“I’m going to make sure I’m there. We’re going to see if we have the votes to make it happen,” Swisstack said.

In addition to major improvements in three major roadways in Rio Rancho, the board’s decision could be an indicator if the city’s influence is growing in the region. According to the NMCOG web site, only seven of the 23 voting members on the board come from Sandoval County – Swisstack, councilor Larry Naranjo, county commissioner Orlando Lucero, SSCAFCA board member Donald Rudy, town of Bernalillo Mayor Patricia Chavez, Corrales representative Sayre Gerhart and a representative from the Rio Rancho Public Schools.

By comparison, Albuquerque and Bernalillo County have 11 representatives – Mayor Chavez and five city councilors, three Bernalillo County commissioners, AMAFCA (the Albuquerque flood control authority) and the Albuquerque Public Schools.

The RRPS and APS spots are vacant, as are voting spots from the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District and the Village of Tijeras.  There are two voting members from the New Mexico Department of Transportation and one each from Sandia Pueblo and the village of Los Lunas.

Los Ranchos Mayor Larry Abraham is a voting member and chairs the board.

Calls placed to Abraham, Bernalillo Mayor Chavez and Albuquerque city councilors Debbie O’Malley and Issac Benton were not immediately returned. O’Malley is the vice chair of the committee.

A spokesperson for Albuquerque Mayor Chavez said she would have Ed Adams, the acting chief administrator, respond on behalf of the city. Adams had not returned the inquiry as of 1:45 p.m. Friday.

Cadigan, who was on the board until this past December, was out of town and could not be reached for comment. But he told KOB-TV on Thursday, “The one project that they’re eliminating that I’m objecting to most strongly is they’re talking about taking away $3million to build McMahon from Unser to Universe.”

Other Albuquerque projects that could be affected are work on Second Street and Coors Boulevard. Funding for crossovers at San Mateo & Osuna and Wyoming at Bear Canyon would also be impacted.

Given Swisstack’s influence as a state legislator and close ties to Gov. Bill Richardson, some observers believe the city’s stature in regional influence may be on the rise. Longtime opponents to Rio Rancho’s participation in MRCOG and similar organizations believe as long as the city can be outvoted it would be better to go it alone.

“I’m not looking at it as we’re taking from one to give to another,” Swisstack said. “I’m looking at it as we’re benefiting to region. We just happen to be in a position right now to prepare and move forward on the road construction.”

MRCOG director Lawrence Rael said he wants to make the federal money is spent during the required time.

 “We’re not interested in taking any money from the City of Albuquerque, but rather to make sure we spend it in the time that we have the money available,” he told KOB.