Estancia still without a budget three months into fiscal year; trustees begin search for next police chief
Water storage rebounds, but a leaking main tank is now a priority; board also approves temporary EMS hires and an EMW Gas Association lease
ESTANCIA — The Town of Estancia's water storage tanks are nearly full after a summer of shortages, town officials told the Board of Trustees on Monday, September 21, 2026. That relief has exposed an older problem: the town's main storage tank leaks once the water rises high enough to reach loose bolts near its top.
"This is not new news," said Mayor Pro Tem Martin Lucero, who presided over the meeting. "We need to really get that thing fixed, like ASAP."
Town Clerk Roy Hubbard also told trustees the town still has no budget for the fiscal year that began July 1. The trustees emerged from a closed session and voted to begin looking for the town's next police chief, seeking letters of interest from qualified candidates rather than opening a formal hiring process. They also approved two temporary hires for the town's short-staffed emergency medical services department and a commercial lease with the EMW Gas Association.
Water: tanks near capacity, but the main tank leaks
The update is a sharp turn from this summer, when the town relied on trucked water at several points after its storage levels dropped to crisis lows. (Prior reporting by the Mountainair Dispatch presented these lows in June 2026.)
Edwin Bencomo, Estancia Public Works Supervisor, told trustees that residents have noticed stronger water pressure. He said the tanks stood at 77 feet Monday morning and dropped only three feet during the school day, to 74 feet by afternoon. He said both storage tanks were "pretty much at maximum capacity." He attributed part of the improvement to cooler weather and lower demand.
Lucero said the leak comes from the tank's top tier, where the structure appears to have been "sucked in," likely due to a pressure problem that loosened the bolts. He said town staff is going through records to identify the vendor that sold the town the tank.
Bencomo said Wells 8 and 9 are running but still waiting on upgrades. The town is waiting on its contractor to install a new motor in Well 8 and on a pump to arrive for Well 9. He said Well 4 is pumping about 15 gallons per minute.
Public Works is also preparing this week for a state sanitary survey. During that inspection, state regulators review a public water system's wells, storage, and records. Bencomo called it his top priority and said a failed survey "could be violations." Lucero said results can take about 30 days. Lucero also said Public Works is working to install SCADA equipment, a remote monitoring and control system for the wells and tanks. He said the town has sought it for some time.
Mayor Runnel Riley, who participated by phone, thanked Bencomo and the Public Works crew for working through the holiday to bring the system back online and restore pressure.
Town still without a fiscal year 2027 budget
Estancia is nearly three months into its 2027 fiscal year, which began July 1, 2026, without an adopted budget, as reported by Town Clerk Roy Hubbard. Hubbard told trustees he hopes to complete the budget by October or November.
The board also tabled a resolution on the town's fiscal year 2026 second-quarter financial report because staff had not finished it. Hubbard said the town is doing pre-audit work for fiscal year 2026 with an outside CPA firm that is also helping with reconciliations. The firm now has three auditors, including one who knows the town's Caselle accounting software well. The fiscal year 2026 audit is due Tuesday, December 15, 2026, and Hubbard said the town hopes to meet that deadline.
Lucero said the town's Caselle system lacks a module for tracking receivables and preparing year-end 1099 tax forms, so staff currently track receivables by hand. He said he asked for a quote on the module, which he expects to fall below the spending threshold that requires council approval.
On the town's effort to change its Social Security arrangement for employees under New Mexico's Section 218 agreement, which governs Social Security coverage for state and local government workers, Hubbard said the town is still waiting to hear from the Public Employees Retirement Association. According to Hubbard, the town attorney advised that the town cannot make the change before the required documentation is in hand. The attorney's staff will go to the PERA office to try to speed up the process.
Board begins search for next police chief
After a closed session to discuss a personnel matter involving the police chief position and pending or threatened litigation, trustees voted to begin looking for a new chief. Lucero said the position would be "vacated with the new election."
Trustee Albert Lovato's motion directed Hubbard and the current chief, Tom Carter, to seek letters of interest from qualified candidates, "utilizing just letters of interest instead of actually going out for hire." The motion passed by voice vote with no opposition heard. Carter won the Republican primary for Torrance County Sheriff in June 2026. No Democrat filed for the office, and he is expected to take office Friday, January 1, 2027.
Two temporary EMS hires approved
Trustees unanimously approved hiring two temporary employees for up to six months for the town's EMS department. Lucero said the two candidates are fully qualified and already have a good working relationship with the town. He said the town does not owe benefits to temporary employees.
