New Mexico Bond Question C, Public Education Bond Issue (2020)
| New Mexico Bond Question C | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Election date November 3, 2020 | |
| Topic Bond issues | |
| Status | |
| Type Bond issue | Origin State Legislature |
New Mexico Bond Question C, the Public Education Bond Issue was on the ballot in New Mexico as a legislatively referred bond question on November 3, 2020.[1][2] It was approved.
A "yes" vote supported authorizing the sale and issuance of $156.3 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and native tribal schools. |
A "no" vote opposed authorizing the sale and issuance of $156.3 million in bonds for public higher education institutions, special public schools, and native tribal schools. |
Bond Question C was passed by the New Mexico Legislature as a bond package. The package included $9.7 million in bonds for public libraries and $33.29 million in bonds for senior citizens' facilities. The total amount of the bonds was $199 million.
Election results
|
New Mexico Bond Question C |
||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Result | Votes | Percentage | ||
|
|
526,350 | 64.92% | ||
| No | 284,426 | 35.08% | ||
Overview
What was the bond for?
- See also: Text of measure
The bond issued no more than $156.3 million in general obligation bonds to make capital improvements for higher education, special schools, and tribal schools. A general obligation bond is public debt and is paid for through state funds, specifically funds from a statewide property tax in New Mexico. The bond measure was allocated as follows:[2]
Click show to expand the bond revenue table.
| New Mexico Public Education Bond (2020) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Recipient | Amount | ||
| Eastern New Mexico University | $3,300,000 | ||
| Central New Mexico Community Colleges | $13,000,000 | ||
| Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute | $1,000,000 | ||
| Clovis Community College | $1,075,000 | ||
| New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs | $4,000,000 | ||
| Navajo Technical University | $1,400,000 | ||
| Mesalands Community College | $400,000 | ||
| Dine College | $1,300,000 | ||
| San Juan College | $3,500,000 | ||
| Luna Community College | $1,000,000 | ||
| Institute of American Indian Arts | $700,000 | ||
| Santa Fe Community College | $2,000,000 | ||
| Santa Fe Indian School | $700,000 | ||
| New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired | $938,967 | ||
| New Mexico Highlands Universityy | $7,000,000 | ||
| New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology | $10,000,000 | ||
| New Mexico Military Institute | $3,000,000 | ||
| New Mexico School for the Deaf | $5,300,000 | ||
| New Mexico State University | $30,460,000 | ||
| University of New Mexico | $51,400,000 | ||
| Western New Mexico University | $4,000,000 | ||
What is the history of bond measures in New Mexico?
- See also: Background
Voters of New Mexico cast ballots on 25 bond issues, totaling $1.2 billion in value, between January 1, 2006, and January 1, 2020. All but one bond issue question—a $155.57 million bond for higher education—was approved. As of June 30, 2018, the state debt from general obligation bonds was $502.85 million and the state debt from general obligation bonds per state resident was $239.88. Both the general obligation bond debt and per resident bond debt in 2018 were higher than amounts (in current dollars) from the prior decade.
Text of the measure
Ballot title
The ballot title was as follows:[2]
| “ | The 2020 Capital Projects General Obligation Bond Act authorizes the issuance and sale of higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvement and acquisition bonds. Shall the state be authorized to issue general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed one hundred fifty-six million three hundred fifty-eight thousand four hundred seventy-five dollars ($156,358,475) to make capital expenditures for certain higher education, special schools and tribal schools capital improvements and acquisitions and provide for a general property tax imposition and levy for the payment of principal of, interest on and expenses incurred in connection with the issuance of the bonds and the collection of the tax as permitted by law?[3] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the measure can be found here.
