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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Miera

DATE TYPED 02/24/05 HB 824

SHORT TITLE UNM Architecture School Raza Planning Center

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

$50.0

Recurring General Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Relates to the appropriation for the Commission on Higher Education in the General Appropria-

tions Act.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Response Received From

New Mexico Commission on Higher Education (CHE)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 824 – Making an Appropriation to the Commission on Higher Education to Cooper-

ate with the Mid-Region Council of Governments to Hire an Administrative Manager and a re-

search Assistant for the Resource Center for Raza Planning at the University of New Mexico

School of Architecture and Planning – appropriates $50,000 from the general fund to the Com-

mission on Higher Education for expenditure in FY06 to cooperate with the Mid-Region Council

of Governments to hire an administrative manager and a research assistant for the Resource Cen-

ter for Raza Planning at the University of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

Significant Issues

CHE indicates that the Resource Center for Raza Planning (RCRP) is a center with in the Uni-

versity of New Mexico School of Architecture and Planning. The core membership of RCRP is

House Bill 824 -- Page 2

drawn from New Mexico graduate students in the Community and Regional Planning program at

the University of New Mexico. The program focuses on the traditional communities of New

Mexico.

The Mid-Region Council of Governments (MRCOG) employs a multi-disciplinary staff to pro-

vide assistance to local governments in community planning and programming for public

improvements. Assistance can be provided for comprehensive and strategic planning,

programming of public improvements and services, writing applications and proposals for

funding assistance, preparation of land use management codes and ordinances such as zoning

and subdivision regulations, computerized base mapping, survey research, and statistical

analysis. Also, local governments occasionally request MRCOG staff assistance for purposes of

organizational management, intergovernmental coordination, education and training, or special

studies.

The MRCOG region consists of the counties of Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, and Valencia as

well as the southern portion of Santa Fe County

CHE notes that this request was not submitted to the commission for review. Accordingly, this

request was not included in the commission’s funding recommendation for FY06.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

The appropriation of $50,000 contained in this bill is a recurring expense to the general fund.

Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of FY06 shall revert to the gen-

eral fund.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

CHE observes that, typically, the commission distributes appropriated funds to post-secondary

institutions. This bill suggests that the funds be distributed to the MRCOG, unless the role of the

MRCOG is simply to participate in the selection of personnel for the UNM School of Architec-

ture and Planning.

CHE adds that regional councils of government typically are funded through and monitored by

the Local Government Division in the Department of Finance and Administration. If the funds

are distributed to the MRCOG, the Local Government Division is better prepared to manage this

appropriation. Further, that the relationships among the involved agencies are unclear, and the

uncertainties will make it difficult to for any agency to develop and implement a plan for pro-

gram evaluation, including specific program goals and criteria for assessing program effective-

ness.

CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP

Relates to the appropriation for the Commission on Higher Education in the General Appropria-

tions Act.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The CHE suggests the commission is committed to the adequate and equitable support of neces-

sary instructional, student services, and academic support initiatives for all students in New Mex-

ico. Activities to be funded in this proposal are currently recommended for funding through the

House Bill 824 -- Page 3

Instruction and General (I&G) higher education funding formula within the General Appropria-

tion Act. Funding of this program without consideration of similar needs at all institutions could

weaken the equitability and thus the integrity of the I&G formula.

BFW/yr