N.M. Stat. § 62-6-5

Current through 2024, ch. 69

Section 62-6-5 - Local option

Notwithstanding any of the provisions in Section 62-6-4 NMSA 1978, any municipality desiring to avail itself of all the benefits of the Public Utility Act [Articles 1 to 6 and 8 to 13 of Chapter 62 NMSA 1978] and of the regulatory services of the commission may elect to come within the provisions of that act and to have the utilities owned and operated by it, either directly or through a municipally owned corporation, regulated and supervised under the provisions of that act. When a municipality so elects, in the manner provided in this section, it shall be subject to all the provisions of the Public Utility Act. The election shall be held as follows:

A. at any time after the effective date of the Public Utility Act, the legal voters of any municipality may petition in writing the governing body of the municipality by filing a petition in the office of the municipal clerk to hold an election for the purpose of determining whether the municipality shall be subject to the provisions of that act. If the aggregate of the names signed to the petition equals or exceeds twenty-five percent of the number of legal votes cast in the municipality for governor at the last preceding general election, the governing body of the municipality shall call an election to be held within sixty days of the filing of the petition in accordance with the provisions of the Local Election Act [Chapter 1, Article 22 NMSA 1978]. Provided, however, that if a local election is to be held within six months of the filing of the petition, the election provided for in this section shall be held at the same time as that election;

B. the election shall be held in the same manner as and with the same registration books as for other municipal elections. The ballots to be submitted to the voters at the election shall present the following questions:

"For regulation of municipally owned utilities by the public regulation commission ________

Against regulation of municipally owned utilities by the public regulation commission ________".

The votes at the election shall be counted, returned and canvassed as provided for in the Local Election Act. If the majority of all the votes are in favor of regulation of municipally owned utilities, the governing body of the municipality shall declare, by order entered upon the records of the municipality, that it is subject to all the provisions of the Public Utility Act. If the majority of all the votes are against such regulation, the result of the election shall be declared and entered in the same manner; and

C. no elections for the same purpose shall be held within two years of each other.

NMS § 62-6-5

Laws 1941, ch. 84, § 17A; 1941 Comp., § 72-505; 1953 Comp., § 68-5-5; 1993, ch. 282, § 30.

Amended by 2018, c. 79,s. 100, eff. 7/1/2018.