Jeff Apodaca on Tax Reform

Invest $1.4B from NM Permanent Fund in jobs plan

Apodaca said he wants to use $1.4 billion of New Mexico's permanent funds to help accomplish that. "All we're asking as governor, I'm going to take 5% of your money, it's New Mexico's money and we're going to invest it back into New Mexico. We're not going to spend it, we're not going to dip it and take it out, we're just going to invest it, they're investment funds," Apodaca said. "So all we're saying is let's invest it into our cities, our states, our small businesses. 95% of our economy is small business. In fact we do nothing in our state to help small business. We penalize small business. We overtax them, we overburden them, and then there's no private capital."

Failed to pay property taxes for eight consecutive years

Apodaca, who acquired the 2.68-acre parcel in 2004, also racked up a number of liens for delinquent subdivision assessments and fees and unpaid utilities. His communications director acknowledged Apodaca didn't pay his property taxes for years but said that it happened amid a dispute over the value of the land. "When the market crashed, the county of Santa Fe continued to raise property taxes on those properties," he said. "Many people disputed with the County to assign a property tax that reflected what the property was worth after the market crashed." Apodaca paid everything in full "once the county reflected the proper appraised value of the property."

Records show Apodaca paid the property taxes in full from 2005-07. But starting in 2008, Apodaca failed to pay the taxes on the property.