Portales, New Mexico

4 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 5 PORTALES , NEW MEX I CO is the closest urban centre. The county seat of Roosevelt County, Portales combines a rural atmosphere with premier cultural, economic, and educational opportunities. It is also blessed with a historic Spanish-style town square and courthouse, a multi-million dollar agricultural industry, and the fourth largest university in the state. Austin believes the town is a hidden gem and wants to share it with the world, by having tourists visit, families relocate, and businesses join the peaceful, supportive local economy – one that is poised for growth opportunities in so many markets. She shares, “We have beautiful trees, historical buildings… tourist-wise we have some wonderful museums, our Eastern New Mexico University is out here and that is a very beautiful campus.” Currently, the area surrounding the city boasts more than 40 dairy farms and processing facilities that supply a vast market with a diverse range of products and it’s one of the country’s largest producers of Valencia peanuts, organic peanut butter, and other peanut products. Portales also boasts an affordable cost of living, similar to more northern cities, but offers what Austin says are amazingly supportive and academically strong schools with an effective and efficient administration. She reports, “ The teachers are well-educated and care about their students. They offer a full range of extra- curricular activities for every students’ interests and have a high standing in the state, when it comes to placing in competitions.” Austin’s two children have blossomed in those schools and she can’t imagine them anywhere else. “They really are enjoying being there,” she adds, “We are fortunate enough to not be struggling to find teachers through this pandemic because our superintendent, Johnny Cain, has done an amazing job of taking care of the staff and his school district.”