Deadline Approaching for Anyone Planning to Run for APS Board Seat

Candidates must file with county clerk on Aug. 29 to get name on ballot.

Three Albuquerque Public Schools board positions are up for grabs in November, but anyone hoping to get their name on the ballot must file with the county clerk on Aug. 29.

A declaration of candidacy and a sworn statement of interest must be filed with the county clerk between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. on that day. Write-in candidates can file on Sept. 5.

The election will be held on Nov. 7. Successful candidates begin their four-year terms on Jan. 1.

Candidates must reside in the district they are seeking to represent. The board positions on the ballot in November are:

• The District 1 seat is currently held by board President Yolanda Montoya-Cordova, who isn’t seeking reelection.
• The District 2 seat is held by board Vice President Peggy Muller-Aragón. Muller-Aragón will be seeking another term.
• And the District 4 seat is now held by board member Barbara Petersen, who isn’t planning to run for another term.

Voters and candidates can find their district and learn about voter registration, polling locations, candidate requirements, and more at the Board of Education election web page. Montoya-Cordova and Petersen took part in a candidate orientation on Aug. 9 for community members thinking about running to be on the APS board. Prospective candidates who weren’t able to attend can see a recording of the orientation.

Two-mill Levy

Also on the Nov. 7 ballot will be a two-mill levy that would continue funding for maintenance throughout the district without raising the tax rate.

The mill levy would be a continuation of a tax already in place, not a new one.

The two-mill capital improvement tax measure would continue a property tax of $2 per each 1,000 of net taxable value for property within the APS district. The tax rate would remain the same.

Revenue from the two-mill levy helps pay for such things as maintenance, security, operations, technology, and musical instruments. If approved, the tax will provide capital revenue for the district through 2030.