Fiscal impact statement
The following fiscal impact statement was included in the 2020 General Election Voter Guide:
| “ | According to revenue estimators, general obligation bond (GOB) capacity is approximately
$199,200,000, or approximately 0.29 percent of net taxable value of property. Authorizing no more than the stated capacity maintains a flat mill levy. Issuance and sale of general obligation bonds requires approval by the electorate at the November 2020 general election. General obligation bonds are payable from ad valorem (property) taxes levied on all property in the state subject to property taxation. The bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the state. If approved by the voters, the general obligation bonds are expected to be issued by the State Board of Finance in January or February 2021. If the general obligation bonds are ratified by the voters, and issued in January or February 2021, funds authorized in this bill will be available to the recipients in the spring of 2021. The state agencies and state institutions to which money has been appropriated in this bill shall be responsible for monitoring the projects funded in the bill to ensure compliance with the laws and Constitution of New Mexico and shall cause to be reverted any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the earlier of the third full fiscal year after issuance of the bonds or the termination or completion of the specific project. Reverted funds shall be deposited in the debt service fund established by the state treasurer for the purpose of paying the principal and interest on the state’s general obligation bonds. The total for all three questions, including bond issuance costs, is $199,200,000. Based on the assumption that all three bond issues will be passed by voters, the property tax year 2020 mill levy has been set at 1.36 mills, which is the same as the 2018 and 2019 rates. The State Board of Finance estimates that over a ten-year period, the three issues on the ballot would cost approximately $10.99 per $100,000 of asset value. Of the annual average $10.99, Bond Issue A accounts for $1.83, Bond Issue B accounts for $0.54, and Bond Issue C accounts for $8.62. A complete breakdown of the designated projects under each bond issue can be found on the New Mexico Legislature’s website: https://nmlegis.gov/Sessions/20%20Regular/final/SB0207.pdf Source: NM Department of Finance and Administration.[3] |
” |
Readability score
- See also: Ballot measure readability scores, 2020
| Using the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (FKGL and Flesch Reading Ease (FRE) formulas, Ballotpedia scored the readability of the ballot title and summary for this measure. Readability scores are designed to indicate the reading difficulty of text. The Flesch-Kincaid formulas account for the number of words, syllables, and sentences in a text; they do not account for the difficulty of the ideas in the text. The state legislature wrote the ballot language for this measure.
|
Support
Supporters
Officials
- New Mexico State Senator George Munoz (D)
- New Mexico State Senator Steven Neville (R)
- New Mexico State Senator John Arthur Smith (D)
Individuals
- Becky Rowley - Santa Fe Community College President
Arguments
Opposition
If you are aware of any opponents or opposing arguments that should be included here, please send an email with a link to editor@ballotpedia.org.
Arguments
Campaign finance
There was one ballot measure committee—Go Bonds for Education—registered in support of Bond Question C. It reported over $275,350 in contributions. Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in opposition to Bond Question C.[4]
| Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support | $275,350.00 | $0.00 | $275,350.00 | $280,850.59 | $280,850.59 |
| Oppose | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 |
| Total | $275,350.00 | $0.00 | $275,350.00 | $280,850.59 | $280,850.59 |
Support
The following chart contains contributions and expenditures made in support of the measure:[4]
| Committees in support of Bond Question C | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Committee | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions | Cash Expenditures | Total Expenditures |
| Go Bonds for Education | $275,350.00 | $0.00 | $275,350.00 | $280,850.59 | $280,850.59 |
| Total | $275,350.00 | $0.00 | $275,350.00 | $280,850.59 | $280,850.59 |
Top donors
The following chart contains the top donors to the committee:
| Donor | Cash Contributions | In-Kind Contributions | Total Contributions |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNM Foundation | $104,000.00 | $0.00 | $104,000.00 |
| New Mexico State University Foundation | $70,300.00 | $0.00 | $70,300.00 |
| CNM Foundation | $37,000.00 | $0.00 | $37,000.00 |
| New Mexico Tech Foundation | $15,500.00 | $0.00 | $15,500.00 |
| New Mexico Highlands Foundation | $13,000.00 | $0.00 | $13,000.00 |
Opposition
Ballotpedia did not identify any committees registered in opposition to the ballot measure.
