Bill Fulginiti
Air Dates: August 4-6, 2012
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This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is
Bill Fulginiti, Executive Director of the New Mexico
Municipal League. Fulginiti serves as the Vice Chair of
the New Mexico Finance Authority and the Water Trust
Board. Recipient of the Governor’s Distinguished Public
Service Award and the New Mexico Distinguished Public
Administration Award, Fulginiti's public service
experience also extends nationally with his two terms on
the Board of the powerful National League of Cities.
The Municipal League is an association of all the
municipalities in the state, representing mayors,
councilors, chiefs of police, the fire chiefs, the
librarians, the county clerks - all of the municipal
officials. Municipal issues are important because
two-thirds of the population in New Mexico lives in
incorporated municipalities!
Fulginiti examines the effect the economic downturn has
had on New Mexico's cities, revealing that public sector
employment has decreased by 6800 jobs over the last 3
years.
He discusses the national trend of bankruptcies among
cities, and explains what the gross receipts claw back by
the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is doing to
communities like Santa Rosa, Jemez Springs, and Grants.
REPORT FROM SANTA FE explores the history of the food tax
in New Mexico, and explains the recent legislative battle
on tax pyramiding. Fulginiti discusses the use of eminent
domain nationally to fight the toxic effect of
foreclosures on cities, and also provides insight into the
problems at the New Mexico Finance Authority, where he
serves as Vice-Chair.
---QUOTE:
“Go to city hall, go to the city council meetings, and
participate. You know governance is not just those people
sitting on that city council. Governance is the people
working with them, together, to make it work for their
cities.” -- Bill Fulginiti