One of the most rewarding parts of my first year as a commissioner was working with the Dona Ana County's Youth Initiative.

I worked with them to produce this video on colonias from a youth perspective. Dona Ana County has 37 designated colonias. That's more than any other county in New Mexico which has a total of 141. The state of NM just passed the Colonias Infrastructure Act which will appropriate about $10 million per year to colonia infrastructure.

At Dona Ana County we have started comprehensive infrastructure planning for the non-incorporated areas of the county. This will ensure that we are a good investment for this money, which means that the day when Dona Ana County colonias are no longer thought of as incomplete communities is in sight.