It’s less than a week away from the Nov. 5 election and a ballot that has the University of New Mexico Hospital mill levy statewide GO Bond 3 for Higher Education.
On Sept. 8, Del Esparza, chairman of the board of the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, and Terri Cole, GACC president and CEO, wrote an op-ed published in The Sunday Journal supporting the UNMH mill levy.
The Chamber leaders explained they and other business leaders understand the vital role a robust health care system plays in attracting, and retaining, quality employees and businesses in our community.
Esparza and Cole said the funding will help enable UNMH to continue to provide its unparalleled high-quality health care, including:
- New Mexico’s only Level 1 Trauma Center — which are facilities that are lifelines for New Mexicans and our workforce.
- New Mexico’s only dedicated pediatric hospital — UNM Children’s Hospital treats thousands of our children every year. The hospital’s cutting-edge technology and specialized care are strong motivators for families moving to, and staying in, New Mexico.
- A teaching hospital — As the only academic health center in New Mexico, UNMH cares for patients with the most complex health needs in the Southwest — regardless of a family’s ability to pay. It is the primary teaching hospital for the UNM School of Medicine, which means providers and their patients are on the cutting edge of medical research, technology, clinical trials and specialty patient care.
- The state’s only NCI-designated cancer treatment center — The UNM Comprehensive Cancer Center is nationally recognized for breakthrough research in genomics, leukemia, nanotechnology, radioisotopes and drug discovery.
The GO Bond 3 is set to improve New Mexico public colleges, universities and specialty schools without raising taxes.
GO Bond 3 will provide more than $230 million in higher education funding statewide, including $94.5 million for The University of New Mexico and its branch campuses. It will provide funding for more than 40 projects at colleges and universities in New Mexico.
If approved, Central New Mexico Community College would get $10 million for the Center for Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurial Development, as well as $6 million for Health and Safety Improvements on all CNM campuses.
There would also be health and safety improvements at all CNM campuses. Those include Emergency Alert Improvements, as well as improving code compliance in CNM’s facilities.
Voters from around New Mexico overwhelmingly supported these much-needed GO improvement bonds for the past six cycles — 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022.