Public backlash as officials hold meeting on future of Expo New Mexico
Story continues below
Space News: The role NM scientists play in preventing asteroid collisions
Larry Barker Investigation: Albuquerque penalized $500,000 for 'willful' safety violations
Weird: Bird invasion forces New Mexico Veterans Memorial to close
Last year, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham announced the potential of turning the area into affordable housing and moving the state fair elsewhere. Earlier this month, the county announced it would help by changing the area's tax district.
'This is a big piece of property in the middle of our city and in a part of our city that has seen really historically disinvestment or lack of reinvestment in that area so I think this is a real opportunity to bring some new life into that area new ideas,' said Bernalillo County Commission Chair Eric Olivas at the meeting on February 3.
If approved, it would create the TIDD, which would generate money for infrastructure upgrades at the site like sewer lines and road work. That money would come from gross receipts and property taxes.
With the proposed move of EXPO New Mexico, more than the state fair's location is up in the air. The area is also home to the weekend flea market and Tingley Coliseum, which hosts events like live performances and graduations.
At Wednesday's meeting, officials held the meeting with intentions to discuss the TIDD, saying it would be vital for the future of the area. 'The current trend is not sustainable. We have to do something to rescue our community,' said Martin Chavez, former mayor of Albuquerque and current federal infrastructure adviser to the governor.
The public spoke against not only the TIDD but the proposed move. 'You're just wasting money! Who's pocket is this going into?!', one man asked.
Many in the public spoke out against the move, citing that the large homeless population and crime in the area have driven out other businesses from the neighborhood. 'We have lost Walmart, we have lost Walgreens, we are in a food desert. And you guys talk about doing this, you need to put your money somewhere else!'
Others argued that the funding should be used to help the homeless rather than remove them. 'You have a community of 5,000 homeless people, 55% of which are veterans who've served this country. And this is where our taxpayer money is going. To restructure our fairground or change our fair' said another public commenter.
The county will vote to approve the measure for the tax district at its next meeting on March 3. It then goes to the state for approval. The TIDD would then lead to the development of request for proposal (RFP) masterplan for the future development of the area or if EXPO New Mexico should stay. That process would take six months to complete.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
The 2025 Wisconsin State Fair by the numbers
West Allis, Wis. (WFRV) – The 174th Wisconsin State Fair has come and gone, and despite , officials say the fair was still highly successful. Our team, vendors, exhibitors, and of course, our Fairgoers look forward to the 11 days of State Fair all year long, and to have that cut short by a 1,000-year rain event is heartbreaking. While the end of this State Fair is not what we had hoped for, the 10 days that we came together to celebrate Wisconsin was truly unforgettable. We are so grateful for the support from around the state of Wisconsin over the last few days and look forward to continuing hosting events that benefit the local economy and community as we recover together. Shari Black, Chief Executive Officer of Wisconsin State Fair Park Here's a look at the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair by the numbers: 10 days instead of 11 892,968 visits 10,676 competitive exhibits 2,100 Agriculture Exhibitors 4,300 bags of shavings delivered to exhibitors 81,659 slides down the Giant Slide 31,855 potatoes eaten from the Wisconsin Products Pavilion Over 330,000 Original Cream Puffs served (all produced in the newly renovated Dairy Building) 15,700 orders of Ube Butter Banana French Toast Lumpia served from this year's Golden Spork Award winner, 'Lumpia City.' 8,672 Purple Rain Refreshers served from this year's Drinkies winner, 'the Rock & Roll Beer Garden.' $381,350 raised during the Governor's Blue Ribbon Livestock Auction $81,000 raised during the Blue Ribbon Dairy Products Auction (record-breaking) Wisconsin State Fair officials say a significant portion of the funds raised from the Blue Ribbons Auctions go towards providing scholarships and other benefits for various youth agriculture programs throughout Wisconsin. With rain and flooding canceling the last day of the 2025 Wisconsin State Fair, to make up for lost time and puffs, fairgoers are invited to the Original Cream Puffs Drive-In from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Friday, August 22. Faigoers can get their cream puffs from the Dairy Building's North pick-up windows and can use their unused 2025 Cream Puffs vouchers or pre-order cream puffs here. Packers announce 2025 game themes, including 'Winter Warning,' '1923 Classic,' more Those looking to get their hands on Original Cream Puffs are also welcome to make a pit stop at the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250 INDYCAR Race Weekend, where cream puffs will be available at the to-go location on Grandstand Avenue. Anyone who had bought tickets and planned to attend the State Fair on the Sunday that was canceled can find more details and updates about how to swap their vouchers for an equal 2026 voucher here. While the Wisconsin State Fair team is preparing State Fair Park for the Snap-on Milwaukee Mile 250, organizers say plans for the 175th Wisconsin State Fair, which runs from Thursday, August 6, 202,6, to Sunday, August 16, 2026, are already being made. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
Axios
2 days ago
- Axios
Private nuke waste storage in NM seen as "impossible" in near term
