Update · October 31, 2026

The bond questions are not on the November 3 ballot

The three General Obligation Bond questions approved by the City Council will not appear on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. The City plans to bring them to voters at a special election in spring 2027. The date will be announced once it is set.

  • The November 3 general election goes forward as scheduled. All other races and questions on the ballot are not affected.
  • Residents who have already voted do not need to take any action.
  • City mailers, posters, and other materials listed the bond questions on the November 3 ballot. That information is out of date, and the City is updating it.

Read the October 30 news release What happens next

No property tax increase

Three bond questions are planned for spring 2027.

Sunland Park voters will decide whether the City may issue up to $8,250,000 in general obligation bonds for recreation and parks, public safety, and roads and water. The bonds would be repaid with property tax revenue the City already collects, so approving them would not raise property taxes. This page explains what each question says and how the bonds work.

Read the three questions Will my taxes go up?
  • Spring 2027Planned special election. The date will be announced once it is set.
  • 3 questionsEach one is voted on separately: for or against.
  • Up to $8.25 millionThe most the City could issue if all three are approved.
  • No tax increaseThe bonds are repaid from property tax revenue the City already collects.

What is a general obligation bond?

It is a way for a city to pay for large public projects, such as buildings, roads, and water lines.

Investors buy the bonds. The City uses that money for the projects, then pays it back over time with interest. Those payments come from property tax revenue the City already collects, not from a new or higher tax.

Because the bonds are backed by property tax revenue, New Mexico law requires voter approval first. That is why these questions go to voters.

  1. August 18, 2026

    City Council approved the questions

    The Council adopted Resolution 2026-85 on a 6 to 0 roll call vote.

  2. Spring 2027, date to be announced

    Voters decide each question at a special election

    Registered voters who live in the City of Sunland Park vote for or against each of the three questions.

  3. If a question is approved, the City may issue those bonds

    Only up to the amount in the question, and only for the purposes listed in it.

  4. The bonds are repaid over time

    Repayment comes from existing property tax revenue. Property taxes do not go up.

The three questions

Each question names a maximum amount and the purposes it could pay for. You vote on each one by itself. One can be approved while another is not.

  • $2,250,000Recreation, parks, and trails
  • $2,500,000Public safety
  • $3,500,000Roads, water, and wastewater

Question 1 of 3

Recreation center, parks, and trails

Up to$2,250,000

What the question says the money is for

  • Building a regional recreation center
  • Upgrades to current parks
  • Rio Grande and other city multi-use trails
  • Wayfinding signs

Question as approved in Resolution 2026-85

Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $2,250,000 for construction of a regional recreation center, upgrade current parks, and construction of the Rio Grande and other municipal multi-use trails and wayfinding?

  • For general obligation bonds recreation center, parks and multi-use trail bonds.
  • Against general obligation bonds recreation center, parks and multi-use trail bonds.

Question 2 of 3

Public safety complex, equipment, and vehicles

Up to$2,500,000

What the question says the money is for

  • Design of a new public safety complex
  • Construction of the complex
  • New fire and public safety equipment
  • New fire and public safety vehicles

Question as approved in Resolution 2026-85

Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $2,500,000 for design, construction of a new public safety complex, and the purchase of new fire and public safety equipment and vehicles?

  • For general obligation bonds public safety complex, new fire and public safety equipment and vehicles.
  • Against general obligation bonds public safety complex, new fire and public safety equipment and vehicles.

Question 3 of 3

Roads, water, and wastewater

Up to$3,500,000

What the question says the money is for

  • Work on existing roads
  • Building new roadways
  • Building and improving water infrastructure
  • Building and improving wastewater infrastructure

Question as approved in Resolution 2026-85

Shall the City of Sunland Park issue general obligation bonds, payable from property taxes, in an amount up to $3,500,000 for work on existing roads, new construction of roadways, and construction and improvement of water and wastewater infrastructure?

  • For general obligations bonds work on existing roads, new construction of roadways, water and wastewater infrastructure.
  • Against general obligations bonds work on existing roads, new construction of roadways, water and wastewater infrastructure.

