{"id":2611,"date":"2025-01-30T11:24:48","date_gmt":"2025-01-30T18:24:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/?page_id=2611"},"modified":"2025-10-01T17:56:55","modified_gmt":"2025-10-01T23:56:55","slug":"legislation","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/legislation\/","title":{"rendered":"Legislation"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-page\" data-elementor-id=\"2611\" class=\"elementor elementor-2611\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-711787d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"711787d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4dde76a\" data-id=\"4dde76a\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-75fa77b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"75fa77b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Here is some information on current legislation being proposed in the 2025 legislative session that may be of interest to stormwater professionals in New Mexico.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-402391a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"402391a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-e-type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-20140c2\" data-id=\"20140c2\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0f20c3f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0f20c3f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<style>\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities {\r\n\t\tmax-width: 450px;\r\n\t\tmargin-left: auto;\r\n    \tmargin-right: auto;\r\n    \tbackground: #d7d7d1;\r\n\t}\t\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container {\r\n\t    border: 10px solid #d7d7d1;\t\t\r\n\t    padding-bottom: 25px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header {\r\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 10px;\r\n\t}\t    \r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header .box-content {\r\n\t\tbackground: #e2e2dd;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 6px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 6px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header .content {\r\n\t\tbackground: #eaeae6;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 6px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 6px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header .heading {\r\n\t\tbackground: #f0f0ec;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 7px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 7px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n    \tpadding-left: 15px;\r\n    \tpadding-right: 15px;\r\n    \tfont-family: \"Arial\", Sans-serif;\r\n\t\tcolor: #000;\t\t\r\n    \tfont-size: 20px;\r\n    \tfont-weight: 600;\r\n    \tline-height: 22px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header .heading span {\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170 !important;\r\n\t    display: block;\r\n\t    font-weight: 600;\r\n\t    font-size: 14px !important;\r\n\t    margin-top: 8px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .header .heading span i {\r\n\t\tbackground: #d7d7d1;\r\n\t    padding-left: 10px;\r\n\t    padding-right: 10px;\r\n\t    border-radius: 5px;\r\n\t    margin-right: 2px;\r\n\t    color: #292c51;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content {\r\n\t\t\tbackground: #d7d7d1;\r\n\t\t\tborder-radius: 5px;\t\t\r\n\t    \tdisplay: flex;\r\n\t    \tflex-wrap: wrap;\r\n\t    \talign-items: center;\r\n\t    \tjustify-content: space-between;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col {\t\t\r\n\t\tbackground: #edede8;\r\n\t\tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t\tpadding: 15px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 88%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col .enabling {\r\n\t\tfont-family: \"Arial\", Sans-serif;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n    \tline-height: 26px;\r\n\t}\r\n\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col .enabling span {\r\n\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\r\n\t\tdisplay: block;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 300;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col .bottom-content {\r\n\t\tmargin-top: 15px;\r\n\t}\t\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col .bottom-content {\r\n\t\t\tdisplay: flex;\r\n\t    \tflex-wrap: wrap;\r\n\t    \tjustify-content: space-between;\t    \t\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .right-col .bottom-content .col-6 {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 49%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .left-col {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 10%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .left-col img {\r\n\t\tdisplay: none;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .body .content .left-col img {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 100%;\r\n\t\t\tdisplay: block;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer {\r\n\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\r\n\t\tbackground: #edede8;\r\n\t\tborder-radius: 5px;\t\t\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content {\r\n\t    padding: 15px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row {\r\n\t\tdisplay: flex;\r\n    \tflex-wrap: wrap;    \t\r\n    \tjustify-content: space-between;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 49%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 .title {\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 span {\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 ul li {\r\n\t\tfont-size: 15px !important;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row.col-6 {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 49%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 a {\r\n\t\ttext-decoration: none !important;\r\n\t\tcolor: #000;\r\n\t\tfont-size: 14px !important;\r\n\t\tline-height: 20px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .footer .content .first-row .col-6 a span {\r\n\t\tbackground: #f7f7f4;\r\n\t\tpadding-left: 10px;\r\n    \tpadding-right: 10px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n    \tmargin-right: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .last-row {\r\n\t\tmargin-top: 10px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .last-row {\t\r\n\t\t\tdisplay: flex;\r\n\t    \tflex-wrap: wrap;    \t\r\n\t    \tjustify-content: space-between;\r\n\t\t}\t\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .last-row .col-6 {\t\t\r\n\t\tline-height: 