Santa Teresa steps closer to incorporation

Santa Teresa is one step closer to incorporating, but Doa Ana County says there are still a number of hurdles standing in the way. Those include a looming annexation attempt by neighboring Sunland Park.

Members of the Santa Teresa incorporation group have presented a petition with more than 900 signatures to the county. They now plan to present a resolution at Tuesday’s Sunland Park City Council meeting asking the city to support their incorporation efforts, and give up on annexation.

Sunland park stretches for a dozen miles or so along McNutt Road. It runs right up to the Santa Teresa Country Club and other areas west of that including the industrial park, commonly considered to be the bulk of Santa Teresa.

The petition was presented to the county last week after gathering well than the 200 required over the end of last year. But county clerk Lynn Ellins said that’s nowhere near the end of the road for Santa Teresa’s incorporation. There are a number of other hurdles, including getting an attorney, performing a census and proving the possible city could in fact support itself.

“But assuming they can meet that standard,” Ellins said, “which is the primary standard, and assuming Sunland Park doesn’t intervene to object, and has a valid objection, which could be the case due to the proximity of the two communities.”

But the incorporation group said it’s ready to meet the other requirements of being a city as they come up, including organizing a tax base, hiring basic staff and renting offices.

Kraig Carpenter, one of the petition’s organizers said they’re prepared, and basic services are already provided outside of a city structure. He added that the area that would become the City of Santa Teresa would provide better services than Sunland Park could, including advanced firefighting qualifications to cover the airport.

“So it would take Sunland Park starting from scratch right now six months to a year to get certified” Carpenter said. “So I guess that, the way we perceive the law, the way we’re reading it, that is conclusively proven. They cannot provide services to us at this time.”

Due to the close proximity of the proposed boundaries of Santa Teresa, Sunland Park could still raise possible objections to incorporation. The Santa Teresa group hopes to settle that Tuesday night with their proposed resolution. Check back with ABC-7 on air and online for the latest.