Bernalillo County has revealed that County Assessor Damian Lara is progressing with his plan to expand his Electric Vehicles (EV) fleet, which includes the establishment of charging stations. This initiative is supported by County Commissioner Eric Olivas.
Currently, the county is negotiating with the Public Service Company of New Mexico (PNM) to finalize a contract for the installation of charging stations in the PNM garage at 5th and Silver. This location houses various county vehicles, including those in the assessor's EV fleet. Once an agreement with PNM is reached, the county will purchase and have the charging stations installed by PNM, according to a press release by Bernalillo County.
"I made a promise to cut down the carbon footprint from the Assessor’s office and I will continue to push this issue," said Lara, as stated in a press release by Bernalillo County. "And I will continue to bring my department, and hopefully, many other departments with me into the electric age."
"The County needs to address our future and how we all can play a bigger role in bettering our environment and fighting climate change," said Olivas, as reported in a press release by Bernalillo County. "I’m proud to work with Assessor Lara in this effort."
The Bernalillo County Assessor's Office is responsible for determining the value of taxable properties such as homes, businesses, and various assets. It also compiles tax rolls for real property, personal property, livestock, and mobile homes. The office is dedicated to technological advancements, policy updates, and providing hands-on assistance to taxpayers. Among its duties are locating and identifying taxable property, assigning values, listing them on the assessment roll, and applying for legal exemptions. According to information on the Bernalillo County Assessor's Office webpage provided by Bernalillo County itself, Lara has a diverse background that ranges from working in eastern New Mexico fields to earning degrees in political science and law.
