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No property tax increase

Three bond questions are on the November 3 ballot.

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?
  • November 3, 2026General election day. The bond questions are on the same ballot.
  • 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 are on your ballot.

  1. August 18, 2026

    City Council placed the questions on the ballot

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

  2. November 3, 2026

    Voters decide each question

    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

How it reads on the ballot

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

How it reads on the ballot

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

How it reads on the ballot

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.

Ballot wording above is taken from Resolution 2026-85. 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.

Dates and how to vote

The bond questions are part of the November 3, 2026 general election, run by the Doña Ana County Clerk. There is no separate bond election.

  1. October 6Last day to register online or by mail. Early voting opens at the County Clerk's office.
  2. October 17More early voting sites open.
  3. October 20Last day to request a mailed ballot.
  4. October 31Early voting ends.
  5. November 3Election day. Polls are open 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Mailed ballots must be received by 7:00 p.m.

Dates follow the New Mexico Secretary of State's 2026 general election calendar. Same-day registration is available in person during early voting and on election day. Confirm voting sites and hours with the Doña Ana County Clerk.

Who can vote on the bond questions

Registered voters who live inside the City of Sunland Park. The questions will appear on your general election ballot along with federal, state, and county races.

Bond questions are often near the end of the ballot. Check both sides.

Official voter resources

Common questions

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 November 3, 2026 general obligation bond questions. It does not advocate for or against any ballot question.

Last updated September 25, 2026. More details will be added as they become available.