HOUSE BILL 127

52nd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2015

INTRODUCED BY

Roberto "Bobby" J. Gonzales

AN ACT

RELATING TO TRADITIONAL HISTORIC COMMUNITIES; REVISING QUALIFICATIONS.

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

     SECTION 1. Section 3-7-1.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1995, Chapter 170, Section 5 and Laws 1995, Chapter 211, Section 4) is amended to read:

     "3-7-1.1. TRADITIONAL HISTORIC COMMUNITY--QUALIFICATIONS--ANNEXATION RESTRICTIONS.--

          A. To qualify as a traditional historic community, an area shall:

                (1) be an unincorporated area of a class A county with a population between one hundred forty thousand and two hundred thousand, based on the most recent federal decennial census, or a class B county with a population between [ninety-five thousand] thirty thousand and [ninety-nine thousand five hundred] forty thousand, based on the [1990] most recent federal decennial census;

                (2) be an identifiable village, community, neighborhood or district that can be documented as having existed for more than one hundred years;

                (3) include structures or landmarks that are associated with the identity of the specific village, community, neighborhood or district seeking designation as a traditional historic community;

                (4) have a distinctive character or traditional quality that can be distinguished from surrounding areas or new developments in the vicinity; and

                (5) be declared a traditional historic community by an ordinance of the board of county commissioners of the county in which the petitioning village, community, neighborhood or district is located.

          B. A traditional historic community may be annexed by a municipality only by petition of a majority of the registered qualified electors of the territory within the traditional historic community proposed to be annexed by the municipality or by the arbitration method of annexation only upon petition of a majority of the registered qualified electors of the territory within the traditional historic community."

     SECTION 2. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2015.

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