New Mexico
Eddy County Courthouse was built in 1914. County officials say its time to build a new one
Eddy County supported a request for $20 million in state funds by New Mexico Counties (NMC) to construct courthouses statewide.
Eddy County’s Board of County Commissioners approved a resolution Nov. 7 affirming NMC’s legislative priorities for the 30-day 2024 legislative session, which included the funding request, hoping some of the money would find its way to the County to replace an ageing and cramped Eddy County District Courthouse in Carlsbad.
Barry Massey, spokesperson for the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts, said the judiciary sought money for courthouse projects during the 2023 legislative session, though Eddy County didn’t receive any of those funds.
“Of the $23 million provided by the Legislature (in 2023), $15 million was allocated for a new courthouse in Otero County. The remaining $8 million was provided for improvements and upgrades to courts in Mora, Colfax, Curry, San Juan, Valencia, Socorro, Santa Fe and Bernalillo counties.”
Massey said counties needed to commit to fund at least 50% of the total cost of a project. Rising costs of construction, security and technology necessitate a shared revenue stream, according to NMC.
“State district courthouse construction can reach well over $50 million and the addition of a single judge can cost a county $2 to $3 million for renovation and increased operational support,” according to New Mexico Counties.
More: Funding for detention center on Eddy County priority list for 2024 legislative session
A new courthouse is needed in Eddy County
Built in 1914, the Eddy County Courthouse has been remodeled numerous times over the decades, according to the County website.
Eddy County Sheriff Mark Cage, who is also the New Mexico Counties board president, said the organization worked for years to create a fund to assist counties in meeting the ask for matching funds.
“We are in dire need of a modern courthouse and an efficient county jail that does not reside in the middle of town. Our current district courthouse, as historical and beautiful as it may be, is literally falling apart,” Cage said.
More: Here are the projects funded by New Mexico lawmakers in your community via capital outlay
A study conducted for Eddy County by inspection company Bureau Veritas in 2019, reported that the courthouse would reach the end of its usable life by 2029.
Replacing the courthouse could cost Eddy County $8.4 million, according to the study.
Upgrades to the courthouse were discussed during the tenure of former District 2 county commissioner Royce Pearson who served from 2013 through 2017.
“Time has come to figure out a new courthouse for Eddy County. As a taxpaying constituent that’s my opinion. You can only do so much fixing up,” he said.
Cage said building a new judicial facility south of Carlsbad near the Sheriff’s Office located at 1502 Corrales Drive and Eddy County Fire and Rescue at 1400 Commerce Drive is a possible solution.
“In my opinion (the south location is) the answer to the problem and will allow us to work in a more efficient, safe manner for the citizens of Eddy County,” Cage said.
Cage pointed to the surplus revenue available to New Mexico, largely fueled by oil and gas operations in the Permian Basin, as a good sign that the courthouse project might find some funding to move forward.
Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at MSmith@currentargus.com or @ArgusMichae on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Grant’s Thursday Evening Forecast
Showers and thunderstorms will continue in eastern New Mexico tonight into Friday. Breezy winds will bring an elevated fire danger in the western half of the state.
Thunderstorms are firing up Thursday afternoon along and east of New Mexico’s central mountain chain while gusty south winds over 30 mph are driving an elevated fire danger across western parts of the state. Storms will continue spreading across eastern New Mexico through this evening, bringing locally heavy rainfall, lightning, small hail, and gusty winds. The winds will weaken later tonight, but showers and thunderstorms will keep going across eastern New Mexico overnight into early Friday morning.
A few spotty storms will redevelop Friday afternoon across eastern New Mexico, with a couple near the Texas state line capable of turning strong to severe. At the same time, breezy southwest winds will ramp back up across western New Mexico, with gusts over 35 mph creating another round of elevated fire danger. Storms will push east out of New Mexico Friday evening while winds gradually ease overnight.
Quieter and drier weather takes over this weekend. Temperatures Saturday afternoon will cool a few degrees but still stay near average for late May. Breezy afternoon winds will continue Saturday before lighter winds and warmer temperatures return Sunday.
Moisture will start building back into eastern New Mexico Monday, bringing a slight chance for thunderstorms near the Texas state line. Monday will also be the hottest day of the warming trend statewide. More moisture spreads into the eastern half of the state Tuesday, increasing storm chances along and east of the Rio Grande Valley by afternoon. Even deeper moisture arrives statewide by Wednesday and Thursday, fueling more widespread showers and thunderstorms through the middle of next week.
NEW MEXICO (KRQE) – Skies are partly to mostly clear with most similar or slightly milder than yesterday. Winds are a little breezy occasionally with the highest humidity values mostly from out east and to the north.
Air temperatures in the north are mostly starting off in the 30s to the low 50s. Elsewhere to the south, air temperatures are mostly ranging from around the high 30s to the low 60s.
Many areas from eastern New Mexico to the Pecos River Valley area will range from the high 60s to the 80s from north to south from high to low elevation. The northern higher elevations will mostly range from the high 40s to near 60°, while the northern valley floors to western and central areas will mostly range from the high 70s to the low 90s.
Southerly upper-level winds, in combination to the low-level moisture still lingering around the northern high elevations to out east, will lead to few thunderstorms capable of producing brief bouts of heavy rain, small hail, some lightning, & gusty conditions.
Ridging in the jet stream will then allow for clearer conditions, drier air, and for temperatures to rebound for the remainder of the week. However, slightly more thunderstorms will form for some eastern and mountainous areas late in the week, resulting in outflow-southeasterly winds to occasionally pick up.
Even hotter air returns late this weekend into early next week before thunderstorms are more likely to form next week.
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