Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 68 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
March 19, 2014
Commission to hear results of financial audit JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Commissioners will learn Thursday the details of how well the county performed financially during the last fiscal year. An independent firm will present the board with the results of its annual financial audit using a live video feed during the regular commission meeting. Though the report reveals a shrinking budget, spending cuts and other conservative financial deci-
sions were made to keep the budget in line. Overall, the county received a clean report. “We had a very good audit,” said County Manager Stan Riggs. “All in all, we’re pretty pleased with our internal controls, and the way our budget works.” Heinfeld, Meech & Co., of Tucson, Ariz., will discuss the findings after reviewing financial statements for several county funds, including the general fund and special revenue funds, and internal controls for
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the year ending June 30, 2013. All funds presented “fairly,” according to the report. The auditors pointed out several “key highlights” found in the county’s 20122013 budget. The county spent 17 percent less — nearly $6.3 million — than last year. Most of the cuts were made to general government, health and welfare budgets, as the county received less revenue from investment income, and the state and federal govern-
ment. The county received $28.3 million in revenue — $3 million less than in 2012. Total spending was $30.7 million, compared to $37 million in 2012. General revenue from gover nmental activities accounted for $23.6 million, or 83 percent of all revenue. The county took in $4.8 million in service fees, grants and contributions. The general fund had $15 million in revenues, made up of property tax
Mind that horse
Mark Wilson Photo
Mine That Bird, handled by Jorge Nagra, meets a few of his fans during a reception for cast and crew members of “50 to 1” at Double Eagle Ranch, Tuesday evening. For the full story, see Page B1.
Special session for Tesla eyed ALBUQUERQUE (AP) — New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez said her office is mulling whether a special legislative session should be held to help the state win a Tesla Motors facility.
In a speech to an Albuquerque area commercial real estate development association on Monday, Martinez said her office is evaluating whether a special session is necessary to complete a package of economic incentives being crafted to help make New Mexico more appealing to Tesla, the Albuquerque Journal reported.
“If it’s necessary, we are open to whatever we can do that would even include that sort of thing. I’ve had legislators say, ‘If it’s neces-
sary, we’ll come,”’ Martinez said. New Mexico is one of four states identified as finalists for a lithium-ion battery factory that would supply the company’s Fremont, Calif., assembly plant. Others are Arizona, Nevada and Texas. The Palo Alto, Calif.based Tesla says it will invest $2 billion in the 10 million-square-foot factory, which will cost between $4 billion and $5 billion. Its partners will invest the rest. The new factory will provide enough batteries to supply 500,000 vehicles by 2020, Tesla said. Tesla expects to produce 35,000 vehicles this year. Martinez wouldn’t dis-
PDM recognizes two couples
Randal Seyler Photo
Prison Door Ministries held an appreciation banquet Friday at Los Cerritos Mexican Kitchen. Two volunteer couples were especially honored during the banquet for their years of service to the ministry. Honored, from left, were Tony Pena and Connie Pena, and from right, Johnny Aguirre and Antonio Aguirre. Mary Gonzales, center, presented the awards.
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cuss details of the negotiations with Tesla, but she said New Mexico is in the running for the project in part because of taxation changes that the state has made.
WEDNESDAY
and intergovernmental revenues. The county spent nearly $14 million of that. The fund’s balance decreased by $1.5 million to $13.8 million. This decrease was caused by a reduction of investment income, and when money was transferred to the road fund to pay for operations. The road fund received nearly $2 million in revenues, mostly from gas and motor vehicle taxes, and intergover nmental revenues.
Road fund spending totaled $4.6 million. By the end of the fiscal year, the fund had $1.4 million.
