Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance

committees of the NM Legislature. The LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports

if they are used for other purposes.

Current FIRs (in HTML & Adobe PDF formats) are a vailable on the NM Legislative Website (legis.state.nm.us).

Adobe PDF versions include all attachments, whereas HTML versions may not. Previously issued FIRs and

attachments may be obtained from the LFC in Suite 101 of the State Capitol Building North.

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

SPONSOR Grubesic

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

2/17/07

HB

SHORT TITLE Eliminate County Surveyor Position

SB 889

ANALYST Ortiz

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Finance and Administration (DFA)

Attorney General’s Office (AGO)

Secretary of State (SoS)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Bill 889 would amend and repeal several provisions of state law to eliminate the elected

office of county surveyor.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

According to DFA, Santa Fe County, apparently the last county to retain an elected surveyor will

save $22,358 in their budget expenditures each fiscal year by enacting SB-889.

DFA further explains that county governments will utilize private sector surveyors through the

public bid process when county survey projects are needed. County governments will administer

the resulting contracts from the winning bid of participating private sector surveyors.

Senate Bill 889 – Page

2

LFC staff note money will not necessarily be saved because the counties still have to pay private

surveyors.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The AGO reports that the position of an elected county surveyor is created in NMSA Section 4-

42-1. The county surveyor conducts surveys where necessary and keeps survey records. See

NMSA Sections 4-42-2 to 4-42-15. This bill would authorize boards of county commissioners to

use the services of licensed surveyors while repealing that elected position.

According to DFA, in 1912, licensed surveyors were needed for objective determination of

boundaries between government jurisdictions. Since that time, the elected office has become si-

necure in nature as the private sector can more effectively bid on county survey projects when

needed. In private boundary disputes a surveyor from the private sector would be used rather

than a public sector elected official. The result is extra costs to counties to continue to maintain

an antiquated elected position in effect when cost savings to county budgets could be the result if

the position were eliminated. Apparently, only Santa Fe County retains the elected county sur-

veyor position. There is no surveyor’s affiliate of the New Mexico Association of Counties.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The Office of the Secretary of State indicates that issues with SB 889 do not apply to Secretary

of State.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

DFA suggests that the consequences of not enacting SB-889 will be to continue the practice of

paying an elected position for which little or no work is produced due to the position apparently

being antiquated.

EO/nt