All land grants that are recognized as political sub-divisions of the state under the General Provisions found in Chapter 49 NMSA 1978 or in their own individual statutes must comply with the Open Meetings Act found in Chapter 10-15-1 through 10-15-4 of the New Mexico Statutes.
Under the Act land grants-mercedes are required to have all meetings of the board of trustees in a public place and be open to all members of the public. Also all meetings must be properly advertised as called for in the statutes and in the open meetings resolution passed by the board of trustees on an annual basis (see open meetings resolution link on the right for a sample resolution). Public notice for regularly scheduled land grant-merced meetings must be posted, in both English and Spanish, at least 10 days in advance of the meeting in at least one public place within the land grant-merced.
The Open Meetings Act also sets requirements for meeting agendas, meeting minutes, and the closing of public meetings under certain circumstances.
For more information regarding the Open Meetings Act including a more detailed overview, a compliance guide, and sample documents for use by a land grant-merced please refer to the tabs located on the left side of this page.
Also the NM Attorney General’s Office Civil Division is tasked with assisting local governments and the general public with understanding the rights and responsibilities under the Open Meetings Act. A link to their website is located to the right as well.
