Block Boasts of Bringing Money to Corrales

After redistricting, District 3 Sandoval County Commissioner Jay Block no longer represents the village of Corrales. But at the Sept. 12 village council meeting he reminded his former constituents how much money he helped bring to the village during the five years he was their representative on the county commission.

Block, a Republican who will term out on the commission at the end of 2024 and is a candidate for state Senate in newly drawn District 10, said when he was elected to the commission in 2016, he became the first Rio Rancho resident to represent the village. As such, he made a concerted effort to pay attention to the village’s needs. He said he worked closely with mayors Scott Kominiak and JoAnne Roake’s administrations and through a cooperative effort funding was put toward many projects that benefitted the village.

“Never had as much money been dumped into Corrales,” he said.

Block’s commission district now borders Corrales. The seat he’s running for in the state Senate comes close, but also does not include the village.

Using PowerPoint, Block outlined some of them: $5,000 for the Pathways project, $17,000 that benefitted performing arts, and a lesser amount that, as an Air Force veteran, he was proud to put toward a monument honoring veterans at the library.

Block said he also helped get $40,000 for the Sagebrush bike path, $12,000 for the senior center and $35,000 to benefit Loving Thunder, a Corrales-based non-profit that offers therapeutic horse riding services.

He also helped bring $200,000 in economic development funds, mentioning support for Ex Novo brewery.

Add it all up and he helped bring $425,000 to Corrales as their representative, he said.

“That never happened before,” he boasted, adding that the village’s new representative on the commission will likely continue to help bring money for village projects.

Tongue firmly planted in cheek, Block then boasted that he’s renowned as “the best wagon master in the history of Harvest Festival” and promised to return this year, not as their representative but as a visitor.

“I’ve spent a lot of time down here,” he said in closing. “Thank you for the honor of representing you.”

Later in the meeting, the presence of Katherine Bruch, who now represents Corrales on the county commission, was acknowledged by Mayor Jim Fahey.

She stood up and told the governing body to keep an eye out for projects worthy of funding to “see if we can’t surpass Commissioner Block’s record.”