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
ny.” Hinson, along with Gerges Scott, vice president of Agenda marketing firm, and Lloyd Hatch, market development manager with New Mexico Gas Company, are traveling the state meeting with local officials and discussing the upcoming merger. “This is sort of a goodwill tour; we’re trying to let people know who we are, and that we are a utility company and that we are committed to the utility business,” Hinson said. TECO has been in business for 115 years, Hinson said, and TECO provides utilities to 37 of Florida’s 67 counties. TECO reported 2013 income of $42 million or 20 cents per share.
The Indigent Hospital Claims fund took in about $3 million, mostly from gross receipts taxes. The county spent nearly the entire fund.
The Detention Construction fund received $1.5 million, mostly from gross receipts taxes, and the county spent $3.3 million. The fund’s balance increased by $5.7 million after it received loan funds.
Officials discuss acquisition of New Mexico Gas Co. Of ficials from Tampa Electric Peoples Gas (TECO) were in Roswell on Monday and Tuesday discussing the planned acquisition by the Florida-based company of New Mexico Gas Company. The Tampa utility firm has offered to pay nearly $1 billion for New Mexico Gas Company. “TECO is a utilities firm, and we are in the utilities business,” said Charles D. Hinson III, vice president of government relations and economic development for TECO. “We are looking at this as a long-term investment, and we have the resources to bring economic development and growth to New Mexico Gas Compa-
See ACQUISITION, Page A3
Fire destroys greenhouse and shed
Democratic legislative leaders said a special session to woo Tesla would be unprecedented, and appropriate only if New Mexico has evidence that it was Tesla’s pick.
“If there is a possibility of a special session, I believe there’s going to have to be some pretty concrete evidence that what we would do here would mean that Tesla would, as a matter of fact, come to New Mexico,” said Senate Majority Leader Michael Sanchez, D-Belen.
Mark Wilson Photo
Firefighters douse flames that destroyed a greenhouse and shed at 1 McKay Place near N. Sycamore Avenue and W. Country Club Road around 1:30 p.m., Friday afternoon.
Immigrant activists push to stop deportations
DENVER (AP) — Late last year members of the Austin Immigrant Rights Coalition acknowledged that there was little hope Congress would pass much-anticipated legislation granting citizenship to people in the U.S. illegally. So the group stopped lobbying for the bill and shifted to a different approach.
Six of its activists last month chained themselves across the entrance to the Travis County jail near Austin to protest its participation in a federal program to find people here illegally, part of a growing effort to focus on stopping deportations. It has made strides. Just last week, President Barack Obama directed administration officials to review how people are shipped out of the country. Many immigrant groups are still
• RAMON RODRIGUEZ LICON
pushing for a bill to grant citizenship to many of the 11 million people here illegally. But Republican House Speaker John Boehner has said that legislation is unlikely to be passed in the GOP-led House, at least this year. “We decided we needed to change our focus because (curbing deportations locally) is a more winnable campaign,” said Alejandro Laceres, executive director of the Austin group. “We need relief and we need it soon,” said Reyna Montoya, 23, of Phoenix, whose father is fighting deportation and who co-wrote an open letter with dozens of activists urging immigrant rights groups to stand down on the citizenship issue. “People who are directly affected just want peace. Later on they’ll worry about becoming citizens.” The increasingly aggressive, decen-
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CLASSIFIEDS ..........B6 COMICS .................B5 ENTERTAINMENT .....A8 FINANCIAL ..............B3
tralized campaign contrasts with last year’s unified push that resulted in a bipartisan Senate bill to overhaul the nation’s immigration system — a proposal that never came up for a vote in the House. It also carries the risks of a backlash.
“One picture of a cop with a bloody nose and it’s all over for these people,” Mark Krikorian of the Center for Immigration Studies, which favors greater restrictions on immigration, said of the activists.
The change comes after many expected Congress to pass a sweeping immigration overhaul last year. Republicans have been torn between some in their base who want to step up deportations and others alarmed at how Hispanics, Asians and other fast-growing communities are increasingly leaning Democratic. INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .........A8 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ..............A8 WORLD ..................A6