Current through Register Vol. 35, No. 18, September 24, 2024
A.
GENERAL AUTHORITY:
(1) Capital
improvements made on licensed racing premises with state funds offset from the
amount of taxes due pursuant to Section
60-1A-20,
NMSA 1978, shall be utilized only for the improvement of horse racing
facilities for the benefit of the public, breeders and horse owners and shall
be intended to increase the revenue to the state from the increases in pari
mutuel wagering and tourism which result from the improvements.
(2) No capital improvement for which an
offset from state taxes is requested shall be made unless it is a capital
investment subject to depreciation under the United States Internal Revenue
Code and is approved in advance by the commission.
(3) It is the responsibility of the licensee
requesting the offset of state taxes to establish that the proposed capital
improvement qualifies as a capital investment subject to depreciation under the
United States Internal Revenue Code.
B.
COMMISSION REQUIREMENTS:
(1) Each commission member and the agency
director shall inspect all facilities, grounds and areas of each licensed
racetrack in New Mexico annually for the purpose of identifying the need for
capital improvements for those areas.
(2) The commission shall annually adopt or
revise a schedule of priorities of areas in need of immediate capital
improvements for each licensed racetrack. Licensees and any other individuals
or organizations may submit to the commission recommendations for the schedule
of priorities. The commission chairman may appoint committees as are necessary
to prepare the schedule of priorities. All committee meetings shall be open
meetings.
(3) In adoption of the
schedule of priorities, the commission shall give due consideration to the
needs of the public, breeders and horse owners and shall balance those needs in
the allocation of priorities.
(4)
The commission shall adhere to the schedule of priorities in the approval of
capital improvement projects applied for by the licensees.
C.
PROCEDURES:
(1) A licensee shall submit to the
commission, on application forms provided by the commission, proposals for
capital improvement projects for which an offset of state taxes will be
requested. Applications shall contain, but are not limited to, the following
information:
(a) Licensed racetrack at which
project is proposed.
(b) Person(s)
supervising the proposal and project.
(c) Total cost of project.
(d) Amount of total cost to be offset by
state tax revenues.
(e) Amount of
total cost to be paid by other funds and sources of those funds.
(f) Complete description of project and
timetable for construction.
(g)
Estimated timetable of requests for offsets by state tax revenues.
(h) Proof of compliance with Section
60-1A-20,
NMSA 1978 that the project qualifies under the Internal Revenue Code as a
capital investment subject to depreciation.
(2) For any capital improvement project in
which the requested offset from state taxes equals or exceeds 50 percent of the
total purchase or construction price, the licensee shall obtain and submit to
the commission at least three written bids from suppliers or licensed
contractors, where applicable.
(3)
At the next regularly scheduled commission meeting, the commission shall
review, reject, modify or condition each proposal, or return the application
for additional information. Then, at the subsequent scheduled commission
meeting, the commission shall approve each capital improvement proposal
reviewed.
(4) The commission shall
approve only the bid of the lowest bidder, unless the licensee requests in
writing that a particular bid be accepted, in which case the commission may
approve the licensees recommended bidder if it finds extraordinary
circumstances which call for the acceptance of that bidder and additionally
finds that acceptance of that bidder would be in the best interests of racing
in New Mexico. The commission shall give preference to New Mexico contractors
and suppliers, as defined in Section
13-4-2,
NMSA 1978, in selecting bids, provided that the bid for a project of the New
Mexico contractor or supplier does not exceed ten (10) percent over the amount
of the lowest bid.
(5) When special
circumstances warrant, or when unexpected cost overruns are incurred, the
commission may consider a capital improvement retroactively.
(6) When the licensee's in-house maintenance
work force is accepted as the low bidder in a capital improvement project, any
cost overrun beyond the highest bid price may not be allowed as an offset and
must be paid by the licensee. A cost overrun performed by in-house maintenance
above the original bid price and below the highest bidder price must be
approved by the commission before the work is accomplished.
(7) Following the completion of any capital
improvement project for which an offset of state taxes was requested and
approved, the commission, or designee, shall inspect the project and any
recommended future projects.
D.
TAX LIABILITIES: All taxes
assessed pursuant to the provisions of Section
60-1A-20,
NMSA 1978, shall be paid to the racing commission at the time set by law,
unless a capital expenditure project or the financing of term investment in
capital improvements has been previously approved by the commission and the
licensee is entitled by such previous approval to offset the amount of the
taxes then due. If no previous approval for a project or financing has been
made, the full amount of taxes due shall be paid. If previous approval for a
project or financing has been made and the licensee is entitled to offset the
amount of the taxes then due, the licensee may offset such taxes due and shall
account to the commission for such offset from taxes due.