STATE OF NEW MEXICO Report of the Legislative Finance Committee to the Fifty-Fourth Legislature January 2019 FIRST SESSION For Fiscal Year 2020 Volume 1 LEGISLATING FOR RESULTS: POLICY AND PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS Representative Patricia A. Lundstrom State of New Mexico Senator John Arthur Smith Chairwoman Vice-Chairman LEGISLATIVE FINANCE Representative Paul C. Bandy COMMITTEE Senator William F. Burt Representative Randal S. Crowder Senator Pete Campos Representative George Dodge, Jr. Senator Carlos. R Cisneros Representative Jimmie C. Hall Senator Carroll H. Leavell Representative Larry A. Larrañaga Senator Howie C. Morales Representative Nick L. Salazar Senator George K. Munoz Representative Jim R. Trujillo Senator Steven P. Neville David Abbey Director 325 Don Gaspar, Suite 101 • Santa Fe, NM 87501 Phone (505) 986-4550 • Fax: (505) 986-4545 Honorable Members Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Session State Capitol Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 Dear Fellow Legislators: Pursuant to Section 2-5-4 NMSA 1978, the fiscal year 2020 budget recommendation of the Legislative Finance Committee is provided to you. The committee recommendation for recurring appropriations from the general fund is $7 billion, a 10.6 percent increase from FY19 spending levels. Much of the $673 million increase – $416.6 million – is allocated to public schools to address court-ordered reforms. Additional spending in the recommendation would expand certain early childhood programs outside the Public Education Department, address the waiting list for home- and community-based services for those with disabilities, and provide an across-the-board salary increase to state workers and additional raises for teachers and judges. Despite the significant increase in new spending, the recommendation leaves more than $400 million of the estimated $1.1 billion available for expansion reserved for one-time uses. The extraordinary amount of “new money” available in FY20 is the result of an oil industry boom that also means New Mexico is also expected to have a windfall of $2.5 billion in one-time cash at the end of FY19, putting reserves at 40 percent. The committee recommends much of the surplus be left in reserves to cushion the blow when oil prices inevitably decline or in case of a national recession but also recommends the funds be used for road projects, capital outlay projects usually covered with severance tax bond proceeds, and restoration of special use funds swept into the general fund during the recent economic downturn. Two crippling fiscal crises in the last decade have left New Mexico with a flood of pent-up demand. Strong revenues are an opportunity to replenish reserves, shore up flagging critical services, and properly compensate overworked and underpaid state employees. However, New Mexico is also under tremendous pressure to fix our failing schools, build on successful early childhood programs, bolster our justice system, and maintain healthcare for the poor. And, of course, we must ensure we are prepared for the next crisis. I would like to thank the membership of the Legislative Finance Committee for their hard work on behalf of the people of New Mexico and the LFC staff for its thoughtfulness and diligence on this complicated task. Together, we have prepared a responsible budget that prioritizes cost-effective spending that provides the most benefit to New Mexicans. Sincerely, Representative Patricia Lundstrom, Chairwoman Table of Contents Overview report of the Recommendations and Highlights .............................................................................1 Legislative Finance Revenues and Tax Policy Economic and Revenue Forecast .............................................................................8 Committee Tax Policy ................................................................................................................11 to the Investments .............................................................................................................16 Fifty-Fourth Policy Analysis Early Childhood .......................................................................................................18 Legislature, Education.................................................................................................................24 First Session Economic Development...........................................................................................38 Health and Communities .........................................................................................42 Courts and Justice ...................................................................................................53 Public Safety............................................................................................................56 Volume I Public Infrastructure.................................................................................................60 Legislating for Natural Resources ...................................................................................................78 State Employment and Compensation ....................................................................82 Results: Policy Performance and Performance Accountability in Government ..................................................................................91 Analysis Public Education ......................................................................................................95 Higher Education ...................................................................................................100 Children, Youth and Families Department .............................................................105 Economic Development Department .....................................................................109 Tourism Department ..............................................................................................111 January 2019 Workforce Solutions Department ...........................................................................113 for Human Services Department ................................................................................116 Behavioral Health Collaborative ............................................................................119 Fiscal Year 2020 Department of Health ............................................................................................121 Aging and Long-Term Services Department..........................................................125 Corrections Department ........................................................................................127 Department of Public Safety ..................................................................................129 Judicial Agencies ...................................................................................................131 REPRESENTATIVE Department of Transportation ................................................................................135 PATRICIA LUNDSTROM Information Technology Projects ...........................................................................137 CHAIRWOMAN Department of Environment...................................................................................144 Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department ..........................................146 SENATOR Office of the State Engineer ..................................................................................149 JOHN ARTHUR SMITH General Services Department ...............................................................................151 VICE CHAIRMAN State Personnel Board ..........................................................................................154 Taxation and Revenue Department .......................................................................155 DAVID ABBEY Tables DIRECTOR Table 1: General Fund Agency Recommendation Summary.................................158 Table 2: U.S. and New Mexico Economic Indicators .............................................162 Table 3: General Fund Consensus Revenue Estimate..........................................163 Table 4: General Fund Financial Summary ...........................................................164 Table 5: Specials, Supplementals, and Deficiency Appropriations ........................166 Table 6: Information Technology Requests and Recommendations ......................180 Table 7: Special Transportation Appropriations and Fund Transfers .....................182 Recommendations and Highlights surge in FY20 “new money,” $1.1 billion in additional revenue over FY19 appropriations, will help bolster A state agency budgets, replace revenue in funds drained during the fiscal downturn, and boost reserves. The increased new money also illustrates the volatility of the state’s energy- FY20 Recurring General Public Education reliant economy, which has faced two serious downturns in the Fund Appropriation General Fund History last decade. Recommendation: (in billions) $7 billion $3.5 New Mexico has seen similar economic upturns in previous years. In FY05, the 14% $3.0 state saw a similar growth rate as a result of spiking energy revenues and an 22% $2.5 outlook of modest growth. Recurring budgets incorporated a significant portion 6% of this two-year spike in revenues, with general fund appropriation increases $2.0 averaging 9 percent in both FY08 and FY09. However in FY10, revenues fell 11 $1.5 percent, forcing agency budgets to sustain serious cuts. This pattern recurred just 12% a few years later, with three rounds of budget cuts needed to keep the state in