Methodology
To read Ballotpedia's methodology for covering ballot measure campaign finance information, click here.
Background
Bond issues on the ballot in New Mexico
- See also: Bond issues on the ballot
Voters of New Mexico cast ballots on 25 bond issues, totaling approximately $1.2 billion in value, from January 1, 2006, through January 1, 2020. All but one bond issue, a $155.57 million bond in 2010 to provide capital expenditures for higher education and special schools, was approved. This means that voters in New Mexico approved 96 percent of bond issues on the ballot between 2006 and 2018.
The following table contains information on the 25 bond issues that appeared on the ballot in New Mexico between January 1, 2006, through January 1, 2020:
| Year | Measure | Amount | Primary purpose | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Question A | $15,958,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2006 | Question B | $118,360,000 | Higher education | |
| 2006 | Question C | $9,090,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2008 | Question A | $14,725,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2008 | Question B | $11,019,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2008 | Question C | $57,925,000 | Health facilities | |
| 2008 | Question D | $140,133,000 | Higher education | |
| 2010 | Question A | $7,790,320 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2010 | Question B | $7,082,110 | Public libraries | |
| 2010 | Question C | $5,100,000 | K-12 education | |
| 2010 | Question D | $155,567,824 | Higher education | |
| 2012 | Question A | $10,335,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2012 | Question B | $9,830,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2012 | Question C | $120,000,000 | Higher education | |
| 2014 | Question A | $17,000,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2014 | Question B | $11,000,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2014 | Question C | $141,000,000 | Higher education | |
| 2016 | Question A | $15,440,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2016 | Question B | $10,167,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2016 | Question C | $142,356,000 | Higher education | |
| 2016 | Question D | $18,196,000 | Public safety facilities | |
| 2018 | Question A | $10,700,000 | Senior citizen facilities | |
| 2018 | Question B | $12,876,000 | Public libraries | |
| 2018 | Question C | $6,137,000 | School buses | |
| 2018 | Question D | $128,405,000 | Higher education |
General obligation bond debt
The New Mexico state treasurer provides an overview of the state’s debt resulting from general obligation bonds, which include all voter-approved bonds, each year on June 30.[5] A general obligation bond is public debt and is paid for through state funds, specifically funds from a statewide property tax in New Mexico.
According to the state treasurer's overview on June 30, 2018, New Mexico had $502.86 million in debt from general obligation bonds.[6] The June 2018 debt from general obligation bonds was higher than the June 2017 debt, which was $300.17 million.[7] The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds between June 30, 1998, and June 30, 2018:
Using population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau, Ballotpedia calculated the per person amount of general obligation bond debt in New Mexico by year.[8] On June 30, 2018, the general obligation bond debt per New Mexican resident was $239.88. On June 30, 2017, the per person debt was $143.76. Between 1998 and 2018, the per person debt peaked in 2018. The graph below provides an illustration of state debt from general obligation bonds per New Mexican resident between June 30, 1998, and June 30, 2018:
Path to the ballot
- See also: Legislatively-referred state statute
In New Mexico, both chambers of the New Mexico State Legislature need to approve a bond issue by a simple majority during one legislative session to refer the bond measure to the ballot for voter consideration.
Bond Question C was introduced into the state legislature as Senate Bill 207 (SB 207) during the 2020 legislative session. On February 18, 2020, the New Mexico Senate approved the bond measure 41 to 0 with one member excused from voting. On February 20, 2020, the New Mexico House of Representatives approved SB 207 in a vote of 66 to 0 with four members excused. New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham (D) signed the bond issue on March 11, 2020.[1]
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How to cast a vote
- See also: Voting in New Mexico
Click "Show" to learn more about voter registration, identification requirements, and poll times in New Mexico.
