SANTA FE, NM – The New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) released the FY23 Executive Budget Recommendation from the Grisham administration, which totals $8.4 billion in recurring spending – up 13.4% from the previous fiscal year. The executive recommendation increases the Indian Affairs Department (IAD) budget by 63.3% for FY23, allowing the department to continue to build upon the progress the administration has made in New Mexico tribal communities.
“The FY23 budget recommendation would enable the department to build on its success by allowing us to hire several new full-time employees that will help fulfill mission-critical services and ensure that the department continues to effectively and efficiently serve and support New Mexico’s Nations, tribes, and Pueblos,” said Tanya Trujillo, Assistant Secretary for Water and Science at the Department of Interior. “I am hopeful that the New Mexico Legislature will agree with DFA to increase our budget.”
The budget recommendation of $4.7 million in general fund spending includes the following for IAD:
- $831,000 for suicide prevention in tribal communities
- $57,900 for recurring funding for the MMIWR taskforce
- Increased staffing to include a Tribal Data Analyst, a Tribal Consultation Specialist, a Tribal Environmental Specialist, and increased support for the Department’s Administrative Services Division that is responsible for all financial aspects of the Department, including TIF and Capital Outlay
Additionally, the executive recommendation includes:
- $1.4 million of Early Childhood trust fund revenue to the Early Childhood Education & Care Department (ECECD) for tribal early childhood investments
- $9.7 million in funding to the Public Education Department for the Indian Education Fund to improve educational outcomes for Native American students
- $10.2 million for Native American Student Education to leverage Indian Education funding to expand and enhance programs such as New Mexico Indigenous Languages initiatives, Native Language Database, and Grow Your Own Indigenous Language Teacher Pipeline
- For higher education, the Executive recommends supporting the Institute of American Indian Education at the University of New Mexico in providing professional development on culturally relevant pedagogy, a Native American Teacher Residency Program and addressing the disproportionately low number of Native American licensed K-12 teachers in New Mexico
The full details of the FY23 Executive Budget Recommendation are available here.
