Local News

The City Council on Wednesday will consider a change in its zoning ordinance that officials say would close a loophole that allows some to avoid a higher property tax rate.

Gerald Garcia, the city’s zoning and licensing supervisor, is requesting the council remove the words “public building” from the existing ordinance. Public buildings have been allowed in residential zones through the section of the ordinance devoted to special uses, Garcia stated in a memo.

Federal officials may be considering expanding their wolf reintroduction program to other parts of the state, but it looks as if San Miguel County won’t be putting down any welcome mat.

The County Commission last week took the first step to amend the county’s wild animals ordinance to include banning wolves. Currently, the ordinance just prohibits wolf hybrids.

Rancher Andres Aragon of the Northern New Mexico Stockmen’s Association said his group would back a change to the ordinance to protect the livestock industry..

The Las Vegas City School board voted last week to release the names of those applying for the superintendent’s job by Tuesday.

Board president Elaine Luna said, “In maintaining our transparency, I believe it’s very important that we as a group come together during a board meeting to have a discussion regarding the release of information.”

Many of the city’s department directors called for higher wages for their employees and pushed for consistent pay plans during a City Council meeting Saturday.

In a daylong “informational retreat,” the council gave department directors time to talk about issues in their departments. It was a rare chance for the officials to explain their challenges to the full council — the first such opportunity in at least three years.