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SpacePort New Mexico
Spaceport New Mexico
http://www.spaceportamerica.com/
Spaceport? Yes!
By Diana M. Alba Sun-News reporter
Posted: 04/06/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT
LAS CRUCES — The verdict is in: Doña Ana County voters have approved a spaceport tax.
The results of Tuesday's election were too close to call going into Thursday and hinged upon uncounted provisional ballots. As the day progressed and provisionals were tallied at the Doña Ana County Government Center, proponents wracked up enough votes in their favor to seal their lead.
"They can't lose," said Doña Ana County elections supervisor Lynn Ellins. "Their lead is so great."
Proponents started the day with a 173-vote lead — a corrected figure from one announced Tuesday — which grew to 265 votes by 5 p.m. That margin is impossible for opponents to overcome because only 108 ballots remain to be counted.
Results remain unofficial until Tuesday, when the county commission certifies them.
Provisional ballots are cast if a voter doesn't appear on the county clerk's roster for a particular precinct, or if a voter can't provide necessary identification information at the polls.
At the end of Thursday, ballots in favor of the tax totaled 8,947 — or 50.8 percent — while ballots against totaled 8,682, or 49.2 percent.
Some spaceport tax proponents watching the election review appeared jubilant soon after realizing the results had gone their way.
"I'm proud to be a citizen of this county today," said Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, a spaceport supporter. Not only will the new tax fund the spaceport, "but we show the whole world we want this industry here."
The tax is expected to generate $49 million to help build the $198 million spaceport. Backers of a tax have said rejection of the measure would kill the project and potential economic growth.
Tax opponents weren't present at the government center, but one of the measure's most outspoken adversaries, County Commissioner Oscar Vásquez-Butler, seemed resigned to the outcome. He said opponents "put forth a valiant effort" to combat the tax.
"We proved the community organized behind an effort does have a voice," he said. "I compliment the proponents, but you know, they spent a lot of money compared to our campaign, which was grassroots."
Opponents of a tax contended it would be better spent on existing county problems and that the spaceport venture was too risky.
The question placed before voters Tuesday was whether to approve a one-quarter of 1 percent sales tax to help build Spaceport America, which will be located in a remote site in southern Sierra County. Spacecraft carrying space tourists or other payloads could eventually launch from the site.
Passage of the tax will lead to an additional 25 cent charge on a $100 purchase in Doña Ana County, starting Jan. 1 of next year.
County Commissioner Kent Evans, a spaceport supporter, said he was pleased aerospace proponents have reached this point. Work toward a spaceport was started by a group of residents 20 years ago, and the election results reflect that effort, he said.
"Here were are doing what we set out to do," he said. "I thank God we've decided to go ahead with (the tax)."
The election review formally began Thursday morning after the county commission authorized the county's clerk's office to start a canvass of election results.
Going into Thursday, it was thought tax supporters held a 204-vote lead over opponents. However, Ellins announced that initial tallies of election results weren't correct; the actual margin was 173 votes.
In addition, Ellins said, election officials originally thought the number of provisional ballots cast in the election totaled 541. Election workers discovered, however, that some provisional ballots incorrectly had been placed in a locked ballot box by a poll worker. The ballots bumped the total up to 571.
Thursday afternoon, a state District Court judge gave permission to open the ballot box and retrieve the provisional ballots for tabulating.
During the review of ballots, election officials discovered two voters had who attempted to vote twice. Ellins said that is a misdemeanor, and the residents' names will be turned over to the district attorney.
The canvass process continues at 9 a.m. today in the Doña Ana County Government Center, 845 N. Motel Blvd.
Diana M. Alba can be reached at dalba@lcsun-news.com
Vote results
In favor of tax: 8,947 (50.8%)
Against tax: 8,682 (49.2%)
*Unofficial results as of 5 p.m. Thursday; tallying continues today.
Spaceport construction set to start in spring
By Jose L. Medina Sun-News reporter
Posted: 06/20/2007 12:00:00 AM MDT
LAS CRUCES — The Spaceport America project remains on schedule, leading to a probable April 2008 start to construction for the facility in southern Sierra County.
"I'm very optimistic," said Mike Holston, the spaceport's project coordinator.
"Cost and schedule, right now, are key issues for us," Holston said. "...There's an awful lot of work that has to go into the schedule in trying to pre-load and accomplish as much as we can."
The New Mexico Spaceport Authority received an update Tuesday from project managers that the project is on track to meet several milestones. The latest line-item cost estimate for the facility still stands at $198 million.
Officials hope to begin construction early next year and open the door to the facility in late 2009 or early 201.
But before they can break ground, the spaceport needs to be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration. An initial draft of an Environmental Impact Statement — required for the application — was submitted on May 4.
A final draft of the EIS, along with a final application, will be submitted to the FAA in July or August, Holston said.
The FAA has laid out a target date to approve the application of the first quarter of 2008.
"At the end of the day, the FAA controls the licensing process. We take our cues from them," Holston said.
Officials added that discussions with the anchor tenant, Virgin Galactic, a British firm that plans to send paying customers into space, have been productive.
Two agreements — a development agreement and a facilities lease agreement — with the company are expected to be in place by the first part of November. The development agreement is expected by July but the lease agreement will take longer because the exact size of the facilities that will house Virgin's operations won't be known until the design process is finished.
That process will be finalized in late July when an architecture firm is selected to design the spaceport's hangar and terminal. The list of candidates was narrowed to three earlier this month.
"If we can do that, we've achieved a significant milestone," said Tom Mills, general counsel for the authority.
When it opens, the spaceport is expected to be the first ever purpose built commercial spaceport.
Construction of the facility received the green light when supporters won a critical vote from Doña Ana County residents that will raise the gross receipts tax rate. Proceeds from the tax will help pay for the project. Commissioners for Sierra and Otero county are considering similar referendums.
Jose Medina can be reached at jmedina@lcsun-news.com
Spaceport America latest cost estimate (millions of dollars)
Site office and logistics $8.3
Airfield $41.12
Internal roadways $5.53
Water systems $12.37
Wastewater systems $4.71
Virgin Galactic facilities $30.02
NM Spaceport Authority facilities $4.44
Airfield rescue and firefighting facility $1.03
Fuel storage $0.22
Electrical service $8.17
On-site electrical distribution $15.88
Communications $8.76
Systems and security $4.50
Fencing $0.47
Temporary roads $2.50
Permanent roads $44.04
Welcome centers $1
Amount spent thus far $4
Total $198.04Spaceport construction set to start in spring
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