There is some good news on the legislative front- there’s a very strong effort this year being put forth to end taxation of Social Security benefits in New Mexico. House Bills 48 and 49 are sponsored by Rep. Cathrynn Brown and Rep. Gail Armstrong. New Mexico is one of twelve states that tax the benefits Social Security recipients receive, and this has hurt our reputation as a place for seniors to move. Presently, this effort appears to be receiving bipartisan support. HB 48 is a straight repeal, while HB 49 is a phase-out over five years. The bills are currently with the House Taxation and Revenue Committee.
Members of our southeast New Mexico delegation have been pushing for this change for many years, as it unfairly doubles taxation for Social Security recipients. Everyone has already paid a tax on this fund throughout his or her lives. Abolishing this tax would encourage more retirees to consider moving to or remaining in New Mexico, and it would also assist retirees who are on a fixed income. In 2020, the City of Carlsbad passed a resolution in support of removing the tax on Social Security benefits. We are optimistic to see that effort finally gain momentum this year.
This year’s legislative session ends next week. We will continue to push for bills that support our citizens and businesses and speaking in opposition to those bills that do not support our residents.
***
Cleanup efforts in Carlsbad are continuing. Riverblitz will be held from 7-11 a.m. on March 5 this year. This is a community effort aimed at cleaning up the Pecos River both in the City and Eddy County areas. Pickup of provided supplies will begin at 7 a.m. at the Riverwalk Recreation Center. For more information, please call Mary Garwood- the Keep Carlsbad Beautiful Director, at (575) 302-7665. You can also just show up at the Rec center on the morning of March 5.
***
COVID-19 update. There were 92 new positives reported for Eddy County over the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday). That’s actually good news – the last three day total came out Jan. 31 and reported 295 cases for Eddy County. The state’s positivity rate has also dropped down to around 20%. We feel like Carlsbad – and the rest of the country- are pushing through the January surge in cases.
There’s some interesting data about COVID trends in New Mexico available here: https://www.mayoclinic.org/coronavirus-covid-19/map/new-mexico
Eddy County is now reporting a vaccination rate of 56.3%, according to the New Mexico Department of Health.
Sincerely,
Carlsbad Mayor Dale Janway