State Senator Jay Block, representing New Mexico Senate District 12, has introduced the Government Accountability to Taxpayer Office (GATO) Act. According to Block, the act aims to establish a program similar to Elon Musk's Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) in New Mexico to "stop government fraud, waste, and abuse." He made this statement in a post on social media platform X on March 18.
"EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION: GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY TO TAXPAYER OFFICE (GATO) SCHEDULED FOR TOMORROW," said Block. "This is our chance to create a DOGE-like program in New Mexico that will STOP government fraud, waste, and abuse. If you support this, now's the time to show it. We need you to show up and show support during tomorrow's senate rules committee and URGE the committee to pass Senate Bill 484."
According to the New Mexico Legislature’s webpage for the bill, the proposed legislation would create GATO as an adjunct agency within the state executive branch. The office would be tasked with conducting performance audits of state agencies, recommending improvements for efficiency and waste reduction, monitoring recommendation implementations, and submitting an annual report by November 1. This report would analyze the state's fiscal health and administrative efficiency. The bill also allows GATO access to records from other state agencies unless deemed confidential.
Screenshot of State Senator Jay Block's March 18 post on X
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The Legislative Finance Committee has submitted a fiscal impact report estimating a $500 million cost for GATO's first year of operation. In subsequent years, costs are projected between $1 million and $1.5 million to support six full-time equivalent positions including an executive director, four evaluators, and an administrative professional. The report highlights potential duplication of efforts already performed by internal audit functions in at least nine state agencies.
Block told the Santa Fe New Mexican in February that his proposal was partly motivated by past fiscal scandals affecting state government. While acknowledging potential overlap with the state auditor’s office work, he argued that GATO would provide more comprehensive audits across all departments.
Jay Block is a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Sandoval County commissioner. Elected as the Republican senator for District 12 in 2024 after Sen. Jerry Ortiz y Pino retired, Block's campaign emphasized limited government, economic reform, and veterans' issues. As county commissioner, he sponsored a Second Amendment resolution designating Sandoval County as a 2A Sanctuary County and contributed significantly to economic development initiatives.
