San Juan County seeks probe into high local fuel prices

San Juan County is pressing the New Mexico Department of Justice to examine whether local drivers are being overcharged at the pump. Commissioner Chair Pro-Tem Sandra Lanier asked county staff during Tuesday’s commission meeting to seek an investigation, after county officials said AAA data showed prices in San Juan County remained well above nearby markets.

The county’s July 9 release said regular unleaded averaged $4.261 a gallon locally on July 8, compared with $3.88 in McKinley County, $3.942 in Albuquerque and a statewide average of $3.939. Diesel was listed at $5.206 in San Juan County, versus $4.756 in Albuquerque and $4.810 nationally. AAA’s New Mexico fuel-price page put the state average at $3.785 and the national average at $3.790 on July 7, further widening the gap between San Juan County and broader benchmarks.

Lanier said the pattern is hitting families and businesses that depend on daily driving across the county’s long distances. The county release quoted her as saying, “Fuel prices fluctuate with market forces; however, San Juan County Residents are consistently paying much more than our neighbors,” and, “A 50-cent difference in the price of diesel puts our businesses at a disadvantage and hurts our residents.” KRQE reported that Lanier said some Four Corners drivers were paying as much as 50 cents more per gallon than residents in the Albuquerque metro area.

The county said prior state investigations into fuel pricing in San Juan County were inconclusive, but did bring temporary relief at the pump. That history gives the latest request added weight: county leaders are not asking for a one-time review, but for state scrutiny of whether the local market is being driven by ordinary price swings or something more.

Lanier, who is listed by the county as the District 3 commissioner for the 2025-2028 term and as Commission Chair Pro-Tem, is not the first local official to raise the issue. In December 2023, Farmington Mayor Nate Duckett asked the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office to investigate possible gas gouging in San Juan County, and local reporting later said the office confirmed an investigation into potential gouging.

Fuel costs also remain a budget issue for county government itself. San Juan County recently posted a bid for a bulk-fuel price agreement for various county locations, with a close date of May 28, 2026. That detail underscores how gasoline and diesel prices affect not just commuters and ranchers, but also the county’s own operations as it waits to see whether the state opens another probe.