| How to cast a vote in New Mexico | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Poll timesIn New Mexico, all polls are open from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mountain Time on Election Day. An individual who is in line at the time polls close must be allowed to vote.[9] Registration requirements
To register to vote in New Mexico, each applicant must be a citizen of the United States, a resident of New Mexico, and at least 18 years old by the time of the next election. People convicted of a felony are eligible to vote after their prison time is completed, even if they are still on probation, parole, or another form of supervised release. Individuals who have been declared mentally incapacitated may not register to vote.[10] Potential New Mexico voters who were not registered automatically may use the New Mexico voter registration form or national voter registration form to register. Completed registration materials may be mailed or delivered by hand to election officials. First-time applicants by mail must attach a valid form of identification to their registration materials. Registration can also be completed online.[10] Automatic registrationNew Mexico allows automatic voter registration. Eligible voters are automatically registered to vote when they interact with a department of motor vehicles unless they opt out.[11][12] Online registration
New Mexico has implemented an online voter registration system. Residents can register to vote by visiting this website. Same-day registrationNew Mexico allows same-day voter registration.[13][14] Residency requirementsIn New Mexico, individuals can register to vote as soon as they become residents of the state.[15] Verification of citizenshipNew Mexico does not require proof of citizenship for voter registration. An individual must attest that they are a U.S. citizen when registering to vote.[16] All 49 states with voter registration systems require applicants to declare that they are U.S. citizens in order to register to vote in state and federal elections, under penalty of perjury or other punishment.[17] As of January 2025, six states — Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, and New Hampshire — had passed laws requiring verification of citizenship at the time of voter registration. However, only two of those states' laws were in effect, in Arizona and New Hampshire. In three states — California, Maryland, and Vermont — at least one local jurisdiction allowed noncitizens to vote in some local elections as of November 2024. Noncitizens registering to vote in those elections must complete a voter registration application provided by the local jurisdiction and are not eligible to register as state or federal voters. Verifying your registrationThe New Mexico Secretary of State’s Office allows residents to check their voter registration status online by visiting this website. Voter ID requirementsNew Mexico does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. However, if an individual registered to vote for the first time by mail and did not provide verification of his or her identity then, the voter will have to show identification.[18] Those voters can present the following forms of identification:
Some municipalities require identification when voting in local elections. Click here for more information. | |||||
See also
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 New Mexico State Legislature, "2020 Capital Projects," accessed February 24, 2020
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 New Mexico State Legislature, "2020 Capital Projects Text," accessed February 24, 2020
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance Information System," accessed April 13, 2020
- ↑ New Mexico State Treasurer, "State Treasurer Financial Statements," accessed April 2, 2020
- ↑ New Mexico State Treasurer, "Financial Statements – FY 2018," June 30, 2018
- ↑ New Mexico State Treasurer, "Financial Statements – FY 2017," June 30, 2017
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, "Population," accessed March 30, 2020
- ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 12.1", accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 New Mexico Secretary of State, “Voter Registration Information,” accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.2", accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ Office of the Governor, "Gov. Lujan Grisham enacts same-day, automated voter registration," March 27, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Compilation Commission, "New Mexico Statutes - Chapter 1, Article 1-4-5.7", accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ The NM Political Report, “Gov. signs same-day voter registration bill,” March 27, 2019
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voter Registration Eligibility Requirements and FAQs," accessed August 22, 2024
- ↑ The State of New Mexico, "Voter Registration Form," accessed November 1, 2024
- ↑ Under federal law, the national mail voter registration application (a version of which is in use in all states with voter registration systems) requires applicants to indicate that they are U.S. citizens in order to complete an application to vote in state or federal elections, but does not require voters to provide documentary proof of citizenship. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the application "may require only the minimum amount of information necessary to prevent duplicate voter registrations and permit State officials both to determine the eligibility of the applicant to vote and to administer the voting process."
- ↑ New Mexico Secretary of State, "Voting," accessed August 22, 2024
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