20px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities .container .last-row .col-6 {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 49%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities .container .last-row .col-6 .session {\r\n\t\tfont-size: 14px !important;\r\n\t\tbackground: #f7f7f4;\r\n\t\tpadding: 5px 10px;\t\t\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<div class=\"authorize-municipalities\">\r\n\r\n\t<div class=\"container\">\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"header\">\r\n\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/themes\/guten\/partials\/images\/authorize-municipalities\/header.jpg\" width=\"699\" height=\"86\" alt=\"header\" \/>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"box-content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAuthorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><i>-><\/i> Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. Hochman-Vigil<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"body\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"right-col\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"enabling\">SB ### is enabling legislation which gives municipalities in New Mexico the option to establish and operate stormwater utilities.<span>If passed, SB ## enables municipalities to enact local ordinance to:<\/span><\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"bottom-content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Acquire, operate, and maintain<\/strong> stormwater facilities to provide storm water management services.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><strong>Charge a just and reasonable fees<\/strong> to property owners based on their contribution to stormwater runoff.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"left-col\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/themes\/guten\/partials\/images\/authorize-municipalities\/vertical-img.jpg\" width=\"81\" height=\"185\" alt=\"header\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"footer\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"first-row\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"title\">Key Provisions<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Authorization for Municipal Stormwater Utilities:<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Municipalities are empowered to acquire, operate, and maintain stormwater utilities through local ordinances.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>These utilities are responsible for collecting, treating, storing, and disposing of stormwater.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Fee Structure:<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Municipalities can choose to charge property owners just and reasonable fees for stormwater services.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Fees are structured to support the operation and maintenance of stormwater facilities.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Each community deliberates and determines fee structures, maintaining local control.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Inclusion in &#8220;Municipal Utility&#8221; Definition:<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Amends \u00a73-1-2 NMSA 1978 to include &#8220;stormwater facilities&#8221; in the definition of municipal utilities.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Ensures stormwater facilities are treated similarly to other utilities like water, sewer, and electric services.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span>Enforcement of Fees:<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Updates \u00a73-23-1 NMSA 1978 to include stormwater services in the list of utilities where municipalities can enforce payment.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<li>Allows for discontinuation of water service to enforce unpaid fees for stormwater utilities, aligning enforcement mechanisms with other utility services.<\/li>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/ul>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<a><span>-><\/span> FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ON THE REVERSE SIDE<\/a>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"last-row\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"session\">SESSION CONTACT: Adrian N. Carver &#8211; call\/text (505) 615-0879<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-6\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"session\">SUBJECT MATTER\/TECHNICAL EXPERT: Sarah Hurteau shurteau@sig-nal.org<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-50 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4186556\" data-id=\"4186556\" data-element_type=\"column\" data-e-type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50761f4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"50761f4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<style>\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two {\r\n\t\tmax-width: 450px;\r\n\t\tmargin-left: auto;\r\n    \tmargin-right: auto;\r\n    \tbackground: #d7d7d1;\r\n\t}\t\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container {\r\n\t    border: 10px solid #d7d7d1;\t\t\r\n\t    padding-bottom: 25px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header {\r\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 10px;\r\n\t}\t    \r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header .box-content {\r\n\t\tbackground: #e2e2dd;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 6px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 6px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header .content {\r\n\t\tbackground: #eaeae6;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 6px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 6px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header .heading {\r\n\t\tbackground: #f0f0ec;\r\n\t\tpadding-top: 7px;\r\n    \tpadding-bottom: 7px;\r\n    \tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n    \tpadding-left: 15px;\r\n    \tpadding-right: 15px;\r\n    \tfont-family: \"Arial\", Sans-serif;\r\n\t\tcolor: #000;\t\t\r\n    \tfont-size: 20px;\r\n    \tfont-weight: 600;\r\n    \tline-height: 22px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header .heading span {\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170 !important;\r\n\t    display: block;\r\n\t    font-weight: 600;\r\n\t    font-size: 14px !important;\r\n\t    margin-top: 8px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .header .heading span i {\r\n\t\tbackground: #d7d7d1;\r\n\t    padding-left: 10px;\r\n\t    padding-right: 10px;\r\n\t    border-radius: 5px;\r\n\t    margin-right: 2px;\r\n\t    color: #292c51;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body .content {\r\n\t\tbackground: #edede8;\r\n\t\tborder-radius: 5px;\r\n\t\tpadding: 15px;\t\t\t\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body .content {\t\t\t\r\n\t    \tdisplay: flex;\r\n\t    \tflex-wrap: wrap;\t    \t\r\n\t    \tjustify-content: space-between;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\r\n\t@media screen and (min-width: 1200px) {\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body .content .right-col {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 48%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body .content .left-col {\r\n\t\t\twidth: 48%;\r\n\t\t}\r\n\t}\t\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body .title {\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n\t\tfont-size: 15px !important;\r\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 10px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body strong {\r\n\t\tmargin-bottom: 10px;\r\n\t\tdisplay: block;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body p {\r\n\t\tfont-size: 15px !important;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .body p span {\r\n\t\tfont-size: 15px !important;\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170 !important;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .footer .content {\r\n\t\tpadding: 0px 15px 15px 15px;\r\n\t\tbackground: #edede8;\r\n\t\tborder-bottom-left-radius: 5px;    \r\n    \tborder-bottom-right-radius: 5px;\r\n\t}\r\n\t.authorize-municipalities-two .container .footer .content span {\r\n\t\tcolor: #396170 !important;\r\n\t\tfont-weight: 600;\r\n\t}\r\n<\/style>\r\n<div class=\"authorize-municipalities-two\">\r\n\r\n\t<div class=\"container\">\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"header\">\r\n\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/themes\/guten\/partials\/images\/authorize-municipalities\/header.jpg\" width=\"699\" height=\"86\" alt=\"header\" \/>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"box-content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"heading\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAuthorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span><i>-><\/i> Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. Hochman-Vigil<\/span>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"body\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"right-col\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"title\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/div>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Why do we need to provide the option to establish stormwater utilities?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><span>Stormwater management is currently an unfunded mandate for municipalities,<\/span> which often rely on general funds to cover the costs. This bill establishes a dedicated funding stream for O&#038;M, ensuring sustainable and effective service delivery.<\/p>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>What is the difference between a stormwater utility and a flood control district?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><span>A stormwater utility focuses on local, street or neighborhood scale stormwater<\/span> generated from homes and commercial buildings. In contrast, a flood control district typically manages regional-scale runoff from larger areas including arroyos to prevent city-wide flooding through infrastructure like levees, dams, and watershed- scaled structures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Can&#8217;t municipalities already provide stormwater services?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><span>Yes.<\/span> However, while municipalities may be statutorily required to manage stormwater under general health, safety, and welfare obligations, <span>they lack a stable funding mechanism.<\/span> This bill provides the legal and financial framework to establish a sustainable utility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Who pays, and who administers the utility?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><span>Municipalities may choose to require property owners within the municipality to pay reasonable fees or service charges<\/span> for stormwater services. The utility is administered by the municipality, ensuring dedicated resources for operations and maintenance (O&#038;M) of stormwater facilities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"left-col\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>What other states allow stormwater utilities, and who does it well?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>There are more than 2000 stormwater utilities across 41 states.<\/span><br \/>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Several states, including <span>Minnesota, Colorado, Texas, Oregon, and Michigan<\/span> have successfully implemented stormwater utilities. These states showcase effective funding and operational frameworks that municipalities can learn from.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>How does this bill promote local control?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p><span>This bill enables, but does not require municipalities to create and manage stormwater utilities,<\/span> giving local governments authority over decisions about infrastructure, service provision, and fee structures.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>How does this bill interact with home rule?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Home rule municipalities may already have authority to establish utilities, but <span>codifying this language in state statute ensures clarity, minimizes legal challenges,<\/span> and promotes statewide consistency.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<strong>How does this work when the water utility is separate from the municipality?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>For example, the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority (ABCWUA) does not manage stormwater within its scope of responsibilities.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<p>Without this bill, municipalities like Albuquerque cannot charge stormwater fees because stormwater management falls outside the jurisdiction of their water utility.