County

Assessor Andy Segovia

Office of the Assessor
845 N Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007
Phone: (575) 647-7400

Andy Segovia was elected Doña Ana County Assessor in 2010 and will serve through Dec. 31, 2014. He has more than eight years of experience in the Doña Ana County Assessor’s Office. The goal of the Assessor’s Office is to provide a well-managed office that will serve the public with an expert, qualified staff.

The Doña Ana County Assessor’s Office determines the property value of homes, businesses and other taxable properties within the county for ad valorem tax purposes. The office also prepares the tax rolls for the County Treasurer for real property (land and improvements), personal property (business equipment), livestock and mobile homes.

Andy Segovia is a native of Doña Ana County and the father of two children.

County Clerk Lynn Ellins

Office of the County Clerk
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 647-7421

County Clerk Lynn Ellins, a former deputy Secretary of State in Colorado, was elected in 2008 to a four-year term overseeing the Office of the County Clerk, which keeps records such as resolutions, ordinances, deeds and marriage licenses. The office also issues several types of permits and licenses, such as permits for parties, licenses for liquor establishments, etc. He has appointed Mario Jimenez as his Chief Deputy Clerk.

The office also receives nominations and petitions related to elections. In addition, the office supervises and prepares ballots and voting machines and trains poll workers. The clerk’s office also supports the Office of the Probate Judge in handling informal proceedings.

Probate Judge Alice M.Salcido

Office of the Probate Judge
845 N Motel Blvd Room 1-200
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007
Voice: (575) 525-6132

Alice M. Salcido was selected probate judge on Oct. 4, 2005. She was elected in both 2006 and 2010 and will serve through 2014. Salcido, who is bilingual, holds a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in business administration, both from New Mexico State University. She has extensive experience in administration and public service, including four years as chief deputy county treasurer in the mid-1960s. Most recently, she served as interim director of the New Mexico Department of Public Health’s Border Health Office. She also has 18 years of experience as district coordinator for U.S. Sen. Jeff Bingaman, advising him on a wide range of border and health issues.

The probate judge is a part-time position. Probate courts for each county in the state were established by the New Mexico Constitution, Article VI, Section 23. That constitutional section gives the New Mexico Legislature power to define the jurisdiction of the probate courts within the scope of the constitution.

County Treasurer David Gutierrez

Office of the County Treasurer
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 647-7433

David Gutierrez was elected in 2008 and took office Jan. 1, 2009. He previously held the position of County Treasurer from 1996 to 2004, when term limits imposed by the laws of the State of New Mexico forced him to wait out a term before he could run again. He has named former Doña Ana County Internal Auditor Jill Johnson as his Chief Deputy Treasurer.

The Treasurer’s Office is the property tax collector for the County of Doña Ana, City of Las Cruces, Las Cruces, Hatch and Gadsden Public Schools, the State of New Mexico, and other taxing agencies within Doña Ana County. More than 100,000 property tax bills, plus approximately 13,500 delinquency notices, are mailed by the County Treasurer’s Office annually.

District Attorney Mark D’Antonio

Office of the District Attorney
845 North Motel Blvd., Ste D
Las Cruces, NM 88007

District Attorney Mark D’Antonio assumed office on December 28, 2012.

County Commissioner Billy Garrett

County Commissioner, District 1
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 525-5808
E-mail: bgarrett@donaanacounty.org

Billy G. Garrett was elected to represent District 1 on November 2, 2010. His four-year term began on January 1, 2011. District 1 includes all of the communities in the south valley between Vado and Mesilla Park, as well as downtown Las Cruces, Mesilla and Picacho Hills.

Commissioner Garrett brings extensive experience with large-scale government operations to the Commission. He understands the importance of budget formulation, planning, and infrastructure development and is dedicated to making Dona Aña County the best possible place to live for all residents.

Among Commissioner Garrett’s top priorities are efficient delivery of county services, public involvement in decision-making, and program accountability. He is committed to inter-governmental coordination and comprehensive planning to support local communities faced with limited resources and rapid growth.

A third generation New Mexican, Commissioner Garrett grew up in Las Cruces and graduated from Las Cruces High School. After attending New Mexico State and Arizona State Universities, he pursued a career in architecture and organizational management. He and his wife, Cynthia, live in Mesilla; both retired from the National Park Service in 2009.

