Northern Rio Rancho property owners won’t receive a tax break after all. That’s because the Central New Mexico Community College mill levy will be included in their bills.

When Sandoval County commissioners approved property tax rates on Sept. 10, the CNM mill levy was not included for property owners north of Northern Boulevard because the county never received information regarding the new tax district from CNM. This despite more than 65 percent of voters north of Northern voting to be included in the CNM taxing district last year.

“All residents in the CNM district will have the CNM mill rate on their property tax bills,” said Samantha Bousliman, CNM’s chief communications officer. The mill levy, however, has yet to be determined. Sandoval County spokesperson Gayland Bryant said the state tax and revenue department has yet to send the adjusted mill levy to the county. Once the levy is received, then the county commissioners have five days to approve the mill levy.

Bryant did say that there will be 75,300 new properties in the CNM district, valued at $1.012 billion.

The total CNM district in Sandoval County is valued at $2.495 billion.

Bousliman explained that when voters north of Northern approved the tax, CNM officials could not find anywhere in the law, statute, process or procedure on how the tax assessor’s office would be informed of the change in the district.

“This was a unique situation,” Bousliman said. “This is the first time in the state’s history that a public school district is divided by a community college district. The tax assessor’s office did not know to increase the mill levy district. Everyone did what they were used to doing.”

Sandoval County Assessor’s Office staffers worked over the weekend to prepare valuations on 75,300 properties in a new section of the CNM tax district bordered by Northern and U.S. 550, according to Bryant.

CNM President Katherine Winograd applauded the county’s diligent work.

“Thanks to a unified effort that required much hard work and problem solving by many public entities, the expectations and the will of the voters will be met this fall,” Winograd said. “On behalf of CNM, I am very thankful to all of the public entities that banded together to find a resolution that upholds the integrity of the November 2007 election. I would like to especially thank Sandoval County Assessor Rudy Casaus and his staff for their above and beyond efforts to execute this resolution.”

CNM anticipates opening a new campus in downtown Rio Rancho in 2010.

Bousliman anticipates CNM breaking ground in January of 2009.

Before the tax district expansion last year, CNM’s district mirrored the former Albuquerque Public School District’s boundaries. That is the portion of Rio Rancho south of Southern Boulevard and all of Albuquerque.

The Sandoval County Treasurer’s Office will mail the bills on Nov. 1. The first half-payment is due Dec. 10 and the remainder is due May 10.

Residents’ tax bills should arrive in the mailbox by Nov. 10, and will be due immediately. However, there is a 30 day grace period, so the due date, before penalties accrued, is Dec. 10.