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<div class=\"footer\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<div class=\"content\">\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Which municipalities are experiencing this issue?<\/strong>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t<p><span>Municipalities in New Mexico currently manage stormwater<\/span> under general health, safety, and welfare obligations <span>without a dedicated mechanism to fund these services.<\/span> Most municipalities, large &#038; small, rural &#038; urban, currently face challenges in managing, maintaining, and improving stormwater infrastructure because of a lack of dedicated funding streams, instead relying on their general funds and regular budgeting processes.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n\t<\/div>\t\r\n\r\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here is some information on current legislation being proposed in the 2025 legislative session that may be of interest to stormwater professionals in New Mexico.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_eb_attr":"","om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2611","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO Pro 4.9.8 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Here is some information on current legislation being proposed in the 2025 legislative session that may be of interest to stormwater professionals in New Mexico. Authorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities -&gt; Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. Hochman-Vigil SB ### is enabling legislation which gives municipalities in New Mexico the option to establish and operate\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/legislation\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO Pro (AIOSEO) 4.9.8\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Land and Water Summit \u2023 Created to bring together design professionals, construction and management companies, agencies, farmers, artists, teachers, hydrologists, ranchers, climatologists, wildlife advocates, homeowners, and policy makers to find sustainable ways to protect and share our state\u2019s water and resources\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Legislation \u2023 The Land and Water Summit\" \/>\n\t\t<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Here is some information on current legislation being proposed in the 2025 legislative session that may be of interest to stormwater professionals in New Mexico. 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Authorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities -&gt; Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. 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Authorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities -&gt; Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. Hochman-Vigil SB ### is enabling legislation which gives municipalities in New Mexico the option to establish and operate","og:url":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/legislation\/","og:image":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cropped-LandWaterLogo_FINAL_pg1.png","og:image:secure_url":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cropped-LandWaterLogo_FINAL_pg1.png","article:published_time":"2025-01-30T18:24:48+00:00","article:modified_time":"2025-10-01T23:56:55+00:00","twitter:card":"summary","twitter:title":"Legislation \u2023 The Land and Water Summit","twitter:description":"Here is some information on current legislation being proposed in the 2025 legislative session that may be of interest to stormwater professionals in New Mexico. Authorize Municipalities to Establish Storm Water Utilities -&gt; Sponsors: Sen. Sharer, Rep. Hochman-Vigil SB ### is enabling legislation which gives municipalities in New Mexico the option to establish and operate","twitter:image":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/cropped-LandWaterLogo_FINAL_pg1.png"},"aioseo_meta_data":{"post_id":"2611","title":null,"description":null,"keywords":null,"keyphrases":null,"primary_term":null,"canonical_url":null,"og_title":null,"og_description":null,"og_object_type":"default","og_image_type":"default","og_image_url":null,"og_image_width":null,"og_image_height":null,"og_image_custom_url":null,"og_image_custom_fields":null,"og_video":null,"og_custom_url":null,"og_article_section":null,"og_article_tags":null,"twitter_use_og":false,"twitter_card":"default","twitter_image_type":"default","twitter_image_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_url":null,"twitter_image_custom_fields":null,"twitter_title":null,"twitter_description":null,"schema":{"blockGraphs":[],"customGraphs":[],"default":{"data":{"Article":[],"Course":[],"Dataset":[],"FAQPage":[],"Movie":[],"Person":[],"Product":[],"ProductReview":[],"Car":[],"Recipe":[],"Service":[],"SoftwareApplication":[],"WebPage":[]},"graphName":"","isEnabled":true},"graphs":[]},"schema_type":"default","schema_type_options":null,"pillar_content":false,"robots_default":true,"robots_noindex":false,"robots_noarchive":false,"robots_nosnippet":false,"robots_nofollow":false,"robots_noimageindex":false,"robots_noodp":false,"robots_notranslate":false,"robots_max_snippet":null,"robots_max_videopreview":null,"robots_max_imagepreview":"large","priority":null,"frequency":null,"local_seo":null,"seo_analyzer_scan_date":"2026-05-13 10:26:31","breadcrumb_settings":null,"limit_modified_date":false,"open_ai":null,"ai":null,"created":"2025-01-30 18:38:50","updated":"2026-05-13 10:26:31"},"aioseo_breadcrumb":"<div class=\"aioseo-breadcrumbs\"><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\" title=\"Home\">Home<\/a>\n<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb-separator\">&raquo;<\/span><span class=\"aioseo-breadcrumb\">\n\tLegislation\n<\/span><\/div>","aioseo_breadcrumb_json":[{"label":"Home","link":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org"},{"label":"Legislation","link":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/legislation\/"}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2611","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2611"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2611\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2794,"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2611\/revisions\/2794"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.devsite-landandwatersummitnm.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2611"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}