Los Lunas Council to Consider Lodgers Tax Board Appointments, Bank CD

Five seats on the Los Lunas Lodgers Tax Advisory Board are up for council approval Thursday, and the people who fill them will advise how tourism marketing dollars move through a community that has grown by more than 3,700 residents since 2020 and is actively pushing a $172 million boulevard project from blueprint to pavement.

The Village of Los Lunas Council convenes at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, April 9, at 660 Main Street. Senior Economic Developer Victoria Archuleta will present the lodgers' tax appointments, which head the substantive agenda alongside a certificate of deposit approval with UMB Bank and a closed executive session on hiring an administrative assistant.

New Mexico law is precise about who can serve on a lodgers' tax advisory board. Under Section 3-38-22 of the New Mexico Statutes, a five-member board appointed by the mayor must include two owners or operators of lodgings subject to the occupancy tax, two owners or operators of businesses that primarily serve tourists, and one resident representing the general public. The council has no flexibility on that structure; it can only fill the seats. Members serve at the pleasure of the mayor, and two-year terms are proposed for this cycle.

The board's advisory function shapes decisions that ripple through Valencia County's hospitality economy. Under state law, the board counsels the governing body on how lodgers' tax revenue is spent on advertising, publicizing, and promoting tourist attractions and facilities, from event sponsorships to visitor marketing campaigns. State law further requires quarterly expenditure reports from every lodgers'-tax fund recipient; the governing body has 10 days after receiving those reports to furnish copies to the advisory board. All lodgers' tax funds must be held in a separate, dedicated account.

The appointments also carry explicit strategic weight. The agenda item ties the board's oversight role to the I-25 Interchange and Los Lunas Boulevard Corridor Project, one of the largest infrastructure undertakings in village history. Mayor Charles Griego said in April 2025 that the village has approximately $172 million available for the project. "When we started this process we had zero dollars to begin with," Griego said. Phase 1 of Los Lunas Boulevard will run from I-25 to Highway 47, with a full interchange at Morris Road, a bridge over the Rio Grande, and a multi-use pedestrian and bicycle path. Griego has emphasized the project is village-led, independent of the New Mexico Department of Transportation.

Beyond the board appointments, the council will consider approving a certificate of deposit with UMB Bank. New Mexico municipalities are authorized under NMSA Section 6-10-36 to place public funds in interest-bearing instruments at qualified depositories as a low-risk cash management tool. UMB Bank operates in New Mexico through New Mexico Bank & Trust, now a division of UMB Bank, n.a., giving the institution an established in-state presence.

The session closes with an executive session on hiring an administrative assistant. The New Mexico Open Meetings Act, under Subsection H(2) of Section 10-15-1, permits governing bodies to meet in closed session specifically to discuss an individual's hiring, dismissal, promotion, resignation, complaint, or shortcomings. The New Mexico Attorney General's Office has made clear that budget discussions, even when tied to a personnel matter, cannot be shielded from public view under that exception. When the council returns to open session, the moments to track are any motions made, votes recorded, and contract terms that require public action.

The session is also available via Microsoft Teams livestream, with access codes posted on the village's municipal website. Those wishing to speak face a three-minute limit during the public input forum, and written submissions may be directed to the Village Administrator. The full agenda packet, including recommendation letters for the board candidates, is posted online ahead of Thursday's session.