On a 3-1 vote, the Belen Board of Education declined to take on the role of fiscal agent for a La Joya nonprofit organization at its Feb. 27 meeting.
Representing the La Joya Community Development Association, Andrew Cordova asked the board to approve having the Belen Consolidated Schools district act as the fiscal agent for the organization in order to receive state capital outlay funds.
“The association … is seeking capital outlay to renovate the gymnasium located within the village of La Joya,” Cordova said. “There seems to be no other possible way for the community to ever seek or acquire any funding from the state without Belen Consolidated Schools acting as the fiscal agent.”
As a private organization, the association isn’t eligible to receive public funds since it would violate the state’s anti-donation clause.
According to Cordova, the district owns the land on which the gymnasium is located while the association owns the actual structure.
“The gymnasium was built during the era of the La Joya Independent Rural School, which, unfortunately, had to close between 1966 and 1967. In the early 1970s, the people organized themselves into the LJCDA, a nonprofit,” Cordova said. “The nonprofit purchased all of the former school buildings, agreeing to lease the school site consisting of 13 acres from the district for a dollar for 99 years … We have no other way for this project of move forward. I’m begging for your help.”
BCS Superintendent Lawrence Sanchez recommended the board not approve the request, noting it could take up to a year to complete the process of becoming the association’s fiscal agent, which would put a large burden on the district’s finance department.
Board President Aubrey Tucker asked Cordova if the capital outlay was guaranteed. Cordova said the project had the backing of Sen. Joshua Sanchez and Rep. Gail Armstrong, whose districts represent the La Joya community, an unincorporated part of Socorro County.
A review of the capital outlay bill passed in this year’s legislative session doesn’t show an appropriation for the association.
“We just have to have this paperwork finalized before we can do anything. We cannot act as a fiscal agent for ourselves,” Cordova said. “There’s push back from (the state Department of Finance and Administration). We’ve tried in the past. DFA claims the fiscal agent has to own something (as part of the project) and in this case Belen Consolidated Schools owns the property.”
Board member Jim Danner said while he could appreciate Cordova’s position, he didn’t believe acting as a fiscal agent was in the best interest of the district.
“We are a school district. Our charge is to educate children. That’s our role,” Danner said. “I just wish they could find somebody else because I will not vote for the Belen Schools to be a fiscal agent.”
Tucker said the decision to “split” the land and buildings between the district and the association was done decades ago and is a practice that is no longer in effect.
“It is now obsolete. Unfortunately, the district doesn’t have the means to say, ‘Here you go, here’s the land.’ We can’t simply just give it away. It has to be sold at market value and that has its own challenges,” Tucker said. “I understand Mr. Danner’s position. I find myself in the same position as Mr. Danner was when we were discussing how to deal with the Jaramillo school. I am torn.”
When the vote was called for, Danner and board members Larry Garley and Joanne Silva voted against becoming the association’s fiscal agent, while Tucker voted in favor.
Julia M. Dendinger began working at the VCNB in 2006. She covers Valencia County government, Belen Consolidated Schools and the village of Bosque Farms. She is a member of the Society of Professional Journalists Rio Grande chapter’s board of directors.
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April 25, 2024
