Hull gives final 'State of the City' address

RIO RANCHO — In his final "State of the City" address to the Rio Rancho Governing Body on Thursday, Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull took a victory lap on progress in the City of Vision.

The address, an annual requirement of the mayor, included a recap of recent accomplishments and progress made over the course of Hull's 12-year tenure.

"This is my 12th 'State of the City' — and the progress from the first one that I gave to this one has been astronomical, and I couldn't have done it without the help of staff, the city council, (and) the citizens," Hull said, while recognizing other departments and people for their contributions.

Hull's address came following his announcement in October that he would not run for a fourth term as mayor and instead focus on running for governor in 2026. Ahead of the March 3 municipal election, Hull has endorsed District 4 Councilor Paul Wymer for mayor. 

Water lines 

During remarks about a second wastewater treatment plant, Hull addressed the Nov. 21 water main break on Western Hills Avenue. The break closed nearby schools for one day but left many residents without running water for days and one resident without a home.

"I want to assure the city council: The city of Rio Rancho is not the only city in the U.S. that experiences water main breaks," Hull said. "I'm very proud of the staff and the way they jumped in there; we had people in the trenches."

The city later told the Observer the break included "a weak point in the line due to water oxidizing metal." Hull did not mention that in his address but said the line was aging and made of concrete. He also pushed back against what he saw as community misconception on how the city responds to aging infrastructure.

"I sometimes think, we think we can just pick the city up and replace all the pipes and set it back down — that's not the way this works," Hull said. "I don't replace the pipes in my house until it has a leak."

Forty-six major road projects in the city have seen underlying infrastructure replaced because "we don't want to pave a road and then dig it right back up," Hull said. He said every water line replacement since he took office has been paid for with no debt.

"We've been very careful with our money and not left future generations piles and piles of debt," Hull said. 

The city is being proactive with its water delivery infrastructure to make sure a similar event does not occur, he said. For example, 24-inch water main underneath Broadmoor Boulevard was replaced "as a proactive step" to complete a road improvement project there.

The city has invested millions in trying to replace water lines — and requested millions more from the state to accomplish that goal, Hull said.

Earlier in the meeting, Rio Rancho resident Steven VanHorn, a former engineer and utilities commissioner, questioned why the city had not explained the cause of the recent water main break.

"Here, we have a headline item, and it appears to me it was addressed at the time, but it's over and passed, and no one is talking about it," VanHorn said during the meeting. "Would you all consider taking action to make sure the city is transparent, particularly about water?"

Following the meeting, Hull responded to VanHorn's critiques, in part, by saying that despite acting "like he doesn't know what's going on," VanHorn was on the commission.

"We're playing games when it's the exact same thing as when he was utilities commissioner," Hull said. 

Accomplishments and accolades

The bulk of Hull's address focused on the city's accomplishments and recognitions — similar to what he had touted a month earlier to members of NAIOP New Mexico during a roundtable event.

On Thursday, Hull told councilors that Rio Rancho earned top rankings from numerous outlets, including U.S. News & World Report as the sixth-best place to retire in the U.S. and Livability.com as one of the top 100 places to live nationwide. Hull credited staff with making sure "Rio Rancho lives up to the motto we put into our strategic plan to be the best city in the Southwest."

Hull also discussed the citizen's survey, an effort he started in 2015 during his first year on the job. The survey is produced by an outside firm, which, Hull said, named Rio Rancho a top performer in trust in government in the U.S. The survey itself found, among other things, that 97% of respondents feel the city is a safe place to live during the day.

"Each one of you knows that New Mexico doesn't rank real high when it comes to public safety, but Rio Rancho shines as a beacon," Hull told councilors.

The number of home starts went from 967 in 2024 to 764 in 2025, but Rio Rancho is "a leader" in the Albuquerque/Santa Fe housing market, comprising 47.2% of all home starts.

"We are carrying the market, and we are leading that housing need," Hull said. "People are looking ... for cities that, I don't know, have 97% of residents who feel safe during the day."

Hull touted numerous private investments, from the Market Street supermarket to the Chamisa Hills Master Plan. The former is a business on Unser Boulevard offering a large and unique assortment of food. The latter is a development envisioned by Albuquerque-based developer Steve Chavez, who plans to take the former golf course that closed in 2016 and turn it into an over 200-acre development that includes homes and retail.

Professional hockey is making a return to Rio Rancho next year, when the team, known as the Goatheads, takes to the ice at the Rio Rancho Events Center, Hull said. 

"Who's ready for some hockey?" he said. "Rio Rancho will once again be the epicenter for professional hockey in the state, and we're looking forward to seeing what that's going to do."

The previous team, known as The Scorpions, may have been "a little bit before their time," but Hull said he believes the city's population growth and development now supports professional hockey.

Hull said it has been "my pleasure and my honor to present the 'State of the City.'"

"It is my honor to get up here and talk about a community that I love very, very much," he said.