EMS Chief Jonathan Barela told trustees the department has seven positions and only three are filled. He said the temporary hires would give current staff room to take time off and keep medical appointments, and would help the town meet its coverage obligations, which he described as "pretty taxing."
"This is something that is a necessity and not a want," he said, adding that the positions are already in the department's budget.
EMW Gas Association lease approved
Trustees unanimously approved a commercial lease agreement between the EMW Gas Association and the town for EMW's building at 416 5th Street in Estancia. Lucero said Town Attorney Nann Winter reviewed the agreement, and the board redlined it at its previous meeting.
Lovato said the association's board would vote on leasing the building to the town at its meeting on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. EMW customer services are expected to move to Moriarty. The association will keep a drop-off box in Estancia and schedule an employee to be available at least twice a week, so Estancia and Willard customers do not have to drive to Moriarty with questions.
Public comment takes issue with idle pool and town's appearance
During public comment, Estancia resident and town pool manager Julie Morales said the town pool has turned into a "duck pond." She described algae, droppings near the slides, and ducks in the water. She also said two pool rooms, including the chlorine room, are badly corroded, with doors that would not pass inspection, and that leaks remain in the family bathroom.
Hubbard responded to Morales's questions about the pool cover, saying it was approved and ordered. The company is custom-building it and has received the pool's dimensions. Hubbard said the town does not plan to reopen the pool this year. Most repairs can wait until February, before the pool reopens. Hubbard defended the town's pool contractor, Valentine's Swimming Pool and Spa Supplies, as one of the few such companies in the state. "To be honest, we live in the desert," Hubbard said. "There's not a lot of pool guys in the state."
Lucero said he believes the town has relied too long on a single vendor. He suggested it may be time to look elsewhere and pointed to a school district project where a vendor's quote dropped 50 percent once competing bids were sought. "The idea of procurement is so that vendors don't get too comfortable in what they're doing," he said. Lucero offered to walk the pool with Morales to build a list of repairs.
Trustee Patrick Sanchez suggested seeking bids now so a contractor is lined up by spring, and covering the pool with heavy-duty tarps and sandbags if the cover does not arrive soon.
Morales also said the town looks neglected, pointing to trees growing through sidewalks in front of businesses and a stray brown dog roaming near the park. "How can we ask people to keep their yards clean if we can't keep the town clean?" she asked.
Lucero asked residents to weigh the town's priorities, framing the choice as water service versus the town's appearance. Bencomo said his crew's focus remains on the wells and the sanitary survey. "Water is life, honestly," he said. Earlier in the meeting, Sanchez said many residential yards have become trashed. Lucero said Zoning Officer and Animal Control Officer Bill Teaney is expected back next week. Lucero said he would contact animal control about the dog.
Flood mitigation money at risk
Lucero said the town has two unused pots of flood mitigation money: a $100,000 state grant and $1.5 million connected to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. He said state officials have warned that funds not encumbered by 2027 will be lost. The town is trying to determine how to get Estancia removed from the federal flood zone map, and Lucero said that depending on how that resolves, the town may not need to spend the money at all. He asked staff to check whether Torrance County's hazard mitigation plan allows the funds to be used for other town improvements.
Riley said the town previously met with the Army Corps, which developed plans to get the town out of the flood zone, and that the related maps should be on file. Lucero asked to meet with Riley to get up to speed.
Lucero also said the town needs its own 40-year water plan because the state no longer allows municipalities to rely on state-prepared regional plans. Staff are seeking a quote to bring to the next meeting.
Other business
Trustee Amy May was absent. Lovato asked whether anyone had heard from her or knew whether she intends to return. Sanchez said the last he had heard, she was in Roswell. Lucero said he would try to reach her.
May faces two felony counts of unlawful sale of alcoholic beverages in Moriarty Magistrate Court, according to New Mexico Courts records in case No. M-56-FR-202600092. A warrant issued for her arrest on Thursday, September 3, 2026, after she failed to appear, was canceled Tuesday, September 8, 2026, the same day a court-appointed attorney entered the case. May is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
Lucero said the town has received seven applications for a billing clerk position and will schedule interviews soon. He also said he will hold biweekly department head meetings at 8:00 AM MDT on the days department heads prepare their council updates.
Lovato said the youth athletics program will hold its annual meeting next month to elect new leadership and plan for Little League and possibly volleyball and basketball. He said he hopes a planned town hall project will free space for youth sports. Lovato also asked about a leak on the new looping project, and Bencomo said it had been patched.
Disclosure: The Mountainair Dispatch has filed public records and Open Meetings Act complaints against the Town of Estancia this year. Those complaints are pending before the New Mexico Department of Justice.