Judicial expansion nears end of design phase

BERNALILLO — The expansion of Sandoval County’s judicial complex will end its design phase this year, but the project still lacks a few things before it reaches completion.

The $45 million facility project has been in the works since voters didn’t approve the bond in 2022. Since the bond didn’t pass, legislative funding — grouped with ARPA, capital outlay, NMAOC Project Funding, LATCF, GRT Reserve Funds, a magistrate court loan and a district court loan — have made the multimillion dollar pursuit possible.

Now, the project lacks in design, but Charles Martinez Jr., the public works construction and special projects manager, made it clear at the Feb. 12 commission meeting that engineers are in the process of finalizing the building. However, Martinez indicated the project has technically started the construction process because the county has material on order for the HVAC and the roof restoration, which commissioners approved last year.

The roof restoration has been on hold, awaiting warmer weather before moving forward.

The expansion goes far beyond a few repairs, though.

The project was detailed in the unpassed 2022 general obligation bond, including renderings of what the building will look like when construction is completed.

Officially known as the 13th Judicial District Court, the building sits at the intersection of NM 528 and Idalia Road. Currently, judges and staff only handle district court cases. The Magistrate Court, also located in Bernalillo, is separate near the Bernalillo Walmart. It is attached to the Sandoval County Detention Center.

The expansion would move the magistrate court staff and judges to the district court once complete, allowing all cases, magistrate or district, to be handled under one roof. According to the 13th District, the planning committee is working on setting long-term goals with the idea of expanding the current building to last until 2035. The court said it would support the county’s endeavors in this change.

There are several reasons for this expansion, primarily the growth within the county.

According to the bond, the expansion is in response to the rapidly growing city of Rio Rancho as well as the county as a whole. Rio Rancho accounts for about 110,000 people out of the 140,000 in the county.

The expansion would also allow for two more judges. Currently, the district court has 10 judges and the magistrate has four.

However, the joining of district and magistrate courts has more benefits than people might realize. According to the bond, the process would be done without county and its taxpayers incurring any new debt. The relocation will also provide for three courtrooms and space to keep parties separated. Another aspect is improvement on security for residents going to the magistrate court.

The expansion will have a slight impact on property taxes, with the monthly impact increasing by about $2-$3.