SANTA FE — The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) awarded $57.81 million in matching grants to 37 public entities, leveraging over $200 million in federal funding for 57 projects. Of the grants, 54% went to rural areas, including Lincoln County and the Mescalero Apache Tribe for fire recovery.
This first cycle of the New Mexico Match Fund supported 33 infrastructure, eight energy, four public safety, four emergency response, and eight general projects at 1 to 4 state-to-federal leveraged dollars. DFA began accepting applications on June 16, 2024.
“This investment is a commitment to the resilience and growth of our rural communities,” said Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham. “By removing barriers to federal resources, we are paving the way for sustainable development and improved infrastructure across New Mexico.”
Enacted earlier this year, HB 177 created the New Mexico Match Fund to leverage once-in-a-generation federal funding for infrastructure, research, economic development, the energy transition, and other projects to leverage resources for the benefit of New Mexico.
“The New Mexico Match Fund has already jumpstarted dozens of vital infrastructure, rural development, and public safety projects in its first four months,” said HB177 sponsor Representative Meredith A. Dixon. “This transformational program will continue to pay dividends for decades to come by improving our roads, strengthening communities statewide, and creating good-paying jobs for New Mexicans along the way.”
“I am happy to see these much-needed funds for our local governments be put to use,” said HB177 sponsor Representative Gail Armstrong. “Local governments, especially in rural communities, are too often lacking matching resources to secure federal grants. The NM Match Fund has now provided several underserved communities access to often missed federal funding opportunities.”
“The New Mexico Match Fund is a prime example of how our executive and legislative collaboration can create meaningful assistance for our rural communities, as we’ve provided $31 million to rural entities in the first four months,” said DFA Cabinet Secretary Wayne Propst.
With an initial appropriation of $75 million, and pursuant to the new law, DFA developed three grant programs providing eligible entities with a reliable and nimble source of funding to increase competitiveness for hundreds of federal grant program opportunities that require local match. Programs include the Matching Grant, Project Implementation Grant, and Federal Compliance Offset Grant.
“Thanks to the New Mexico Match Fund, we can make available resources to provide our residents with the tools they need to succeed in today’s technology-driven landscape,” said Kevin Winner, Information Technology Director of the Pueblo of Jemez. “Our community has long recognized the necessity of digital access for growth and development.”
Highlighted projects:
- City of Gallup – The matching grant of $5,000,000 will leverage a $40,000,000 federal award for the Allison Road Corridor Part A Construction project, improving mobility and increasing safety for Gallup residents.
- Lincoln County – The matching grant of $12,500,000 will leverage a $50,000,000 federal award for flood mitigation from South Fork and Salt Fires from the National Resource Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
- Mescalero Apache Tribe – The matching grant of $2,392,750 will leverage a $21,834,750 federal award for flood mitigation from South Fork and Salt Fires from the National Resource Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program.
- Santa Fe-Pojoaque Soil & Water Conservation District – The matching grant of $7,440,000 will leverage a $14,300,000 federal award from the National Resource Conservation Service’s Watershed Rehabilitation Program to repair Santa Cruz Dam Site-1
Full list of Matching Grant awarded entities:
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Selected Matching Grant Project Awards
- The Santa Fe-Pojoaque Soil & Water Conservation District, located in Santa Fe County, received $14.3 million in federal funds, with a contingent award of $7.44 million, for the repair of the Santa Cruz Dam Site 1 under the USDA NRCS Watershed Rehabilitation Program.
- The East Rio Arriba Soil and Water Conservation District, in Rio Arriba County, was awarded $1 million in federal funds, with an additional $250,000, to restore damages from extreme weather events that caused flash flooding.
- The New Mexico Higher Education Department’s Adult Education Division received $12 million in federal funding and $1.2 million in contingent funds for broadband expansion as part of the Digital Equity initiative.
- The Pueblo of Jemez, located in Sandoval County, received two federal awards: $5 million for digital equity efforts, and an additional $8.19 million for expanding the Jemez Pueblo Tribal Network, including community engagement, feasibility studies, and other planning activities, with a total contingent award of $1.32 million.
- New Mexico Highlands University, in San Miguel County, was granted $8.67 million in federal funds and $962,914 in contingent funds for the Digital Equity Competitive Grant Program to improve internet access.
