Alamogordo NM
Public Notices and Press Releases
Wednesday November 5 2025 5:10pm

Commission agenda

This post expresses the views and opinions of the author(s) and not necessarily that of 2nd Life Media Alamogordo Town News management or staff.

Mayor Elect

Sharon McDonald

Good morning. Congratulations on your win. If you recall I previously sent you an E-Mail indicating publicly disclosed vacancy rate in Alamogordo for apartments and housing was at 15.54 percent or more than double the national rate of 7 percent. In addition, there are more than 700 homes

currently listed for sale. It appears there is a political push to control the narrative of a housing shortage in Alamogordo that is nonexistent in the city in order for the city commission to provide land development funds of $1,500,000 from tax payers for private development. The number of active and inactive water meters as of September 30, 2025 will establish the present vacancy rate in Alamogordo. I have previously requested this information from you, city staff and commissioner Robinson. It is still not available.

An informed vote based on house vacancies in Alamogordo cannot be made

without this information. An example to achieve the vacancy rate would be the inactive water meters divided by total water meters equals the percent of inactive meters and approximate vacancy rate in Alamogordo.

Would you please consider this vacancy rate in the City Commissions decision in providing taxpayer dollars to fund unnecessary private development. I would like to note that you previously voted to exempt another developer from paying property taxes for 7 years in the amount of $1,131,000. These funds could have been used in funding our school system for the children.

I am requesting as before, in an E-Mail to all city commissioners, this funding be taken to a public vote. Not considering a valid vacancy rate in Alamogordo providing tax dollars to developers would appear to be underhanded. Again, would you please make the number of active and inactive water meters available.

Please include this E-Mail in the minutes of your commission meeting when deciding this issue.

Thanking you in advance and again congratulations on your win.

Thanking you in advance.

Matt Wately and Others

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11-06-2025 8:46am

A few things to consider in this request. It needs to be made officially to the city clerks office Rachael Hughes as city staff is who would have the information needed to answer your questions. Email her directly posting on this site does not get you answers from the city. 2. City money CANNOT be allocated to schools. School district funding is exclusively under the realm and taxing powers of the school system. The mayor nor the city has NO oversight of the schools nor no funding to the schools. Three a vacancy rate does not answer the issue of housing for the military. Military housing is critically short and affordable military housing is a grave concern that multiple base commanders and the pentagon has expressed is an issue of concern for Alamogordo. If airmen cannot be housed then base expansion and expansion of the economic base of Alamogordo is limited. Base employees and military personell is what drives the small business engine of Alamogordo. Many of the inactive water meters in Alamogordo are old meters that go to dead properties or properties without a house so that is not an accurate measurement. There are many houses for sale in Alamogordo but many transent air force personell that will only serve 2 years in Alamogordo do not want to buy a home. Affordable rental properties are a necessity for economic growth.

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