A company seeking to open a temporary storage site for commercial nuclear waste acknowledged that New Mexico's political opposition has at least temporarily clouded its prospects. Why it matters: Holtec International said a Supreme Court ruling in June over waste storage reaffirmed the company's license from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to pursue the site in southeastern New Mexico. Driving the news: Holtec, however, said in a July 28 letter to the project's local supporters that opposition from the New Mexico Legislature and Democratic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham was a hindrance. "Unfortunately, the passage of state legislation that effectively prohibits the construction of the [site], combined with the continued public opposition expressed by New Mexico's current administration, has made further advancement of the project impossible in the near future," William F. Gill, Holtec's vice president and senior counsel, said in the letter. Lujan Grisham's predecessor, Republican Susana Martinez, backed the project. But state lawmakers passed a law in 2023 seeking to block it. Gill said the company would seek to terminate a revenue-sharing agreement with the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, the local group backing the project. The agreement would give the alliance a share of the project's revenue once the facility was operational in exchange for land. Zoom in: Holtec spokesman Patrick O'Brien said in a statement that the project isn't doomed and "remains a viable part of the solution" to spent fuel accumulating at nuclear reactor sites. "The two parties, with a nearly decade-long relationship, have discussed options available moving forward on both the revenue sharing and land purchase aspects under the current agreement, and will continue to do so," he said. Lujan Grisham — who has expressed repeated fears that a temporary site could become permanent — is term-limited and leaves office in January 2027. Catch up fast: The Supreme Court ruled in June that Texas and oil interests can't challenge the NRC's permit for a separate privately owned temporary nuclear waste storage site not far from Holtec's.
Chicago Tribune
3 days ago
- Chicago Tribune
Illinois Republicans rally around President Donald Trump, but internal infighting continues
Illinois Republicans used their day at the State Fair on Thursday to pledge their allegiance to President Donald Trump and the Trump-backed plan to redistrict Texas' congressional boundaries to gain GOP seats that led to that state's House Democrats fleeing to Illinois to try to block it. But as state GOP leaders sought to promote a Republican 'renaissance' that could turn Illinois from a blue state to red based on the state's 2024 presidential results that showed Trump getting 43.5% of the vote, serious problems remain for a political party still trying to elevate itself from the brink of irrelevance. The Illinois GOP remains plagued by infighting that for years has come at the expense of winning campaigns. The state Republicans have routinely witnessed battles between far-right insurgents who in recent years have complained the party isn't Trumpy enough and the financial institutional wing that has long been the GOP establishment and funded the party for decades. With the circulation of candidacy petitions well underway, the party has yet to formally field a full slate of candidates against Democrats who hold all statewide offices. Some candidates running for governor to challenge two-term billionaire Gov. JB Pritzker or seeking other statewide offices lack big-name status or credibility to mount a serious campaign. Big money Republicans who had helped fund candidates in the past have either left the state, such as wealthy venture capitalist and former one-term Gov. Bruce Rauner and billionaire investor and hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, or have stopped giving because of a lack of return on their investment. Only national conservative billionaire megadonor Richard Uihlein remains, though his track record for backing candidates has not often led to success. And while the state GOP tried to use the Texas standoff to promote Illinois Democratic hypocrisy over its heavily gerrymandered congressional map, none of the three Republican congressmen in the state's 17-member delegation attended the fair to provide real-life validation for the GOP's complaints. Republicans repeatedly promoted Illinois' presidential vote showing Trump's losing differential had narrowed from 17 percentage points in 2016 and 2020 to less than 10 percentage points last year. But rather than Trump making gains — his vote total increased by only about 2,200 from 2020 — election results show Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024 underperformed Joe Biden's 2020 winning total by nearly 410,000 ballots. Kathy Salvi, who took over as state GOP chair in July of last year amid party infighting over its leadership, urged Republicans to double down in promoting Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' because of its provision extending his first-term tax cuts, while she didn't mention rules that will cut Medicaid health and nutrition programs for the poor. She also contended the nation's economy has improved despite evidence that inflation has grown as Trump's tariffs take effect. 'Thank goodness we have this president (and) this administration in office,' she told members of the Illinois Republican State Central Committee at their morning meeting Thursday. 'And he asked something of us. We have to be one voice, one voice with the great things that are happening in our country.' But Salvi also acknowledged Trump's unpopularity, particularly among women in what were once the GOP-rich Chicago suburbs. Still, she urged party members not to publicize their differences with the president. 'As for what you don't like, I think in our party, we do a little bit better if we just did this,' she said, putting a hand to her mouth and using a zipper-closed motion. 