Nearly $10M in State Funding Headed to Grant County

Lawmakers secure capital outlay for water, schools, roads, and hospital upgrades

Mar. 15, 2026 at 1:00am

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The Grant County Commission received updates from state Sen. Gabe Ramos and state Rep. Luis Terrazas on the $9.6 million in capital outlay funding secured for the area during the 2026 legislative session. The funds will go towards water projects, school upgrades, road improvements, public safety equipment, park enhancements, and a new linear accelerator for the Gila Regional Medical Center's cancer treatment center.

Why it matters

The influx of state funding will allow Grant County and its municipalities to address critical infrastructure needs and make key investments in public services and community assets. The capital outlay funding is especially crucial for the Gila Regional Medical Center, which serves a wide regional population and requires updated cancer treatment technology to continue providing high-quality care.

The details

The $9.6 million in capital outlay funding is split among various projects across the county, including $1.625 million for water infrastructure, $1.79 million for school upgrades, $3.14 million for road improvements, $300,000 for public safety equipment, $1 million for park enhancements, and $550,000 plus an additional $5.5 million in the state budget for a new linear accelerator at the Gila Regional Medical Center's cancer treatment center.

  • The 2026 legislative session concluded in March 2026.
  • The Gila Regional Medical Center's current linear accelerator will reach the end of its usable life in May 2028, requiring a replacement within the next two years.

The players

Gabe Ramos

District 28 state senator who reported on the capital outlay funding secured for the area.

Luis Terrazas

District 39 state representative who also provided updates on the legislative session.

Gila Regional Medical Center

The regional hospital that received $550,000 in capital outlay funding for a new linear accelerator, plus an additional $5.5 million in the state budget, to upgrade its cancer treatment capabilities.

Eddie Flores

District 4 county commissioner who expressed concern that the $500,000 in road improvement funding was insufficient given the county's extensive road network.

Chris Ponce

Chair of the Grant County Commission who suggested working with the city of Silver City to align their infrastructure priorities with the commissioner's concerns about major county roads.

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What they’re saying

“Whenever we go up to Santa Fe, we look at the ICIP. If the town of Silver City thinks that's one of their top priorities … under ICIP, then we try and fund it the best that we can.”

— Gabe Ramos, State Senator

“Gila Regional covers people from Hidalgo, Catron — not just Grant County. They would have to travel another two hours, possibly, to go to Las Cruces for health care.”

— Luis Terrazas, State Representative

“The linear accelerator is a large piece of equipment in our cancer center that does radiation oncology, and essentially shoots an electron beam at cancer cells. It's an expensive piece of equipment, and we've got two years to replace [it].”

— Robert Whitaker, Gila Regional Medical Center CEO

What’s next

The Gila Regional Medical Center has two years to install a new linear accelerator before the current one reaches the end of its usable life in May 2028, requiring a three-month gap in cancer treatment services during the replacement process.

The takeaway

The capital outlay funding secured by state lawmakers will enable Grant County and its municipalities to make critical investments in water infrastructure, school facilities, road improvements, public safety equipment, and community assets like parks. The funding for the Gila Regional Medical Center's new linear accelerator is particularly vital, ensuring the hospital can continue providing high-quality cancer treatment to the wider regional population.