KRWG Public Media's Election 2026 Coverage begins with items on the November ballot to decide a mill levy proposal and amendment question.

I'm KC Counts and Jennifer Kleitz, district manager for the Dona Ana Soil and Water Conservation District, will explain what an average increase of $27 per year for Dona Ana County property owners could mean for the district.

Later in the program, we'll be joined by Eli Cuna, campaign manager for Vote for Change, to explain amendment four, a proposal to professionalize the state legislature.

We begin with that mill levy.

Jennifer Kleitz, thank you for being with us.

Thank you.

Thank you KC.

Thank you for having me.

A mill levy is the tax rate local governments use to calculate annual property taxes.

Where one mill equals a dollar of tax for every thousand dollars of a property's assessed value.

Did I get that right?

Yes.

And the Dona Ana Soil and Water Conservation District is asking for 0.25 mill, which would cost the average property owner in the county about $27 more per year.

To be sure, voters understand what they'd be funding.

Let's begin with the creation and purpose of soil and water conservation districts across the state.

So a lot of conservation districts were established many years ago by the federal government during the dustbowl days.

And you can see, in our past, recent, during the windy season that you can't see across the road.

That's the issues they had at that time.

That's why, the national conservation resource service, NRCS was created at that time by Hugh Hammond Bennett and states then established soil and water conservation districts to work with their local partners, work with the farmers and ranchers who are working that ground.

How can we make healthier soil?

How can we conserve water?

How can we, keep that healthy soil on the ground so it doesn't blow away or it doesn't run away, get washed away?

so the, soil, water conservation districts are funded by a stipend that the legislature has for us.

And that's a very small amount of money.

And it's very difficult to, have, programs that, work for our communities and our producers with that limited amount of money.

So we work with getting grants.

Yeah.

Let's talk a little bit about how the districts act as local special governmental agencies.

What does that mean, exactly?

Well, we have the capacity to work with our local producers because.

So water conservation districts are special.

because of the fact that the work we wanted to do is to help farmers and ranchers and communities.

Sometimes that means we are working on private land as you know, because of the anti donation clause.

This the county, the city, the state, they cannot put tax dollars on private land, soil, water conservation districts can put tax dollars on federal, state and private land.

So we can use some of these funding resources from the federal and state government and put it on the ground to help with soil and water conservation so that we can help our producers, keep their, Grow better crops, grow the more efficiently save the water that they use to growing those crops.

Put innovative practices on the ground.

Well, we know with the recent settlement in the Texas v New Mexico and Colorado water case alone, that local agricultural producers are going to be having to find more ways to conserve water.

And we've probably, Jennifer, haven't seen times as close to what people in New Mexico were living with during the dustbowl.

As as close to that, like I would say, we're closer to that than we have been since then.

Would you agree then?

Yes, yes, very much so.

Very much so.

And one of the aspects, one of the projects that we work with on a lot in Dona Ana County is watershed restoration, because we're trying to capture the storm water that we get in these rain storms and these events like we're having right now, and capture that water so it can be used to supplement the irrigation water that we're not getting during the irrigation season.

As we are having this conversation, the remnants of Hurricane Polo are passing over the borderland.

Just a week earlier, we received some heavy rainfall, creating flooding around the region.

And I know it's wildly expensive to, make that infrastructure a reality.

That would help harness that rainfall.

if I'm not mistaken, Jennifer, the district receives a stipend from the state legislature.

It's under $30,000, right?

Yes it is, yes it is.

And it's difficult to have an office and, staff to run the office with such a small amount of money.

the the state did give us our one time only capacity, building, Grant, a year and a half ago, however, when that money's gone, if it's not, then again, we won't be able you with staff that we have.

and so other methods of funding for the district involve grants.

Tell us why they fall short of what the district needs.

The grants are wonderful, but they're dedicated to a certain project.

Certain staff has certain time frame.

And when the project is over with the grant is over with, then those funds go away.

So that project can't continue.

And no matter how successful it is and the staff involved in that, we have to let them go and find out unless we get some other grant dollars.

So, for instance, our neighborhoods grant, where we plant trees in the city and in the county that grant ends in a year and a half, we won't be able to plant any more trees.

And the staff that we have that is coordinating that will have to, find other work.

Well, we've been talking about heavy rainfall around the region and the flooding that can come with it.

Jennifer, why don't you explain how a new source of funding could help your district respond to flooding in the region?

Well, a stable source of funding will allow us to have equipment on hand to help people after the fact.

Help us have a staff or two on hand to work with our local producers and local constituents.

about taking pictures, about what's happening so we can document this stuff.

It's important, when we're applying for grants, to have documented evidence of the before source so that we can, demonstrate the work we'll do with the grant and the situations it will solve.

Additionally, it's supporting any, for instance, if the county is to declare a state of emergency, having this data available to them and the costs helps them support, their effort to get that declared and working with the local, constituents again, the local producers to, for the aftermath of the flooding, the setup that's maybe in their backyard or on their farms and those kind of things.

