City Council gets updates on tourism trends, legislative wins
Las Cruces City Council heard updates from Visit Las Cruces and city lobbyists on May 12, highlighting tourism growth, legislative wins and $13.8M in capital project funding.
Visit Las Cruces reports rebound in travel; $13.8M in capital projects funded during 2025 session
Organ Mountain News report
LAS CRUCES - At its May 12 work session, Las Cruces City Council heard updates from Visit Las Cruces and city lobbyists who recapped the 2025 state legislative session, highlighting both tourism trends and millions in new funding for local projects.
Rochelle Miller-Hernandez, director of Visit Las Cruces, said the city’s tourism agency is now operating at pre-pandemic levels, supported by $2.8 million in local lodgers’ tax revenue during fiscal year 2024. That tax—five percent per room night—helps fund conferences, events and destination marketing.
Tourism remains a key economic driver in Doña Ana County, where 2023 visitor spending topped $521 million and supported more than 8 percent of local jobs, according to the New Mexico Tourism Department’s latest economic impact report.
Visit Las Cruces recently supported major events like the AgrAbility National Training, America’s Walking Club Biennial Convention and the Whole Enchilada Softball Tournament. In April, its signature Mira! Las Cruces festival drew an estimated 12,000 people to the Plaza.
Miller-Hernandez also pointed to new and returning markets. The city is expected to host the 2026 New Mexico Municipal League Conference and a Backyard Ultra Marathon at Prehistoric Trackways National Monument. Meanwhile, VLC is working to reengage the once-thriving motorcoach tour industry, with goals to reenter that convention circuit by 2028.
Legislative wins include housing, mental health, air service
Later in the session, Council received a legislative recap from Chief Administrative Officer Barbara Bencomo and City Lobbyist Larry Horan, who tracked 142 of the 1,182 bills introduced during the 60-day session.
Among the key bills that passed:
- House Bill 8, an omnibus crime package, introduced measures on criminal competency, fentanyl trafficking sentencing, firearm conversion devices and DWI blood testing.
- Senate Bill 267, which caps rental application and late fees statewide, offering new protections for tenants.
- A $110 million housing and homelessness funding package expected to benefit Las Cruces.
The city also secured more than $13.8 million in capital outlay funding, backing projects such as the Fire Department’s Mobile Integrated Health and mental crisis response facility, the Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Center, Paseos Verdes and Amador Crossing housing projects, and renovations to the Thomas Branigan Memorial Library.
Additional appropriations include:
- $12 million in Rural Air Service Grants
- $1 million for the Las Cruces Air Show
- $200 million for statewide water infrastructure projects
Council members expressed gratitude to staff, lobbyists and local legislators for securing critical funding during the 2025 session.
The full work session is available on the city’s YouTube channel. Council’s next regular meeting is scheduled for 1 p.m. Monday, May 19, at City Hall.
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