SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION 17

50th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2012

INTRODUCED BY

Rod Adair

A JOINT RESOLUTION

PROPOSING AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 10, SECTION 7 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF NEW MEXICO TO REQUIRE BOARDS OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN COUNTIES WITH A POPULATION IN EXCESS OF TWENTY THOUSAND, OF WHOM MORE THAN THIRTY PERCENT ARE NON-HISPANIC NATIVE AMERICAN, TO CONSIST OF FIVE MEMBERS.

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

     SECTION 1. It is proposed to amend Article 10, Section 7 of the constitution of New Mexico to read:

     "The board of county commissioners by unanimous vote may adopt an ordinance to increase the size of the boards of county commissioners to five members; provided that the board of county commissioners in a county with a population in excess of twenty thousand, more than thirty percent of whom are non-Hispanic Native American, according to the most recent federal decennial census, shall consist of five members. Upon creation of a five-member board, the county shall be divided by the incumbent board of county commissioners into five county commission districts that shall be compact, contiguous and as nearly equal in population as practicable. One county commissioner shall reside within and be elected from each county commission district. Change of residence to a place outside the district from which a county commissioner was elected shall automatically terminate the service of that commissioner and the office shall be declared vacant."

     SECTION 2. The amendment proposed by this resolution shall be submitted to the people for their approval or rejection at the next general election or at any special election prior to that date that may be called for that purpose.

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