New Mexico Finance Department Recognizes 2020 Local Government Budget Conference Award Winners
DFA News:
SANTA FE The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA), Local Government Division (LGD) held its annual Budget Conference Nov. 16-20.
The conference provides budget and finance-related training to local government finance staff and officials from the 33 counties, 106 municipalities, and 200+ special districts throughout the state.
It is a yearly testament to the LGD Budget and Finance Bureau’s mission in assisting officials and employees of the local public bodies in New Mexico to maintain budget and fiscal integrity.
“We continue on our promise to design, develop, and increase our trainings for local governments and special districts. Our LGD staff did an outstanding job pivoting this year’s conference to a virtual platform to provide training while keeping everyone safe,” Acting Secretary Debbie Romero said.
Associated Press
New Mexico has begun monitoring sewage from prisons and youth rehabilitation facilities to more efficiently detect COVID-19 outbreaks in the southwest of the state.
The state Environment Department announced the initiative Wednesday. The goal is to sample human feces in group-living situations to quickly identify coronavirus outbreaks.
The results may be used to more effectively deploy individual testing to pinpoint infections and halt the spread.
Initial sampling will take place at federal, state and local jails, along with facilities overseen by the state Children, Youth and Families Department.
Environment Department spokeswoman Maddy Hayden said the initial effort comes at a cost of about $300,000, utilizing federal relief funds. Lexington, Massachusetts-based ERG was contracted to perform the sewage testing.