Rio Rancho residents demand better roads, services from Mayor Wymer

Potholes, utility trenches and repeated patch jobs on older streets have become an early test for Paul Wymer as Rio Rancho mayor, with longtime resident Kenneth Todd saying the city keeps serving new development while leaving older neighborhoods to absorb the damage. Todd, who has lived in Rio Rancho for nearly five decades, said streets are repeatedly torn up by utility work and gas-line ruptures, then left with temporary repairs instead of full resurfacing.

Wymer took office after a runoff victory that ended a more than decade-long run by Gregg Hull, who had served as mayor since 2014 and did not seek reelection while running for governor of New Mexico. Wymer was sworn in on April 30 and started his first day in office on May 1. He won the April 14 runoff with 10,394 votes, about 63 percent, over Alexandria Piland’s 6,096 votes. Sandoval County reported 20.17 percent turnout in the runoff.

The pressure on Wymer is amplified by Rio Rancho’s size and pace of growth. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the city’s population at 112,524 in July 2024, up 8.1 percent from the 2020 census base of 104,046. The city’s population also skews toward residents who depend on reliable streets and emergency access, with 17.6 percent age 65 or older and 22.8 percent under 18. In a city that large, worn pavement and slow utility coordination quickly become more than an inconvenience. They become a public-safety problem.

Budget decisions already underway will show whether Wymer can turn campaign promises into visible repairs. The city manager delivered the recommended FY 2027 budget on April 15, covering July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, and hearings were scheduled for May 1, May 14 and May 28. The proposed plan includes $345,240 for median and shoulder maintenance and $239,000 for temporary staffing tied to capital improvements and roadway intersections. Public safety additions include $228,816 for two new police officers, $176,475 for two Real Time Crime Center operators and $125,000 for new radio console equipment.

State money is also part of the near-term response. The 2026 New Mexico Legislature approved nearly $4.8 million for Rio Rancho projects that span parks, public safety and infrastructure, including city roads and police equipment. That comes as a recent public-safety review said the Rio Rancho Police Department handled 66,232 calls for service in 2025, while fire response times improved even as structure fires rose and police response times varied by call urgency. For Wymer, the question is whether Rio Rancho can keep growing without letting its older streets, and the services that depend on them, fall further behind.