Dona Ana County Commissioners disapprove

In a unanimous vote, Dona Ana County Commissioners disapproved moving forward with the incorporation of Santa Teresa, for now.

This, after they determined the legal requirements were not met. One of the big disagreements on Tuesday was over the word “or”.

“We’re so intertwined and having another municipality right adjacent to us just based on socioeconomic status and maybe even education level, I don’t think it’d be prudent for the entire area,” Sunland Park Mayor Javier Perea said.

Parea told ABC-7 Sunland Park is against Santa Teresa becoming a city. An attorney for Santa Teresa petitioners said they interpreted the law as petitioners having to do one of the following: either prove Sunland Park is unable to provide services within a faster time then Santa Teresa, petition for Santa Teresa residents to be annexed or have documents to support a resolution where Sunland Park supports the incorporation.

But commissioners determined the law states petitioners must do all three.

“Just the way the law is written, as we understand it, they need to have petitioned for annexation and they haven’t done, that and as a consequence we can’t move forward,” Chairman Billy Garrett said.

“It’s surprising because it’s pretty obvious in the law what the code reads,” incorporation supporter Kraig Carpenter said. “But there are no petitioners to be annexed into Sunland Park, so it seems to lack the petition and the code seems to be very straightforward to me. It’s one, two or three.”

Enrique Palomares, the attorney for the Santa Teresa incorporation supporters, told ABC-7 after the petitioners get together to discuss what happened, they will more than likely appeal.