Los Alamos County Reflects On 2025

Top row from left: The boundary map of the Eastern Downtown Los Alamos MRA. Businesses in Los Alamos are able to take advantage of the newly formed Retail LEDA program. The County purchased deed restrictions at the Aspen Studio and Thunderbird Apartments for those making no more than 45 percent of the AMI. Middle row from left: A rendering of what the proposed apartment complex, located off DP Road, would look like. A rendering of the mixed-use development planned for 20th Street. Bottom row, from left: In March, Los Alamos experienced a network service outage due to cut fiber lines on N.M. 4. The County is pursuing its Community Broadband Project, which is expected to help reduce the number of outages in the County. Los Alamos County Administrative Services Director Helen Perraglio explains to Council in October the need to increase the GRT. Post file photos

Los Alamos Daily Post

kirsten@ladailypost.com

2025 has been a whirlwind year, to put it mildly. Despite all the unpredictable-ness, uncertainties and turmoil, Los Alamos County strove to not just serve the community but help it improve.

Council Chair Theresa Cull said she applauds the County for weathering all the year’s obstacles and for continuing its efforts to benefit the community.

“…given all the uncertainty, the County did really well,” she said. “Just surviving and thriving – I would say that was our greatest achievement in 2025.”

In an email to the Los Alamos Daily Post, County Manager Anne Laurent provided her insights on 2025 and what is to come in the New Year.

“With the wide range of services the County provides, it is impossible to highlight every success from 2025. At a high level, the year focused on maintaining long-term financial stability, supporting staff morale and recruitment, and advancing economic development by clarifying the County’s role in a competitive marketplace,” she wrote.

Laurent listed a few key accomplishments, which included supporting Council’s increase to the Gross Receipts Tax (GRT), continuing progress on the Community Broadband Network, approving new housing developments on Trinity Drive at 20th Street. and A-8-a south of DP Road and creating new Local Economic Development Act (LEDA) Retail and Metropolitan Redevelopment Area (MRA) grant and loan opportunities.

“Much of this success is due to the dedication of County staff who keep daily operations running smoothly,” Laurent wrote. “Departments maintained national accreditations, filled key positions, expanded Social Services capacity, secured grant funding, reopened the golf course, upgraded facilities and infrastructure – including installation of a new chiller at the ice rink and more EV chargers, launched a summer weekend transit pilot program and completed numerous road, utility, and public safety improvements.

“Looking ahead to 2026, priorities include advancing additional LEDA awards, beginning construction on Broadband and Fire Station 4, selecting a site for the new Social Services Action Center, starting a new Golf Course restaurant lease, and updating the Comprehensive Plan that guides land use in our community,” Laurent said in the email. “I also extend my sincere thanks to our Utility Manager, County Attorney and elected officials—Councilors, Clerk, Assessor, Sheriff, Probate Judge, and Municipal Judge—for their continued service and commitment to keeping the County compliant, effective, and responsive.”

The County’s major milestones could be broken into several categories: economic development, capital projects and housing.

Economic Development

New MRA established

The County undertook several initiatives to enhance its economy. One major task was approving the MRA in the eastern part of downtown Los Alamos. After many rounds of meetings and discussions, Los Alamos County Council approved the MRA Sept. 9. Economic Development Program Manager Anita Barela explained that the MRA is guided by New Mexico statute and allows municipalities to designate specific blighted, under-developed areas for economic revitalization. By creating the MRA, tools and incentives can be used to encourage public/private investment.

“Using these tools, the developer can purchase the land or buildings for administrative or project purposes as well as redevelop and revitalize,” Barela said. “If the purchase aligns with the MRA plan in a designated area, they can adapt, re-use or demo a deteriorating structure, they can rezone and update a rezone to regulate a rezoning area, transportation and infrastructure improvements can be made and (allow for) development of cultural, community and rehousing projects.”

County unveils Retail LEDA program

Work was also done to help small businesses. Council approved a new version of LEDA on Aug. 5; it is known as Retail LEDA. It provides public assistance to local businesses engaged in specific retail activities, such as food and beverage service, clothing and apparel, health and personal care, and tourism. These funds are intended to support investment in capital infrastructure or building improvements, assist with storefront and façade improvements, and accessibility and other upgrades. The grants and loans are structured as performance-based agreements so that funding is tied to job creation, increased tax revenue and other community benefits. In the FY 2026 budget, council allocated $400,000 for the LEDA Retail program. This money would be awarded in $20,000 increments up to $100,000.

Former Economic Development Administrator Shanna Sasser said at the time that this new LEDA program was necessary because “We need opportunities for growth.”

