– This week's guest on REPORT FROM SANTA FE is Bill Fulginiti, Executive Director of the New Mexico Municipal League. Fulginiti serves as the Vice Chair of the New Mexico Finance Authority and the Water Trust Board. Recipient of the Governor’s Distinguished Public Service Award and the New Mexico Distinguished Public Administration Award, Fulginiti's public service experience also extends nationally with his two terms on the Board of the powerful National League of Cities. The Municipal League is an association of all the municipalities in the state, representing mayors, councilors, chiefs of police, the fire chiefs, the librarians, the county clerks - all of the municipal officials. Municipal issues are important because two-thirds of the population in New Mexico lives in incorporated municipalities! Fulginiti examines the effect the economic downturn has had on New Mexico's cities, revealing that public sector employment has decreased by 6800 jobs over the last 3 years. He discusses the national trend of bankruptcies among cities, and explains what the gross receipts claw back by the New Mexico Taxation and Revenue Department is doing to communities like Santa Rosa, Jemez Springs, and Grants. REPORT FROM SANTA FE explores the history of the food tax in New Mexico, and explains the recent legislative battle on tax pyramiding. Fulginiti discusses the use of eminent domain nationally to fight the toxic effect of foreclosures on cities, and also provides insight into the problems at the New Mexico Finance Authority, where he serves as Vice-Chair. ---QUOTE: “Go to city hall, go to the city council meetings, and participate. You know governance is not just those people sitting on that city council. Governance is the people working with them, together, to make it work for their cities.” -- Bill Fulginiti