So, it's no secret that it's probably, not the best time to ask folks for, a tax increase on their properties.

it would be an average of $27 per year for the average property owner in Dona Ana County.

how what do you want to say to voters about why this would impact them directly and means something for them individually?

I think it's important if they will recognize that the Dona Ana Soil Water Conservation District has done a lot of work over the past 4 or 5 years in the county and in the city.

And so if you I know we get a lot of feedback from our city residents about the neighborhoods program and planting trees.

If you want to see those trees continue to be planted, this is a way we can do it.

If we have the the funding so that we can be prepared for when these flooding events happen, then we have a more active role to assist you and also to know for our, our producers to know that these programs where we, have grants to put on the ground for, healthier soil and water conservation practices, a lot of those require a match.

We don't have the the capacity to do that.

And so and we and it's very difficult to have the capacity for staff to apply for grants when, we're operating at such a thin line.

regular overhead, dollars.

Besides grants that we're working with right now.

can you explain a little bit about why you arrived at 0.25 mil?

What will that give to the Dona Ana Soil and Water Conservation District?

And what will be your immediate priorities?

Well, we have a the Board of Supervisors, looked at what our budget is, looked at some of our short range and long range plans, what we want to do.

and they arrived at that rate, they have, foreseen that, for instance, the neighborhood program to continue that without a grant is, requires about $250,000 a year.

Additionally, if we have right now, we're renting a building, renting offices.

Excuse me.

if we had our own office building, and also an equipment yard, this would allow us to, you know, maintain that building, maintain the equipment so that it's ready to be used in these, these times.

And also, again, to my point, I was talking about with grants that have it being able to have that match, and to, ensure also that we have the staff on hand to remain compliant with all of the requirements from the DFA and the procurement and so on and so forth, to do our policies and our programs and our grants, because, you know, our procurement manager is and paid for with a grant that's overhead funding.

Our bookkeeper isn't paid for with an overhead, with a grant that's overhead funding to be a good business.

And to to be a good steward of these dollars requires staff to do that and stay in compliance.

How long have you been with the Dona Ana Soil and Water Conservation District?

Ten years.

And in those ten years have a lot of people said, what is that when you when you say, yes, I did so when I first started.

Why don't you tell voters where they can go for more information?

Well, we have our website, which is, a daswcd.org, and we also have a Facebook page.

Our district administrator does a fabulous job taking care of that, and updating people on what we're doing, and, and, getting notified and getting information right now, we're putting, you know, a lot of weather information and where they can get sandbags from and those kind of things.

and, they're also invited to coming to our board meetings.

Our board meetings are public, they're open to the public.

And they are on the second Thursday of every month, at 9 a.m.. And the EBID conference room on Melendres Street.

All right.

Jennifer Kleitz, Dona Ana Soil and water Conservation District manager.

Thank you so much for being with us.

Thank you very much, KC.

Voters November 3rd will decide whether to professionalize the state legislature.

Amendment four asks voters whether they are for or against lawmakers receiving compensation equal to the state's median household income, which is $67,800, according to Census Bureau data.

Campaign Manager for Vote for Change Eli Cuna joins us to talk about why they say that's a good idea.

Welcome, Eli.

Thank you for being with us.

Thank you so much, KC, for this.

Well, New Mexico is the last state in the nation.

And even though many states don't pay their legislators a living wage, pay them something.

And New Mexico is the last state with an all volunteer legislature.

Why would you say it's time for New Mexico legislators to get paid?

Well, let me tell you something.

the reality of today is that.

Or neighbors or teachers or firefighters, nurses, the workers of the everyday do not have the privilege to just give up their jobs and go and represent all and all neighborhoods in the legislation.

And I think if we really wanna reflect what our communities need and what we need to modernize, and that means that we need to reflect what, how communities look like in our neighborhoods.

for those folks of the everyday that struggle, of how to pay groceries, or how to make a living deal with childcare and the realities of their kids, they're being able to make the laws that we need in New Mexico.

So it's about access.

If it means having more people in everyday walks of life serving.

What is the downside?

Who is able to serve now?

Well, the for now is folks that can have a flexible job that they can take time off to go and give 30 to 60 days during the legislature, plus interim committees and so on.

Folks that can't have like the enough money in their bank where they can just have the privilege to go and be part of the lawmaking process.

And that is not the reality of today's New Mexicans, that it's just it's not.

Well, let's talk a little bit about the salary proposal.

$67,800 is the median household income.

Why would you suggest that we should be offering household income versus median individual income, which is only about $35,000?

Well, because we know that a lot of these, well, we want to make sure is that we recruit not just individuals, but families that are going to be represented or agenda in the legislation.

And the truth of the matter is that we are going to be running as a household, the majority of the folks, and that is the dependency that we have in the reality that we have today in New Mexico.

Like our, by individual, I have three dependance on me.

