Bosque Farms was incorporated in 1974 (see brief history) with a Mayor-Council form of government. State statute governs the form and function of a Mayor-Council form of government. The Mayor and four Councilors serve as the Governing Body and have the ability to pass local laws (ordinances), establish a balanced Village operating budget (which must be balanced according to State law), set utility rates, and establish policies governing actions of Village employees. The Mayor only votes on items when there is a tie vote amongst the Councilors. The Mayor has no veto authority, per se. The Mayor functions as the head of the Administrative branch of the Village. He is supported by several appointed positions, such as Village Clerk/Administrator, Treasurer, and Police Chief.
Bosque Farms has a third branch of government, the judicial branch. The municipal court is run by our municipal judge. The municipal judge is an elected position.
Elections are held every two (2) years, with the successful electors serving four (4) year terms. In the main election year, the Mayor, two (2) Council seats, and the municipal judge's positions are up for consideration. In the interim election year, two (2) Council seats are up for consideration. Bosque Farms elections are non-partisan (i.e., no formal party affiliation, like Democrat or Republican).
The Village has a Planning and Zoning Commission. Five (5) people are appointed by the Governing Body to make up the Commission. The appointments are made on staggered terms. Each year the Governing Body makes appointments to the Commission for two (2) year terms. One year there are three (3) Commissioners appointed, followed the next year by two (2) Commission appointments, and so on.
The Village also has a Village Library Board that is appointed by the Governing Body. The Board assists with the operations of the Library and helps set policy. The Library has over 7,000 card holders, which shows what a great facility it is, given that there are only 4,000 residents in the Village. People from all over the County utilize the Library. Keep up the good work!
A Personnel Board is appointed by the Governing Body to act as a quasi-judiciary body in the event of personnel grievances.
A number of committees are appointed by the Governing Body to assist with various activities, such as developing and/or reviewing ordinances, a Master Planning Committee, a Keep Bosque Farms Beautiful Committee, a Horse Trails Committee, and the Economic Development Committee (see Economic Development).
The Village has an excellent volunteer fire department. They always get top ratings which helps keep our insurance rates down, and obviously helps protect the residents of Bosque Farms. Keep up the good work!
The Village has a full-time police department which does an excellent job of keeping our Village safe. Bosque Farms has the lowest crime statistics of any government entity in the County. That's no small feat considering the amount of gang and drug related activity that goes on in the County. The police department sponsors seminars on safety related topics on a regular basis. These are very informative meetings. The officers that put on these seminars are doing an excellent job. Congratulations! Keep up the good work!
The Village has water and sewer service available throughout the Village. The Utility Department services both the water and sewer needs. These guys do an excellent job. If ever there's a problem they are there 24/7 to keep things functional. Keep up the good work!
The Village has a small but very effective maintenance department. You'll have to agree that everything in the Village is kept looking good and working well, even though the Village doesn't have a lot of money to support these activities. Keep up the good work!
The Village has an administrator/clerk, an assistant clerk, a treasurer, a planning and zoning officer, an animal control officer, and a receptionist. They all help with various functions of the Village, and we should thank them for their hard work. Keep up the good work!
The Village has a volunteer community watch program that helps keep our Village safe. If you have time, volunteer to help keep watch on our community. Keep up the good work!
The Village has an Emergency Medical Service (EMS), with help from volunteers and a grant from the Legislature that allowed the Village to buy an EMS vehicle.
The Village has its own website, which may be visited at: http://www.bosquefarmsnm.gov