Geraldine Salazar, Santa Fe County Clerk, wants to remind voters that the end of Early Voting and Absentee Voting for the 2018 General Election is fast approaching.

Absentee Ballots: You can apply for an absentee ballot now or anytime up until Friday, November 2, 2018, although we encourage voters not to wait until the last minute. By law, the last day we can mail out Absentee Ballots is Friday, November 2, 2018.  To apply for an Absentee Ballot, you can go online to electronically request an Absentee Ballot Application Request, you may also go to (http://www.santafecountynm.gov/userfiles/ABGeraldine.pdf ) to print an application, or call the County Clerk’s Office (505-986-6280) to request an application.  All Absentee Ballots must be returned by 7:00 PM on Election Night, November 6, 2018.  You can hand-deliver Absentee Ballots to the Clerk’s Office or to any Voting Convenience Center (VCC) on Election Day.

Early Voting: Early Voting at the Clerk’s Office and alternate sites ends Saturday, November 3, 2018.

Clerk’s Office: Tuesday, October 9, 2018 – Friday, November 2, 2018: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Saturday, November 3, 2018: 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Alternate Sites: Saturday’s, October 20, 2018, October 27, 2018, and November 3, 2018,

10:00 AM – 6:00 PM                                                               

Tuesday’s thru Friday’s, October 23 – October 26, October 30 – November 2,

12:00 PM – 8:00 PM               

Here are the locations of the Alternate Sites:

·Santa Fe County Fair Building – 3229 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe

·Max Coll Corridor Community Center –  16 Avenida Torreon, Eldorado

·Edgewood Elementary –  285 Dinkle Road, Edgewood

·Pojoaque County Satellite Office – 5 W. Gutierrez – Ste. 9, Pojoaque Pueblo Plaza, Pojoaque

· Christian Life Church – 121 Siringo Road, Santa Fe

· Abedon Lopez Community Center – 155A Camino de Quintana, Santa Cruz, NM

For more information, consult the County Clerk’s Web page (http://www.santafecountynm.gov/clerk) or call the County Clerk’s Office (505-986-6280).

Santa Fe County recognized employees that have completed 20 or more years of service with the county. Santa Fe County recognizes and appreciates the value of employee tenure.  Employees received a service plaque with our appreciation for their years of service.

Donna Morris 20 years

Patty Dennis 20 years

Marie Garcia 20 years

Diana Ortiz-Acosta 20 years

Vicente Archuleta 20 years

Victoria Lucero 20 years

Sammy Romero 20 years

Frankie Baca 20 years

Anthony Maez 20 years

Fredrick Suazo 20 years

Victor Gonzales 21 years

Jasper Roybal 21 years

Stacy Garcia 21 years

Richard Chang 22 years

Paul Kavanaugh 22 years

Robin Gurule 22 years

Lisa Griego 22 years

Dolores Olivas 22 years

Mark Rodriguez 22 years

Robert Martinez 23 years

Anthony Ruscetti 23 years

Socorro Ojeda 23 years

Erle Wright 23 years

Penny Ellis-Green 23 years

Mark Lujan 23 years

Angie Tapia 24 years

Marianne Martinez 24 years

Anthony Gallegos 24 years

Esther Artino 25 years

Mike Romero 25 years

Joseph Martinez 25 years

Alan Vigil 33 years

Santa Fe County Ethics Board Seeks Board Member

Santa Fe County is currently seeking a board member of the general public who is interested in serving on the County Ethics Board. The Santa Fe County Ethics Board consists of five members who are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). Members shall not be affiliated with County government in any capacity, including, but not limited to, employment (including employment for which the salary is in any way funded by or through the County), appointment, election, or serving as a volunteer. Members of the County Ethics Board may not hold elected public office or office with any political party within the County. The primary duty of the Ethics Board is to enforce the County Code of Conduct.

If after a hearing before the Ethics Board it finds an elected or appointed official or County volunteer to have violated any provision of the Code of Conduct, the Board may impose any of the following penalties after the entry of written findings of fact and conclusions of law: a civil fine not to exceed $300; or a written finding of censure; or a referral to the District Attorney or appropriate governmental office for commencement of criminal or other proceedings.

· Each member shall serve a two year term, subject to reappointment thereafter.

· The Ethics Board meets at the call of the Ethics Board Chair which is not more frequently than monthly and not necessarily every month.

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest and resume to:

Santa Fe County Manager’s Office
Attn: Lisa Katonak
102 Grant Ave., Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0276
lkatonak@santafecountynm.gov; or 505-995-2761

Application Deadline is Wednesday, November 21, 2018.

 

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Santa Fe County Planning Commission Looking For New Members

The Santa Fe County Growth Management Department (Land Use Department) is currently seeking interested members of the general public from Commission Districts 1, 3, 4, and 5 to serve on the Planning Commission for a two-year term beginning in January of 2019 and ending in January of 2021.

Commission Members are responsible for attending monthly public hearings on the 3rd Thursday of every month, where Planning Commission members listen to County staff recommendations, project application presentations and testimony from the public. The Planning Commission subsequently makes land development related decisions and recommendations to the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). Projects heard by this commission range from variance requests to Conditional Use Permits and Planned Development Districts.

Interested individuals should submit a letter of interest and resume to:

Santa Fe County Growth Management Department
Attn:  Vicki Lucero
P.O. Box 276

Santa Fe, New Mexico 87504-0276
Email: vlopez@santafecountynm.gov 

Phone: (505) 986-6222

Application Deadline is November 9, 2018 at 5 p.m.

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Reauthorization of the County Regional Transit Gross Receipts Tax

On the November 6^th ballot will be a question asking voters whether they are for or against the County Regional Transit Gross Receipts Tax Reauthorization. They will be voting to reauthorize the existing County Regional Transit Gross Receipts Tax of 1/8% of one cent that is used to finance the operational costs and capital expenditures of the North Central Regional Transit District and the regional transit services it funds beyond its current 2024 expiration date.

This is not a new tax and voting for Reauthorization will not increase taxes.

The North Central Regional Transit District (RTD Blue Bus) covers a service area more than 10,000 square miles with a 53-vehicle fleet, 419 bus passenger shelters, 419 bus stops and 79 employees.

The Blue Bus offers fare-free and premium fare-based bus transit connecting more than 70 communities throughout Santa Fe County and the counties of Taos, Los Alamos and Rio Arriba. The District also provides service to each of the eight Northern Pueblos as well as the Jicarilla Apache Nation.

The Blue Bus provides service on 25 fixed and flex routes, one Demand Response route, one Dial-a-Ride service and complementary paratransit service in the Taos area. The RTD Blue Buses also connect to the NM Rail Runner Express, Los Alamos Atomic City Transit, Santa Fe Trails, NMDOT Park & Ride, RTD Chile Line and Red River Miner’s Transit.

Blue Bus riders include:

• Commuters
• Students
• Seniors & Retirees
• Veterans
• People with disabilities
• People without cars (56% of transit riders don’t own a car)
• Visitors and Tourists
• People looking to reduce their carbon footprint
• People who choose transit over driving

A number of routes provide service throughout Santa Fe County and include routes into the City of Santa Fe from Española and Taos, Edgewood, Eldorado, La Cienega, Chimayo, Tesuque, and Pojoaque/Nambé. Its Turquoise Trail route provides service along the Highway 14 corridor from Madrid and Cerrillos, to the County Adult Detention Center and into the City.

More information is at www.ridethebluebus.com

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