- New Mexico State University, in Doña Ana County, secured $12 million in federal funding and $1.2 million in contingent funds for the eNext Gen digital equity program.
- The Eastern Plains Council of Governments, in Curry County, received $1.05 million in federal funds and $450,000 in contingent funds for a program focused on rural nurse education, recruitment, and retention strategies.
- Acequia Del Llano (Santa Cruz), spanning Santa Fe and Rio Arriba counties, received $1.95 million in federal funding and $650,000 in contingent funds to support the Bureau of Reclamation Water Smart Grant.
- The City of Carlsbad, in Eddy County, was awarded $1.58 million in both federal and contingent funds for the Shorthorn Park Rehabilitation Project, and an additional $1 million in federal funds and $200,000 in contingent funds for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations.
- The City of Albuquerque, located in Bernalillo County, received $12.33 million in federal funds and $3.08 million in contingent funds for Rail Trail Development.
- The University of New Mexico, in Bernalillo County, secured $1.28 million in federal funding and $320,000 in contingent funds for clean vehicle charging infrastructure.
- The City of Socorro, in Socorro County, was granted $1.52 million in federal funds and $380,000 in contingent funds for clean fueling infrastructure.
- Bernalillo County received $274,635 in federal funding and a matching contingent award for body-worn cameras.
- The Village of Cimarron, in Colfax County, received $700,800 in federal funds and $100,200 in contingent funds for clean fueling infrastructure.
- The City of Albuquerque was awarded $1.5 million in both federal and contingent funds for the Wells Park segment of the Albuquerque Rail Trail Project through EDA Public Works funding.
- The Village of Logan, in Quay County, received $289,000 in federal funding and $96,000 in contingent funds for ambulance service.
- The University of New Mexico, in Bernalillo County, secured $5.56 million in federal funding and $430,556 in contingent funds for HPC system research.
- Doña Ana County received $1.89 million in federal funds and $473,057 in contingent funds for EV fueling infrastructure.
- Central New Mexico Community College, in Bernalillo County, received $3.72 million in federal funds and $743,000 in contingent funds for EV charging stations.
- The Pueblo of Santa Ana, in Sandoval County, secured $6.54 million in federal funding and $819,275 in contingent funds for a Wildlife Crossing Pilot Program.
- Taos Pueblo, in Taos County, received $2.88 million in federal funds and $720,000 in contingent funds for EV charging stations.
- The City of Gallup, in McKinley County, was awarded $2.5 million in federal funding and $500,000 in contingent funds for the Allison Road Corridor Part A Construction Project, as part of the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program.
- McKinley County received $4 million in federal funds and $1 million in contingent funds for rail crossing planning in McKinley and Cibola Counties, also under the Railroad Crossing Elimination Program.
- The South Central Regional Transit District, in Doña Ana County, secured $630,149 in federal funds and $278,011 in contingent funds for the Urbanized Area Formula Program to support transit operations and maintenance.
- The Village of Ruidoso, in Lincoln County, was granted $1.4 million in federal funds and $916,435 in contingent funds for the Zia Transportation service.
- The Incorporated County of Los Alamos received $3.15 million in federal funds and $2.18 million in contingent funds for transit services.
- The University of New Mexico was awarded $1 million in both federal and contingent funds for the EDA Build to Scale project, and an additional $800,000 in federal funds with $200,000 in contingent funds for the Safe Streets and Roads Interpass project.
- The North Central New Mexico Economic Development District, in Santa Fe County, secured $1.64 million in federal funding and $411,182 in contingent funds to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan (CSAP) for rural New Mexico.
- The City of Lovington, with SNMEDD as fiscal agent, received $1.06 million in federal funds and $263,942 in contingent funds for wastewater treatment plant improvements.
- The North Central Regional Transit District (Rural Rapid Transit), covering Los Alamos, Mora, Rio Arriba, San Juan, and Santa Fe counties, received $2 million in federal funding and $500,000 in contingent funds for a hybrid bus purchase under the Low or No Emissions Grant Program.
Awards by region:
- Northeast: $15,186,933.22 across 12 projects
- Northwest: $17,236,638.67 across 22 projects
- Southeast: $17,324,324.82 across 13 projects
- Southwest: $5,860,868.60 across 10 projects
- Statewide: $2,297,339.00 across 4 projects
Total: $57,906,104.31 for 61 projects