This is a whole household depending on me.

If I decide one day to run right.

So we are aware of the reality of New Mexico.

That's why the proposal means it looks like that.

Eli, would you run if there was a salary for being a legislator?

Well, let me tell you, not just me.

I know a lot of people that we are eager for that opportunity to run because this is not about any politician right now.

It's about us.

It's about all being able to have that access and have the opportunity to voice what we want for New Mexico.

Well, let's talk about the cost to New Mexico taxpayers, because of course, that will be, a big issue that people will bring up as a reason not to do it.

Right.

$7.6 million.

And tell us about funding that $7.6 million.

What's the plan?

yes, of course, this comes from the general operating budget, like the general fund.

And it really just mean less than 1% of the general, budget.

Which, If you put it in perspective, I think we do deserve at least that 1% that the folks are going to be making decisions about or daily life.

And the folks that are going to be, like advocating for what we want to see in our neighborhoods and communities.

They deserve the investment of the less than 1% of all the work that we're doing for this state.

So I think that is a win win.

How would you say a legislature is better as a paid legislature than as a volunteer legislature?

I think they see the practicality.

I'm better as a paid employee than volunteer in the role that I do.

I'm better if I have full benefits and I have a sustainable like, financial, anchor in what I do.

because that is what address the most important need of the everyday.

How are we going to bring or how are we going to bring food and sustainability to our homes?

And that's pretty much it.

All right.

There is no business that is run by volunteers.

Well, one of the arguments against making New Mexico State Legislature a paid legislature is the motivation to serve.

Someone said some would say that the motivation becomes the salary.

what argument do you have against that contention?

Oh, no.

The motivation is because you want to represent the values and the community that you're come from.

Right.

The challenge Is that how I have access to do that without sacrificing my family and my well-being?

And that is what this Constitutional Amendment 4 is about to really create and remove those barriers from a lot of talented New Mexicans out there or across the state and rural areas that are saying, you know what, I can do this.

I know what my community needs, and they can be the innovator in the in the roundhouse, and they don't have to sacrifice their daily livelihood to do it.

I think it's going to be, probably a close one on election night.

we've gotten some polling that suggests that there is kind of a slight majority maybe supporting this issue, but an equal number of undecided voters on this issue.

so obviously a lot of people have it made up their minds.

But we know that there is an inherent, distaste, right, for, politicians and, government employees making a high salary.

What case do you make to those folks in terms of, paying legislators, the median household income in New Mexico?

How do you make the case?

I get to make the case like our simple.

This is not about any politician currently or previously.

This is about us.

It's about investing in us.

It's about investing in our children.

It's about investing in our neighborhood.

In the fact that we believe that among us, we have the solution for a lot of the problems that we face.

And if we make more accessible democracy and legislation, we're going to be able to solve those issues in the most concrete way.

Because this is about giving the chance for us, those that had never thought this could be a path for us to run, to really make the changes that we want, and we want to see.

Ellie, you serve as campaign manager for vote for change.

Tell me a little bit about that organization and what it does.

Yeah, we are political action PAC like I we're a PAC political committee.

we're on a strong coalition all across different issues that we all come together really identifying this as an opportunity, a bipartisan opportunity for our community to engage in a more meaningful, in a meaningful way to modern, modernized democracy.

Right.

And this is like, where all across the state, where 17, coalition members and we are from housing immigrants rights to like a really healthcare access and so on, rural and urban communities that are part of this coalition.

So this would be a constitutional, amendment, to New Mexico's constitution.

And when lawmakers voted to add it to the ballot, the vote, came down pretty much along party lines.

Can you explain kind of the difference of, thoughts on this issue and why it exists like this along party lines, like so many other issues, but what is the difference there?

And how do you reach out across the aisle to make those, those folks understand your position?

I think any side, any side, across the line.

We need the best representation that will thrive for us, for the working families, for all our communities across rural and urban areas in New Mexico, and for that, the first thing that we need to address is the accessibility for our members to run.

And I believe that is appealing for any anyone across the state.

doesn't matter.

Like, where are you from?

You know, where are you from?

And also, what are you believe?

You know that accessibility is the first challenge for a lot of our communities to be able to speak up with power and making the changes that they want to see in the legislation and in their communities.

So that's why I believe this is a building for both sides.

Earlier we talked just a little bit about funding for this out of the state's general fund.

So I think a lot of people will still, have questions about whether this means what this means for their tax bill every year.

There's no tax increase, right, to voters on this issue.

No tax increase.

This is already there.

This is about betting to investing in yourself and in your chances for us to run right.

Well, Eli Cuna, campaign manager for vote for change.

Thank you so much for joining us.

We appreciate hearing your perspective.

Thank you so much for this, KC And thank you for watching.

Election 2026 coverage on KRWG Public Media.

Early voting in New Mexico begins October 6th.

In Texas, That's October 19th and Election day is November 3rd.

You can find more election coverage anytime on our website.

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