Grant County Prospectors spent all day Wednesday in Santa Fe advocating for issues that the local community has expressed it needs.
These include not changing the hold harmless phase-out. The county and Silver City stand to have more than million-dollar hits to their budgets if they lose hold harmless payments.
Originally hold harmless came into being to soften the blow for counties and municipalities losing their gross receipts from food taxes that legislators decided should be done away with to make the gross receipts tax system more equitable.
Photos Courtesy of Priscilla Lucero
Grant County Day 020117
Grant County Day 020117
Health Councils from throughout the state were recognized on the Floor. Center, in black-and-white, is Grant County Community Health Council Coordinator Cari Lemon.Grant County Day 020117
Silver City's Brewer Hills Baptist Church Pastor Earseye Ross, with the microphone, saying the Opening Prayer.
Grant County Day 020117
Rachel Ross, with microphone, sang the National Anthem.Grant County Day 020117
Each year, the line dancing group from Silver City, the Silver Stompers, performs at the legislative session.
Grant County Day 020117
From left are Santa Clara Mayor Richard Bauch, Santa Clara Clerk Sheila Hudman, Alex Ocheltree, Director of the Economic Development Division Therese Varela, and Deputy Cabinet Secretary Barbara Brazil.
Grant County Day 020117
From left are Prospector Kim Clark and Prospectors President Michael "Misha" Larisch.
Grant County Day 020117
Representing Grant County are Candy Sweetser, Rebecca Dow and Rodolpho "Rudy" Martinez.
Grant County Day 020117
Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee Patricia Lundstrom, with Martinez and Larisch in the background.
Grant County Day 020117
Rebecca Dow listens to Sen. John Arthur Smith, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.
Grant County Day 020117
Sen. Howie Morales, representing Grant County speaks, with County Commissioner Gabriel Ramos in the background.
Grant County Day 020117
The Silver Stompers with Morales before their performance.
Grant County Day 020117
Silver Stompers from above in the Rotunda.
Grant County Day 020117
Silver Consolidated Schools Superintendent Audie Brown and his wife, Mona, wave to the camera.
Grant County Day 020117
The rotunda fills even the mezzanine with folks wanting to see the Silver Stompers perform.
Grant County Day 020117
Representatives from Hurley and Bayard were in Santa Fe. From left are Hurley Councilor Freddie Rodriguez, Mayor Fernandez, Councilor Ester Gil, Bayard Councilor Adrian Ortiz, Hurley Clerk Lori Ortiz, Larisch, Angela QuintanaG??NMFA Colonias administrator, and Bayard Clerk Kristy Ortiz.-?`^
