MILAN, N.M. – The Village of Milan had a productive year when it came to finances. With a significant amount of work by Village Manager Linda Cooke and Village Finance Director Candi Williams, the village was able to get a solid and strong understanding of the finances and all accounts held by the government.
“I am very proud of the department heads,” Williams said as she talked up the strong financial status of the village. The Milan Board of Trustees heard the report from Williams before it went to finalize the budget, as part of finalizing their budget for the year, the Board of Trustees had to decide whether, and how much, to fund local organizations.
The Village of Milan heard from five groups seeking funding. This year, the village is following Cibola County’s lead by ensuring accountability with the funds they give out. There are strict reporting rules that agencies must follow, this is similar to the counties and the City of Grants’ changes to funding, but the village’s order has teeth. If an agency does not follow the reporting requirements, they will be barred from requesting money for the next years.
The Lava, Water, and Soil Conservation District requested $1,500 from the village. This was the group’s first-time requesting money from the village, the request does not come as a flat-out request, the conservation district has pledged to give trainings to village employees for free about weed and other pesky plant control. The Board of Trustees approved the full funding request of $1,500.
The Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation requested $40,000 from the village. This is typical of their requests from all three major governments in Cibola. It has been several years since any government agency in Cibola fully funded CCEDF’s request. Last year, the Village of Milan approved $20,000 in funding to CCEDF, the minimum requirement to be considered a funding partner with the agency. This year, the village further cut funding to CCEDF from $20,000 to $15,000. With this amount, the village is no longer considered a funding partner to CCEDF. Trustee Vivian Brumbelow remarked that the village has not seen results from CCEDF, and that is why they are further cutting funding to the group.
The Grants-Cibola County Chamber of Commerce requested $15,000 from the village. This is their first-time requesting funding from the trustees, who – after a short debate – agreed to fund the full amount because, as Trustee James Mercer said, the chamber can bring tourism and economic success to Milan.
The Northwestern New Mexico Council of Governments requested $18,838 from the village. This is the same amount requested as last year. The village unanimously approved this funding request in its entirety because NWNMCOG offers significant support to the Village of Milan. Mayor Felix Gonzales thanked the COG team for their assistance with fixing and beautifying recreational parks in the village.
Recycle Cibola requested $1,500. The trustees agree unanimously to approve the full funding, with Trustee Mercer saying the program will help to keep the village clean.
The Village of Milan will hold an Infrastructure Capital Improvement Plan Meeting on July 29 at 4:30 p.m. in the Village Hall in 623 Uranium Avenue. An ICIP is important to the village because it sets the priorities for the year, and with the ICIP, the village is more likely to receive state funding for projects like purchasing new fire department equipment or fixing local parks. This is an opportunity for residents of Milan to voice their opinions on the village’s priorities.
The next regular Board of Trustees meeting will take place on August 18 at 5:30 p.m. at village hall, 623 Uranium Avenue.