Treasurer's Office

Goals:

1. Provide accurate financial reports
• Financial Report (Cash on hand, Banks and Investments) – (PDF - 10k)
  
• Bank Interfund Account Control (Total Cash - 11900 Account Form) – (PDF - 40k)
  


2. Ensure safekeeping of public records
• The Doña Ana County Treasurer's Office has reorganized its paperwork-management system to meet and exceed state standards for document storage, retrieval and destruction. During the process, approximately 170 boxes of historical tax records dating as far back as 1885 were identified and donated to the New Mexico State Archives for prosperity. This initiative was publicized locally in the Las Cruces Bulletin.

  The office also has begun scanning and microfilming records for semi-permanent storage and easy retrieval and research. As Doña Ana County continues to grow, the office will continue to identify cost-effective ways to facilitate research, archive records and maximize space. This initiative includes a rotation schedule for the timely destruction of outdated paper records.

  We believe in preserving our heritage and will continue to make every effort to do so.


3. Maximize the rate of return on county investments
• Investments Report – (PDF - 28k)
  


4. Establish equitable tax collection
• Tax Schedule Maintenance Report – (PDF - 13k)
  


5. Update office technology
• The Doña Ana County Treasurer's Office has been working with New Mexico State University’s County College to provide training for employees related to Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Treasurer's Track Training. This series of modules involves several topics on different, important aspects affecting the Treasurer's Office such as new laws, investments, etc.

  The staff also has participated in fraud-prevention training offered by Wells Fargo Bank, which better equips the staff to recognize counterfeit bills and other fraudulent forms of payment. The Doña Ana County Treasurer's Office is grateful to Wells Fargo Bank for this training.



6. Provide excellent customer service
• Customer service is the top priority of the Doña Ana County Treasurer's Office. Jim Schoonover fought for six instead of three teller windows, including one which is wheelchair accessible. With six windows, the office is better equipped to accept tax payments while simultaneously assisting customers who have other business and research to conduct through the office. Keeping all six windows open during the busy 2006 tax season helped keep lines manageable. Mr. Schoonover also had a payment box installed in the lobby for after-hours tax payments.


7. Legislative lobbying priorities

Past Legislative Efforts:

Jim Schoonover successfully lobbied in Santa Fe for the two following Grants:


• $45,000 to update outdated computers and servers.
A special thanks is extended to our legislators: Capital Outlay Contributors
• State Senator Leonard Lee Rawson $10,000
• State Senator Mary K. Papen $10,000
• State Senator Mary Jane Garcia $10,000
• State Rep Andy Nunez $5,000
• State Rep. Antonio Lujan $5,000
• State Rep William "Ed" Boykin $5,000


• $100,000 for office-technology enhancements and security systems.
A special thanks is extended to: Capital Outlay Contributor
• State Senator Leonard Lee Rawson. $100,000

Future Legislative Efforts:

Jim Schoonover will lobby the Legislators to lower property taxes for Doña Ana County residents who have lived at their current address for more than 10 Years, arguing that they should receive a 5 percent discount off their total property tax bills. Mr. Schoonover believes that any property owner who has lived in the same property for this length of time has not received the appropriate infrastructure improvements that a more current resident in a newer neighborhood has received.

We are continuing to request funding to update our 20-year old software system in order to alleviate tax errors and provide better service and reporting capabilities to the taxpayers of Dona Ana County.