Doña Ana County property owners will pay a new conservation tax after voters approved a mill levy by a lopsided margin on Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Unofficial results from the New Mexico secretary of state's office showed 52,854 votes in favor and 8,771 against, according to Organ Mountain News, which first reported the results. That's 85.8% support out of 61,625 ballots cast on the question.

The measure authorizes the Doña Ana Soil and Water Conservation District's board of supervisors to collect up to 0.25 mills annually on real property within the district. At the maximum rate, that works out to 25 cents for every $1,000 of taxable value.

Before the election, the Trust for Public Land estimated the levy could generate approximately $1.6 million per year. In a September interview with KRWG, District Manager Jennifer Kleitz said the cost would be about $27 a year for the average homeowner.

The money shifts the district away from its heavy reliance on state funding and competitive grants. Kleitz told KRWG that the state legislature provides the district roughly $28,000 a year and that when grants expire, the district has sometimes been forced to lay off employees.

What the money pays for

The ballot question lists seven authorized uses: protecting drinking water sources through stormwater and floodplain management, reducing flood risk by improving watersheds above dams, planting trees through the NeighborWoods program in Las Cruces and Doña Ana County, restoring wildlife habitat along the Rio Grande, preserving agricultural land through healthy soil practices, conserving open spaces and providing natural resources education.

NeighborWoods plants trees in Las Cruces neighborhoods and other communities to provide shade and address extreme heat, according to Organ Mountain News. The district also runs a Healthy Soil program and a cover crop partnership with the Interstate Stream Commission, Kleitz told KRWG.

All revenues and expenditures are subject to an independent annual audit, and levy proceeds must be spent only on voter-authorized purposes, according to the ballot measure.

Community input planned

The district's approved resolution calls for community participation in deciding how the money gets spent. That process is expected to include gathering recommendations from residents, sharing information about existing programs and developing strategies to reach historically under-resourced communities, Organ Mountain News reported.

In a Nov. 4 news release, Kleitz called the result an important milestone for conservation efforts across Doña Ana County, according to Organ Mountain News. She said the district plans to release more information in coming months about implementation, public participation and the timeline for putting the funding to work.

The district includes Las Cruces and much of Doña Ana County, but its boundaries do not cover every county precinct. Only eligible voters within the conservation district voted on the levy.

The election results remain unofficial until certified by the state.