County Commissioner David J. Garcia

County Commissioner, District 2
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Administrative Suite, Second Floor
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Cell:         (575) 635-5212
Fax:         (575) 525-5804
E-mail:dgarcia@donaanacounty.org

Dr. David Garcia assumed office on December 28, 2012. District 2 encompasses a large portion of southern Doña Ana County, including the communities of La Union, Santa Teresa, Sunland Park and Chaparral.

County Commissioner Karen G. Perez

County Commissioner, District 3
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone: (575) 525-5807
E-mail: kperez@donaanacounty.org

Karen G. Perez, a Democrat, was elected to the District 3 seat on the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners in November, 2006. District 3 encompasses a large sector of southeastern Doña Ana County, including Las Alturas, Telshor, Foothills, and Talavera, the University Hills and Bellamah neighborhoods, the NMSU campus, White Sands Missile Range, and Tortugas.

Commissioner Perez is a professional engineer who has worked locally for more than 18 years in the development of water and wastewater infrastructure. Commissioner Perez is a certified Level II Water and Wastewater Operator and owns an engineering consulting firm in Las Cruces. Based on her experience in community development, Commissioner Perez has a keen interest in managed growth based on a comprehensive county plan. She has identified the following critical issues:

• Managed growth, supported by investment in proper infrastructure;
• Water resource conservation and management; and
• Targeted, industry-based economic development and workforce training.

A resident of Las Cruces for 22 years, Commissioner Perez has earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Civil Engineering from New Mexico State University, and a bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Before moving to Las Cruces, Commissioner Perez served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador and Honduras, building potable water and irrigation systems. She speaks fluent Spanish and has lived and worked as an engineer in Peru, Honduras, Western Europe, and Egypt.

Commissioner Perez serves on the Boards of the Extraterritorial Zoning Authority, the Metropolitan Planning Authority, the Camino Real Regional Utility Authority, and the Animal Services Center of the Mesilla Valley. She currently plays the piano for the choir at Immaculate Heart of Mary Cathedral.

Commissioner Perez has been married to her husband, Oscar, for 17 years. They have two sons, Antonio and Daniel, who attend Zia Middle School and Las Cruces High School.

County Commissioner Wayne Hancock

County Commissioner, District 4
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Administrative Suite, Second Floor
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Cell:         (575) 520-4560
Office:      (575) 525-5810
E-mail:whancock@donaanacounty.org

Commissioner Wayne D. Hancock was elected to the District 4 seat on the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners on Nov. 6, 2012. He took the oath of office on Dec. 28, 2012, and assumed the duties of County Commissioner on Jan. 1, 2013. His four-year term ends Dec. 31, 2017, and he is eligible to seek re-election.

Commissioner Hancock represents District 4, which encompasses most of northeast Doña Ana County, including the East Mesa, Hacienda Acres, Organ, Moongate and the eastern areas of the City of Las Cruces.

Commissioner Hancock is a retired business owner who spent most of his career developing telephone systems, including six years living and working in Mexico.

He is particularly interested in bringing the city and county together on issues that matter, promoting economic development, water policy, public transportation and the creation of jobs through attracting entrepreneurs and new business to the area.

Commissioner Leticia Duarte-Benavidez

County Commissioner, District 5
845 N. Motel Blvd.
Las Cruces, NM 88007
Phone:  (575) 525-5809
E-mail: lbenavidez@donaanacounty.org

Leticia Duarte-Benavidez represents District 5 on the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners. She is a lifelong native of Doña Ana County, who retired from Doña Ana County as a grant administrator to run for the District 5 commission seat in 2008, taking office on Jan. 1, 2009. She has a deep understanding of county issues from her perspective as a long-time employee, and she said she will bring her knowledge of the organization’s strengths and challenges to the job of Commissioner.

Prior to mandatory redistricting in 2012, District 5 encompassed most of Downtown Las Cruces. It now encompasses a portion of northwestern Las Cruces and extends north to the Sierra County line, taking in all or part of the communities of Doña Ana, Radium Springs, Leasburg, Hatch, Salem and Garfield.