Bush budget deals blow to local projects

By Jim Tiffin
Staff Writer

GRANTS — If President Bush's new federal budget is successful in eliminating the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program in all 50 states, Cibola County's major infrastructure projects will be dead in the water.

"The majority of CDBG projects is for infrastructure like water and sewer projects," said David Ulibarri, Cibola County manager.

"If the president cuts that program out, as it is listed in the federal budget to be eliminated, rural communities in the nation are going to be the ones that are hurt," Ulibarri said.

"The only grants rural communities have for infrastructure projects are CDBG," he said.

"He's (Bush) is trying to balance the budget, reduce the deficit and pay for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq," Ulibarri said.

"Our long-range planning, such as Cubero's water and sewer projects, will cost about $750,000."

Ulibarri said those projects, with funding would be developed and constructed in two phases, but without funding will not get done.

"We have water and sewer there, so we would be doubling the lines," he said

The county already has a plan for San Mateo's sewer project. It cost $25,000 to plan and was funded by CDBG.

"The construction costs will be about $500,000 and that's for both the sewer lines and the evaporation ponds," he said, another project that will not get done if CDBG is eliminated.

"Bluewater South has never addressed sewers in that area and they need to extend their sewer lines. That will cost more than $1 million," Ulibarri said.

The entire county budget is only $11 million, and that pays for all county services, law enforcement, public works, detention center, vehicles, equipment, operating expenses and all county employees' salaries.

"We have $500,000 in hand to go to construction in May or June to replace water lines in Seboyeta. That money is already there so that project will get constructed," Ulibarri said. "Those lines are 50 or 60 years old."

What options does the county have if the CDBG is eliminated?

"We would have to go to the state, but the money the state provides to us has always come from the federal government through CDBG," Ulibarri said. It is unlikely there would be enough money from the state itself to fund all the CDBG projects in the rural counties statewide, he said.

Another option would be "self-help" or "user-fees" for communities. They would have to raise the water and sewer rates to be able to pay for those services, he said.

A final option is the one feared by all residents: Taxes.

"Taxes are a form of paying for services, not a lot of people know that," Ulibarri said. "I think taxes are an option."

What if the county goes to the voters for a tax increase and the voters say no?

"If the voters don't approve taxes you can't move forward. The county cannot run in the red like the federal government can," he said.

The state requires counties to present a balanced budget and with Cibola being the second poorest county in the state that means much needed and long-awaited infrastructure projects would just not get done.

"I don't know what will happen if CDBG is gone. We will have to do a lot of planning and the people will have the be aware of what is going on," Ulibarri said.

"I think the lines have just been drawn for battle in Washington," he said.

— To contact reporter Jim Tiffin call 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin@blackmesa-isp.net.