Dona Ana Legislative Coalition
OUR HISTORY
In the fall of 2007, a strong alliance of elected officials, along with members of the education, economic development and the business communities of Dona Ana County, joined together to work towards instituting common visions and outcomes to benefit the area. Up to that time, a number of collaborative initiatives had already occurred throughout Dona Ana County, yet there was still a need to formally collaborate on legislative issues affecting New Mexico's fastest-growing county. The Dona Ana Legislative Coalition (DACLC) was created to fill that need. The DACLC promotes and supports legislation that affects wealth creation, quality of life and the community at large.
OUR MISSION
The DACLC seeks to identify and promote significant legislative initiatives to benefit Las Cruces and the surrounding communities' economic and developmental needs. Through collaboration, the DACLC membership will promote appropriate action at the city, county, state and federal levels if needed. Each year the DACLC membership will identify five to seven key legislative initatives submitted by the core and alliance members. They will establish an annual plan to strategically promote key initatives and perform a post-legislative session evaluation of DACLC's effectiveness. This will include the development of systems to assess the level of support that elected legislators provide for the identified initiatives.
Thank you to our participating membership:
Greater Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce
New Mexico State University
City of Las Cruces
Las Cruces Public Schools
Hatch Valley Public Schools
Gadsden Independent School District
Dona Ana County, New Mexico
Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces
Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance (MVEDA)
The Bridge - Regional Educational Initiative
2011 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES
Capital Outlay Projects - TOTAL $9 million Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority 911 Center -- $850,000 in Funding Requested for Planning & Design WHAT: The Mesilla Valley Regional Dispatch Authority is a collaboration between the 911 emergency services of Dona Ana County, the City of Las Cruces, the City of Sunland Park, the Town of Mesilla, and the Village of Hatch. Growing needs for emergency dispatch has led to the need for a larger facility. WHY: The current location was not originally intended or built for its current use. Located in a flood plain, the site could become impaired during inclement weather, when services are most needed. It's critical that a new location be identified and a facility built to ensure safe, coordinated, and reliable response for law enforcement, fire protection services, and ambulance services. COMMUNITY BENEFIT: Multiple Southern New Mexico agencies will benefit from this project. A new facility will increase survivability rates, reliable response systems, and protected communication linkages during power outages, catastrophic weather events, and other crisis scenarios. Crisis Triage Center -- $2.1 in Funding Requested WHAT: The proposed Crisis Triage Center would support those who are mentally ill in moments of crisis better than law enforcement and emergency health providers can. It also provides a focal point for collaboration between agencies for the delivery of services. WHY: Across the nation, half of men and a third of women in jail are afflicted with serious mental illnesses. The total number in jail is actually three times higher than those currently in hospitals. Building a triage center would reduce the burden and costs for helping the mentally ill currently incurred by the courts, law enforcement, detention centers, dispatchers, and emergency rooms. COMMUNITY BENEFIT: A Crisis Triage Center in southern New Mexico would benefit the entire state. The center would relieve the burden on similar facilities in Albuquerque and Las Vegas, providing a more effective use of resources statewide. Roads to Schools -- $6 million in Funding Requested WHAT: Two new schools in Las Cruces need access roads and infrastructure improvements to create safe passageways for students. WHY: The Dripping Springs High School and Monte Vista Elementary both need state support for roadways adjacent to the Las Cruces Public Schools properties. These roads will increase access to the schools using the Safe Routes to Schools Model. COMMUNITY BENEFIT: Safe Routes to Schools is designed to decrease traffic and pollution and increase the health of children and the community. The program promotes walking and biking to school through education and incentives that show how much fun it can be. The program also addresses the safety concerns of parents by encouraging greater enforcement of traffic laws, educating the public, and exploring ways to create safer streets. Job Creation and Economic Development WHAT: The long-term solution to the state's economic crunch is the expansion of revenue by attracting new businesses and creating new jobs. Creating a fertile business environment in this tri-border region includes continued support for existing incentives, an economic development recruitment budget, removing barriers to job growth, and maximizing the potential of regional border business through tax exemptions, new revenue sources, and infrastructure support. WHY: The creation of jobs and attraction of new employers to the state are critical to reviving the state's economy. In this economic climate, it is even more important to ensure our County has the right tools in place to attract and grow business and industry. COMMUNITY BENEFIT: Creating a business-friendly environment will position Dona Ana County for decades of economic growth by building on the assets already here. Tax credits will help attract high-tech and high-wage jobs that increase the overall wealth of the county. Expanding the New Mexico Partnership grows private sector business and jobs - increasing state revenues. Reduced regulation will promote growth in local businesses. A combination of tools to build cross-border business will position Dona Ana County as a leading economic engine in the state's economy. Education WHAT: The most effective approach to increasing educational outcomes and maximizing return on investment of educational dollars is to restructure the manner in which New Mexico structures the education system in the State. Removing bureaucracy,
inefficiencies, and ineffective educational systems and develop an infrastructure that will support and assist districts to better serve the diverse populations which exist in the State. Funding mechanisms should be evaluated based on community collaboration and innovation that builds the quality of graduating students, not just boosting graduation rates but producing a workforce skills ready labor market. Furthermore, dual credit funding must be preserved and expanded to ensure future student success in high school and college as well as providing an equal opportunity for all students. WHY: By creating an infrastructure that supports and assists in both public and higher education, educational institutions can increase their ability to meet the needs of students, properly equip teachers, and fund educational approaches and research based best practices proven to increase educational outcomes. The current structure that requires Districts to fund instructional programs from their operational monies is severely burdened. The timeline in which Districts are reimbursed by the State for federal monies expended frequently takes at minimum half a year. This current practice places an undue hardship on already limited financial resources, seriously affecting all districts, but most especially the small rural school districts. Additionally, current funding formulas need to be reassessed and revised to be more focused on equity and fairness for all students in the State. COMMUNITY BENEFIT: Properly funding education and supporting collaborative environments are essential to an active and productive citizenry, a vibrant and growing business environment, and a strong state economy for the future. The Bridge of Southern New Mexico is a local example of this kind of collaboration. The Bridge has already proven that when business, economic development, government, and education work side-by-side, partnership leads to innovation and a better return on investment for educational dollars. The Arrowhead Park Early College High School, the advancement of dual credit courses, maximizing career and technical education; enhancing the rigor of instructional focus for all English learners while respecting and validating the rich cultural diversity of the State; providing equal opportunity to all students are all critical components for stemming the tide of dropouts, building stronger college and workforce ready students, and therefore better equipping workers for future economic development for the county at large.