Question wording above is taken from Resolution 2026-85. The wording for the special election ballot will be confirmed when the election date is set. Project locations, designs, and schedules have not been published yet. This page will be updated when the City releases them.

What each outcome means

This applies to each question on its own. The result of one question does not change the others.

If a question is approved

  • The City is authorized to issue bonds for that question, up to the stated amount.
  • "Up to" is a ceiling. The City may issue less.
  • The money can only be used for the purposes named in that question.
  • The bonds are repaid from property tax revenue the City already collects.

If a question is not approved

  • The City is not authorized to issue the bonds in that question.
  • No debt for those bonds is created by this election.
  • The purposes in that question would not receive money from these bonds.
  • The other two questions are decided on their own votes.

Either way, these bond questions do not raise property taxes.

Will my property taxes go up?

No.

The bonds would be repaid with property tax revenue the City already collects. Approving any or all of the three questions would not raise property taxes.

Every question on the ballot includes the words "payable from property taxes." That phrase describes where repayment comes from. It does not add a new tax or raise the current one.

What voters are deciding is how that existing revenue is put to work: recreation and parks, public safety, and roads and water.

Your property taxes and these bonds

TodayCurrent property taxes
=
If all three are approvedNo increase

Property taxes apply to homes, land, and business property. Renters do not receive a property tax bill.

What happened and what comes next

The bond questions were approved and filed in August, but they were not included on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. The City has asked the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office for a full review of why.

  1. August 18, 2026City Council adopted Resolution 2026-85 with the three bond questions.
  2. August 21, 2026City staff filed the resolution with the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office.
  3. October 30, 2026City staff confirmed the questions are not on the November 3 ballot.
  4. Spring 2027Planned special election. The date will be announced once it is set.

The City is working with its bond counsel and financial advisor to bring the bond questions to voters at a special election in spring 2027. Election dates, registration deadlines, and voting locations will be posted on this page once they are set.

The November 3 general election

  • The election goes forward as scheduled. All other races and questions on the ballot are not affected.
  • Residents who have already voted do not need to take any action.
  • The bond questions will not appear on November 3 ballots.

Who can vote on the bond questions

Registered voters who live inside the City of Sunland Park.

Official voter resources

Common questions

Why aren't the bond questions on my November 3 ballot?

The City Council approved the questions on August 18, 2026, and City staff filed the resolution with the Doña Ana County Clerk's Office on August 21, 2026. The questions were not included on the ballot. The City has asked the County Clerk's Office for a full review of why.

I already voted. Do I need to do anything?

No. Residents who have already voted do not need to take any action. All other races and questions on the November 3 ballot are not affected.

When will residents vote on the bond questions?

The City plans to bring the questions to voters at a special election in spring 2027. The date will be announced once it is set and will be posted on this page.

I received a mailer or saw a poster that said November 3. Is that still correct?

No. City mailers, posters, and other materials listed the bond questions on the November 3 ballot. That information is out of date, and the City is updating it. The amounts and purposes of the three questions have not changed.

Will approving the bonds raise my property taxes?

No. The bonds would be repaid with property tax revenue the City already collects. Approving any or all of the three questions would not raise property taxes.

Why does the ballot say "payable from property taxes"?

That phrase describes where repayment comes from. It does not create a new tax or increase the current one.

What does "general obligation" mean?

It means the City pledges its property tax revenue to repay the debt. That pledge is the reason voters must approve the bonds before they can be issued.

Why are there three questions instead of one?

Each question covers a different type of project. Splitting them lets voters decide on each purpose separately.

If a question is approved, will the City issue the full amount?

Not necessarily. Each amount is a maximum. Approval allows the City to issue bonds up to that figure, and it may issue less.

Can bond money be spent on something else?

No. Bond money can only be spent on the purposes written in the question that voters approved.

Read Resolution 2026-85 (PDF, English and Spanish)

This page is provided by the City of Sunland Park as public information about the general obligation bond questions approved in Resolution 2026-85. It does not advocate for or against any ballot question.

Last updated October 31, 2026. More details will be added as they become available.