'You don't like something that some of your fellow Republicans do? You take it to them one-on-one out of respect. And if one-on-one doesn't work, go two-on-two or three-on-two. And if that doesn't work, maybe go to your local party. But we have to be a party. We need all hands on deck, folks,' she said. Rhonda Belford, a Republican National Committeewoman and head of the state GOP's county chairs, said she was part of a group of policy-minded Republicans who had decided to offer a 'working document' making suggestions for 'positive change' in the state that candidates could use, encouraging them to focus on 'policy, not people.' But one suggestion, comity, said much about the state of the Illinois GOP. 'Seeing the verbal and online political carnage that has become a staple of Republican politics in Illinois to the detriment of any winning effort,' her group proposed efforts to 'reduce the ongoing rancor while establishing a positive base from which to oppose our real opponents, Illinois Democrats.' Tony McCombie of Savanna, who leads the Republican minority in the Illinois House, seized on Trump's actions against immigrants and actions by Illinois Democrats led by Pritzker to protect them. 'Illegal immigrants should not be on the rolls of our Medicaid. They just shouldn't. They shouldn't be in the state. The governor should repeal the sanctuary state. Our budget problems would go away,' she said. McCombie contended that a fiscal cliff of hundreds of millions of dollars facing the state's mass transit could be closed not by raising taxes but by eliminating funding for immigrant services. 'Why not just send them, send the illegal immigrants back? We'll have $1 billion. I mean, that's what we should be talking about.' McCombie expressed confidence that by the time petitions are filed at the end of October for the state's March 17 primary, 'I know we're going to have a full slate' of candidates for statewide office. 'I'll tell you, a midterm is always tough, and so a lot of people think about the opportunity,' she said. But, 'I think it's the money to go up against the (Pritzker) money in politics in Illinois that also kind of takes people away.' Don Tracy, a Springfield attorney and part of the family that owns nationwide food distributor Dot Foods, promoted his downstate roots as he runs for the Republican nomination for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin of Springfield. It was Salvi who replaced Tracy as state GOP chair, a post he had held since 2021 until he resigned last year amid efforts by some Republicans to remove him. 'I did what I could as state party (chair). I made some progress throughout the state. And it's not unique to Illinois. There's infighting when you have weak parties,' Tracy said, adding his U.S. Senate bid was also aimed 'to make the state party stronger.' One announced GOP candidate challenging Pritzker, DuPage County Sheriff James Mendrick, attended the fair to pitch his candidacy and touted his drug treatment and rehabilitation efforts at the DuPage jail. But earlier this year, it was announced that Mendrick and DuPage County reached an $11 million settlement with the estate of a 50-year-old woman, Reneyda Aguilar-Hurtado, who died in June 2023 after being held in the county jail for 85 days while awaiting transfer to a state-run mental health center. Mendrick and 11 jail medical staffers or corrections officers were accused — in a federal lawsuit brought by Aguilar-Hurtado's daughter — of repeatedly failing to act as Aguilar-Hurtado's health rapidly deteriorated. A county pathologist had determined the death was due, in part, to 'medical neglect.' Ted Dabrowski, a former vice president of the right-leaning Illinois Policy Institute and current president of Wirepoints, a conservative advocacy group, also said he is weighing a bid for governor and expects to make a decision soon. Some Republicans said privately that Dabrowski was looking to tap into Uihlein's wealth to back his bid. Cook County GOP Chair Aaron Del Mar also has been considering a run for governor, but he has not yet decided. While Democrats at their fair day on Wednesday featured Hakeem Jeffries of New York, the leader of the Democratic minority in the U.S. House, Illinois Republicans had as their main speaker Fox News commentator Gianno Caldwell. Caldwell, who is from Chicago's South Side, later moved to DuPage County. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent the Illinois GOP a video in which he sought to justify his Trump-backed mid-decade redistricting effort. A special legislative session to consider a new congressional map, ostensibly called for flood relief, is to be gaveled to a close on Friday with no action taken due to the absent Democratic lawmakers. 'It's ironic since, as you all well know, no state is more gerrymandered than Illinois,' Abbott said of the Democrats' choice of a state to protest the partisanly drawn maps. 'The redistricting that we seek in Texas is perfectly legal and complies with the Voting Rights Act. It is fair. It is necessary. It will provide Texans the opportunity to vote for the representation in Congress that they deserve,' he said. 'I will continue to call special session after special session until we get these maps passed.' Later Thursday, Texas House Democrats who left the state said they would return to Texas after lawmakers adjourn their current special session on Friday and when California Democrats introduce their retaliatory map designed to neutralize the Texas GOP effort. Texas GOP state chairman Abraham George also appeared before Illinois Republicans and defended the proposed new map. He contended Democrats are hiding here because they don't like Donald Trump. They don't like what is going to happen with the redistricting. So they need to come back home or resign so we can have a special election.' 'Democrats don't hate gerrymandering. They hate losing, and with this new map they know they're going to lose about five seats. You know, we could make it harder for them and make it eight seats,' he said. 'We could have 33 seats on the Republican side. We're not doing that.'
