Three general obligation bond questions approved by the Sunland Park City Council will not appear on the Tuesday, Nov. 3, general election ballot, city officials confirmed Friday, Oct. 30.
The city has asked the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office to investigate why the questions were omitted and provide a full accounting of how the ballot was prepared. The same office administers elections across Doña Ana County, including Las Cruces.
The council approved the three bond questions, totaling $8.25 million, in Resolution 2026-85 on Aug. 18. City staff filed the resolution with the County Clerk's Office on Aug. 21, according to the city.
In an Oct. 31 letter to Doña Ana County Clerk Amanda López Askin, City Manager Mario Juarez-Infante requested a formal investigation into the omission.
County records show the resolution was received Aug. 21, four days before the Aug. 25 deadline for the city to file local ballot questions. The County Clerk's deadline to certify local questions to the Secretary of State was Aug. 28.
The city requested a written timeline documenting how the resolution was received, routed and handled, along with findings identifying where the process broke down. The investigation is also expected to examine whether any action or omission by the city contributed to the problem.
Juarez-Infante requested an initial response by noon Nov. 2, preliminary findings within five business days and a final written report within 10 business days.
The city emphasized that it is not assigning blame while the review is underway. State law gives the city, County Clerk and Secretary of State separate responsibilities in placing local questions on the ballot.
"Residents were expecting to see these questions on their ballots, and we owe them a clear explanation," Juarez-Infante said in the city's Oct. 30 statement. "We are working to find out what happened and to give voters the chance to decide on these projects in the spring."
The city said it is working with its bond counsel and financial advisor to bring the questions before voters in a special election planned for spring 2027. A date has not been set.
What Sunland Park voters need to know
The Nov. 3 general election will proceed as scheduled. All other races and questions on the ballot are unaffected.
Residents who have already cast their ballots do not need to take any action.
The city acknowledged that mailers, posters and other materials had listed the bond questions on the Nov. 3 ballot. That information is outdated, and the city said it is updating those materials.
The city also requested that the County Clerk's Office preserve all records related to the omission, including emails, ballot versions and communications with election vendors.
Updates on the investigation and planned special election will be posted here.
