City of Sunland Park asks state Supreme Court to stop effort to make Santa Teresa a city
Sunland Park’s city council voted unanimously Tuesday to ask the New Mexico Supreme Court to reverse a lower court’s decision that could allow Santa Teresa to become its own city.
“Having another municipality competing for the same resources, competing for the same success of the region here is not going to be beneficial,” Sunland Park mayor Javier Perea said. “Further fragmenting the community here, and the border area is not in the best interest.”
Mary Gonzalez, the president of the provisional government of Santa Teresa, has been leading the charge for the community to become its own city.
“We believe that we have the right to be our own city,” Gonzalez said. “We have the right to have our own voice and be noticed.”
She filed two lawsuits in District Court after Dona Ana County denied their request to become a city in 2014. After two rejections, she appealed and won two weeks ago.
There are close to 5,000 people that live in the unincorporated area of Santa Teresa. About 16,000 people live in Sunland Park.
“This incorporation would landlock the city of Sunland park. We’re bound by the Texas border on the East, and then with this it would bound the northern side of our city of Sunland park and any development for us or any growth for us in the future,” Perea said.
