NM House recognizes Rio Rancho Day as city's achievements are celebrated

SANTA FE — It’s unanimous. Thursday was Rio Rancho Day on the House floor at the Roundhouse.

In a memorial presented by Reps. Joshua Hernandez, Catherine Cullen and Kathleen Cates, Rio Rancho was recognized for its growth, both in population and economics; public safety record; the “top-rated public school district” in Rio Rancho Public Schools; high livability rankings and family-friendly environment; and “a growing business community that includes innovators in many industries.”

On hand to hear the memorial read by the House clerk were Mayor Gregg Hull; Councilwomen Nichole List and Deborah Dapson; Rio Rancho Public Schools board president Amanda Galbraith and member Beth Miller; Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce President/CEO Jerry Schalow; and RRCCC board member Erin Dominguez.

Additionally, several members of Leadership Sandoval were lined up along one wall, holding up T-shirts that proclaimed “I (heart) Rio Rancho.”

After the memorial was read, Cates and Cullen offered a few words.

“Rio Rancho: We are a small town-big city, and I appreciate that,” Cates said, noting that whether its RRPS, city officials and council members, business leaders, those with the chamber or other entities, “we’re all team Sandoval.”

“It’s a wonderful community to raise your family in,” Cullen said. The two-term former school board member noted the “absolutely terrific schools.”

“They are really just a testament to what we can do with education in New Mexico,” she said.

Additionally, Rep. Cynthia Borrego of Bernalillo County got up to recognize the memorial. She noted the collaboration between they cities of Rio Rancho and Albuquerque, saying that when she was a member of the Albuquerque City Council she challenged Hull to create a new Nob Hill, and he took her up on it.

“The area around McMahon and Unser has developed really nicely on both sides. It is truly the new Nob Hill,” she said.

She also noted how entities in Rio Rancho and Albuquerque worked together to rebuild and expand Westside Boulevard before the memorial was passed by the House unanimously on a 69-0 vote.

Thursday evening, at a reception celebrating Rio Rancho Day in Santa Fe, the accolades continued, with Schalow saying the city of Rio Rancho and Sandoval county are different than the rest of the state, and community leaders echoed that when they talked about what, in their eyes, makes Rio Rancho stand out.

“Not one person is responsible for the accolades Rio Rancho is getting. It’s all of us working together that have really driven the city forward,” Hull said, noting $6 billion worth of investment in the city over the last 11 years. That total includes investment in businesses, internet access, schools and housing. In fact, he said, the most recent census saw a 2.5-3% growth rate for the state while Rio Rancho saw 18%.

“We’re seeing people flocking to Rio Rancho. ... It’s all that investment that’s fueling the things that you’re seeing,” he said.

Schalow noted the growth of Rio Rancho’s population when he spoke, saying former Las Cruces Mayor Ken Miyagishima conceded that Rio Rancho is the second-largest city in the state in a recent conversation.

Schalow also paid tribute to Rio Rancho Public Schools.

“Rio Rancho is a great city that was incorporated in 198 ... but what really made us a city was 30 years ago, when we go our own school district,” he said. “I don’t think we say it enough how grateful we are for this school district.”

Superintendent Dr. Sue Cleveland attributed that success to teamwork.

“It’s the ability for the community to come together and pull together and make something special,” she said. “With a great team, whether it’s the city and the school district and the county or whether it’s the team within our district, it’s a great team. You can do anything.”