East Mountains residents will see the first major renovation of Los Vecinos Community Center in 50 years, along with new recurring funding for road maintenance, Bernalillo County Commissioner Eric Olivas announced in a district update.
Olivas said he secured millions of dollars for the community center overhaul and obtained ongoing funding dedicated to improving and maintaining East Mountain roads.
“These roads are critical to daily life for our residents, whether it’s driving to work, school, or a doctor’s appointment, we need good roads,” Olivas said in the newsletter to District 5 constituents.
The commissioner recently directed an additional $145,754 in district funding toward a drainage study for Saddle Spur Road, which serves residents in Sandia Mountain Ranch and surrounding neighborhoods. According to Olivas, residents have experienced severe washouts and repeated maintenance issues on the road, which provides critical secondary access to the community. The study will determine permanent solutions to ongoing drainage problems.
Olivas also committed $300,000 in district funding to water resources projects, including $100,000 for watershed restoration efforts in the Rio Grande Basin aimed at reducing wildfire risk and improving water quality and quantity. Additional funds will support agricultural water use efficiency projects in the middle valley, where more than 70% of Rio Grande water goes to agriculture, and research on the effects of private domestic wells on the aquifer and river flows.
District 5 encompasses the East Mountains and portions of southeast Albuquerque, including the Mesa Del Sol area, where a regional sports complex has drawn thousands of young people weekly. Olivas said the facility is approaching capacity to host regional and national tournaments that could boost the local economy.
Beyond district-specific projects, Olivas highlighted county-wide initiatives affecting his constituents, including full staffing at the Sheriff’s Office after years of nationwide law enforcement shortages.
The commissioner also pointed to expanded behavioral health services, including new detox and reentry facilities, and property tax cuts for low-income homeowners.
Through a partnership with the City of Albuquerque called the Bernco Builds Community Initiative, the county has secured more than $80 million in state funding aimed at addressing homelessness.
Olivas, approaching three years on the County Commission, said investments in public safety, affordability and infrastructure improvements show “we are just getting started.”