Housing

Council approves 87 deed restricted studio apartments for those making 45 percent of AMI or less

During the March 25 meeting, Council unanimously approved to pursue a private/public partnership with 9th Street Apartments, LLC. Through this partnership, 24 studio apartment units in the Thunderbird Apartments, 1211 11th St., and 63 units in the Aspen Studio Apartments, 1027 9th St., will be deed restricted to qualifying residents making no more than 45 percent of the area median income (AMI) for 20 years.

Council Chair Theresa Cull voiced her support for the project.

“I do think this is a good opportunity for the council to work with a private partner to create some affordable housing in Los Alamos and I look forward to other opportunities as this progresses,” she said.

Council approves sale of A-8-a for apartment complex

The 9th Street apartments will not be only the ones in town that are deed restricted. On Sept. 30, council approved the sale of a land parcel on DP Road, known as A-8-a, to be developed into a new apartment complex.

During a previous meeting in August, Housing and Special Projects Manager Dan Osborn explained that the land will be sold for $5.5 million to the developer, Servitas. The project will deliver 380 multi-family residential units, 260 of those will be market rate units comprising of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, Osborn said. The remainder – 120 units – will be deed restricted for households earning between 60-100 percent of area medium income (AMI), with an average of 80 percent AMI.

“The A-8-a project is a mixed-income development specifically designed to provide ‘missing middle’ housing,” Osborn told the Los Alamos Daily Post. “The ‘missing middle’ refers to moderate-income households; individuals who earn too much to qualify for low-income housing but too little to afford the high cost of market-rate homes in Los Alamos. As highlighted in the County’s adopted plans … Los Alamos needs new, higher-density housing in compact neighborhoods. The 120 deed-restricted units are for households earning between 60 percent and 100 percent of the AMI, a demographic that includes many teachers, public safety workers, and small business employees who are often priced out of the local market.”

Council Approves Sale of 20th Street

During the Aug. 26 meeting, Council approved selling 3 acres of land on 20th Street to bring in not just new apartments but also commercial space.

The 3 acres of land were sold for $1.7 million, the appraised value of the property, to RBMM Development LLC and Brott Real Estate LLC. The plan is that RBMM will construct approximately 285 housing units, which will be market rate rental apartments, as well as about 25,000 square feet of retail space and a wrapped cast-in-place parking structure. RBMM also promises to integrate the Canyon Rim Trail into its development plans and offer a public park. For the County’s part, it will provide, on a reimbursement basis, approximately $3.6 million for trail connections, design and installation of a new traffic signal, intersection improvements and road striping, expanded on-street parallel parking and streetlighting.

“We want to make this family friendly. We want to make this a place that feels safe and clean and like a nice home for people who want to live in Los Alamos in an urban-like environment,” RBMM Representative Russell Brott said.

Capital Projects

$40 Million GRT revenue bonds are approved for Broadband Project

On Nov. 18, Council approved the issuance of Gross Receipts Tax (GRT) improvement revenue bonds that will not exceed $40 million. The majority will pay for the Community Broadband Project, which has a $35 million price tag.

“…County Council unanimously approved the issuance of bonds for a Broadband Communications System to provide a County-owned, open access network,” Cull told the Los Alamos Daily Post. “Open access means that businesses and community members will be able to choose from multiple vendors, which should result in competitive pricing and potential savings in the future.”

Community Broadband Manager Jerry Smith said the broadband project offers the solution to the County’s multiple outages because it includes a second fiber optic line that the San Ildefonso Pueblo is installing.

Finances

Council approves to increase GRT

With so much uncertainty now and in the future, Council worked to help assure some financial stability. In October, it approved to raise the County’s GRT a total of 0.625 percent.

The increase is in response to a reduction in GRT the County is receiving due to Los Alamos National Laboratory, the highest contributor to the County’s GRT, taking advantage of the state’s GRT exemption for manufacturing. Without the increase, Administrative Services Director Helen Perraglio said, the County would have an unsustainable deficit and cuts to operations, services and programs would be necessary for Council to prioritize and make decisions on.

Council Vice Chair Suzie Havemann, who motioned to proceed with the increase, noted if the County wants to have nice things and a thriving community, then a higher GRT seems necessary.

“I am strongly in support of doing this,” she said. “Having nicer things in our community, and more amenities to serve our residents and supporting our regional partners is one of the main reasons I decided to try to be on county council. I lived here a long time and have repeatedly heard and experienced the sentiment, why can’t we have nicer things … and while we are so fortunate to have revenues to do a lot of things … there are still so many things that we seem to have restrictions or limitations because we don’t have the money for it. Yet we have the means to fulfill that budget need. I just think by increasing the GRT rate by 5/8 percent, which still keeps us relatively low compared to our neighbors … I think that’s a conservative approach, so we don’t find ourselves in a hole … I think it allows us to have some of the nice things that help our small business community …”

Looking ahead

Just what awaits Los Alamos County in 2026? Only time will tell but the County has proven it can face what challenges appear.

Los Alamos County Reflects On 2025

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