44TH LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - FIRST SESSION, 1999

AUTHORIZING THE RETENTION OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS; DIRECTING THE EXPENDITURE OF AN APPROPRIATION TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. APPROPRIATION.--

A. Two million six hundred fifty thousand dollars ($2,650,000) is appropriated from the general fund to the economic development department for expenditure in fiscal year 2000 for the following purposes:

(1) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for advertising and promotion efforts to develop and advance the economic development potential and opportunities of the state;

(2) five hundred thousand dollars ($500,000) for cooperative advertising activities in combination with the governing body of a municipality, a county or another agency of the state to promote the economic development of the state or any locale within the state; and the economic development department may require matching funds for the use of or to satisfy matching fund requirements with this money;

(3) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) to conduct a county site inventory of the resources important to and supportive of economic development in each county of the state, including utility and telecommunications facilities and options, transportation access points, office or industrial space availability, and family, educational and cultural opportunities and options within the county;

(4) one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) to travel and attend trade shows and exhibitions to promote and represent the state's economic development opportunities;

(5) one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars ($1,250,000) to create contractual personnel agreements to retain ten economic development specialists who are to be independent contractors, retained temporarily for a term certain; and seven of whom shall be directly assigned and accountable for providing services to one of the economic development districts described in Section 4-58-2 NMSA 1978 and the other three of whom shall provide economic development services as directed and described in the contract retaining them. The ten economic development specialists shall be retained for the economic development department by a panel of six persons, two of whom are to be appointed each by the president pro tempore of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives and the governor. Each of the ten economic development specialists shall be qualified in the field of economic development or a related field to provide the services directed and described in the contract by which each is retained; and

(6) one hundred fifty thousand dollars ($150,000) to reimburse the economic development specialists for travel expenses incurred during and pursuant to the terms of their contracts authorized and described in Paragraph (5) of this subsection.

B. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at the end of fiscal year 2000 shall revert to the general fund.