Sunland Park mayor Javier Perea has appointed a citizens' committee to propose a code of ethics for the city.

The group held its organizational meeting Thursday (March 17) at city hall.

The group is charged with developing an ethics standard for elected city officials and employees and will eventually present to the council a proposal for a local ethics ordinance and standards. To do so, they will study model ethics policies and existing ethics standards in other cities, both in and out of New ...
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It is time to vote in the the Sunland Park city elections. Early voting closes Friday (Feb. 26) and election day is officially March 1. 

The mayor and three council members will be elected for four-year terms and one council member is to be elected to a two-year term.

In many ways it has been a disappointing election period. Few candidates felt it was necessary to reply to a Santa Teresa News questionnaire about their positions. Only one mayoral candidate and three council candidates took the t...

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Bob Gallagher, former chairman of the New Mexico State University Board of Regents, been named the interim city manager for the city of Sunland Park.

After a closed session Tuesday night to discuss his appointment, Mayor Javier Perea cast the tie-breaking vote to offer the position to Gallagher who has not indicated that he is interested in the position on a permanent basis.

Councilors Giove, Avila, de los Santos voted in favor of the hire while councilors Santos, Carrillo, Jayme voted not to...
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 Emotions ran high Wednesday night at a meeting held to set the record straight on details about the implications of possible disincorporation of Sunland Park.

Petitioners to disincorporate the 34-year-old city of more than 15,000 say they have the 1,133 signatures needed to force a vote in Sunland Park. on the issue and will file with the county clerk’s office in Las Cruces by Monday.

County manager Julia Brown and county attorney Nelson Goodin said while the county took no position on the m...

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County Attorney advises Dona Ana County Commissioners
Tuesday about census requirements in request to create
a new City of Santa Teresa.

The Dona Ana Board of County Commissioners Tuesday set the fee required to conduct a required census in the effort to create a new City of Santa Teresa.

The incorporators, the Provisional Government of Santa Teresa (PGOST), will be required to deposit $1,286.25 with the county treasurer to provide the funds needed for the census. PGOST was prepared to make the d...
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There is a strong effort underway to disincorporate the City of Sunland Park, New Mexico.

While it is easy to understand the frustrations of Sunland Park citizens over what seems a long history of corruption and vast mistakes in judgement by city officials, the move to disincorporate could have drastic results for the city's residents.

Rather than put together a slate of candidates for public office who would clean house and fight corruption from within government while maintaining city service...
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Those proposing that Santa Teresa residents form their own city got a rude awakening Tuesday at the Dona Ana County Comission meeting in Las Cruces.

The cost of providing a census of the area the group proposing incorporation was estimated to be between $50,000 and $65,000. Additionally, the group was informed that New Mexico law requires a population density to be at least one person per acre and the county workers estimated the area would need 17,000 residents but they believe the area only ...
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The Provisional Government of Santa Teresa (PGOST), the group seeking to incorporate the City of Santa Teresa, is trying to encourage a large turnout of residents in the affected area to attend Tuesday's Donna Ana County Commissioners meeting in Las Cruces.

The group has printed fliers to urge residents to attend the meeting at the County Government Building at 845 N, Motel Blvd. in Las Cruces. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.

The group petitioned the county to incorporate last month...
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Last summer Tyson Foods announced it would close three plants nationally. including the one known as the Santa Teresa Plant located on McNutt Road in Sunland Park, NM.

Workers were to be offered opportunities to relocate with Tyson, but a corporate spokesperson says only one of the 200 workers at the Santa Teresa has so far accepted a transfer.
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Earlier this week it was noticeable that the parking lot at the plant was nearly empty. Tyson's name has been removed from the signage at the entrance ...
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Map display of Santa Teresa/Sunland Park area. Santa 
Teresa residents are seeking signatures on petition to
form a new city.

There could be a new city in New Mexico in the next six to 18 months.

Residents of unincorporated areas in Dona Ana County near Sunland Park are seeking signatures for a petition to force an election to incorporate as the City of Santa Teresa.

The group has more than 700 signatures so far and hopes to get many more. Volunteers are staffing a table at the Santa Teresa Contra...
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Gas Prices in our area have finally dropped below $1.90 a gallon.

The Howdy's Shell Station at McNutt Road and Country Club Drive now has gas at $1.89 9/10ths a gallon, following the lead of the Circle K just across the state line on Country Club in Texas.

That's a big savings for Sunland Park/Santa Teresa residents. A year ago, gas for more than one dollar higher in price.

It has been interesting to note that in recent months the Howdy's has followed the lead of Circle K, lowering prices a day ...
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The Post Office has spoken. Many who thought they were in Santa Teresa were told they now live in Sunland Park, New Mexico and have to tell that to the world.

Until this week, the Post Office in Sunland Park allowed residents in Edgemont, The Grove  and some other subdivisions to use either Sunland Park or Santa Teresa in their home mailing addresses.

Even though they have different zip codes, the Sunland Park Post Office handles delivery to the cluster boxes in those subdivisions and mail addr...
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