Development of the annual state budget starts with the Governor’s and the Legislative Finance Committee’s recommendations. The State Engineer and Interstate Stream Commission prepared this comparison between the two. The Governor’s formal recommendation cut millions from the line item increases that she allowed the OSE/ISC to present to legislative committees last fall.
The LFC recommendation cuts almost all of the increase, including funding for Water Data Act implementation and water rights enforcement. The quotations below are from the LFC Budget Recommendation, Volume 2, pages 232-236.
“The Office of the State Engineer (OSE) requested a total budget of $59.1 million for FY26, $8.1 million, or 16 percent, more than the FY25 operating budget.”
“The LFC recommendation provides a $1.15 million, or 3.4 percent, general fund increase.”
“At the time of the agency’s budget request submission, WRAP had 51 vacant positions, six of which could be filled with existing funding.”
“The LFC recommendation increases general fund revenue by $800 thousand, or 16 percent, providing funding for the water planners who are implementing the Water Security Planning Act and funding for contract work to implement the state’s 50-year water plan.”
“In Program Support, the agency requested a general fund increase of $600 thousand, or 9.9 percent, for salary adjustments and to fill two Water Data Act positions. As of the fall 2024, the agency had 15 vacant positions and $546.6 thousand in vacancy savings. The committee recommendation does not support the program’s requested budget increase.”
The House Appropriations and Finance Committee (HAFC) puts its budget decisions into House Bill 2. After HB2 passes the House, it goes to the Senate, differences are reconciled, and becomes the Legislature’s budget, subject to the Governor’s line-item veto pen.
Many members of the HAFC should support increased water funding, because they know Water is Life, and without Water there is Nothing. New Mexico’s more secure water future depends on the Legislature’s investments in the foundations of water governance. Political will to enable sound water management and planning based on science and data is what we need. New Mexico lacks the political will. Please take action to change that. Make your voice heard. Urge legislators to risk success–a leap ahead in New Mexico water planning and management to increase water supply security–by finishing what we have started, and modernizing the two state water resource planning and management agencies, as fast as possible. These fundamental steps are prerequisites to sound water management and planning in our more arid, more difficult future.
