Bond Financing

Aerial view of Santa Fe

Key Metrics & Information

Outstanding Debt, Ratings, Capacity, Historic Issuance

Principal Debt Outstanding

  • Total: $1,562,810,000
  • General Obligation Bonds: $558,775,000
  • Severance Tax Bonds: $1,004,035,000

Outstanding Debt Service Schedules

Bond Ratings

New Mexico Bond Ratings by Rating Agency
Rating Agency Issuer Rating General Obligation Bonds Senior Severance Tax Bonds
Moody's Aa2, Positive Aa2, Positive Aa2, Positive
S&P Not Rated AA, Stable AA, Stable

Recent Ratings Reports

Coming soon.

History of Bond Issuances

Coming soon.

5-Year Bonding Capacity — Sources & Uses

Coming soon.

Bonding Programs Summary

State Board of Finance (SBOF) manages the General Obligation Bond and Severance Tax Bond programs.

General Obligation Bonds

  • Issued as tax-exempt bonds every two years (usually in the spring)
  • Issued with a 10-year maturity
  • Secured by the full faith and credit of the State
  • Paid by property tax revenues generated from the mill levy and ad valorem tax revenues on oil, gas, and minerals production and equipment
  • Funds (historically) higher education, aging & long-term (senior), and library capital projects
  • Subject to voter approval in a general election

Severance Tax Bonds

Long-Term Bonds

  • Includes senior and supplemental long-term severance tax bonds
  • Issued as tax-exempt bonds when authorized by the legislature (senior bonds — historically annually; supplemental bonds — very infrequently)
  • Issued with a 10-year maturity
  • Secured and paid by severance tax revenues collected when oil, gas, and other minerals are severed from the land
  • Funds capital projects authorized by the legislature (senior bonds) and public school capital projects (supplemental bonds)

Short-Term Notes

  • Issued as taxable notes when authorized by the legislature to "sponge" up extra cash in the Severance Tax Bonding Fund before balances are transferred to the Severance Tax Permanent Fund (twice per year)
  • Sold to the State Treasurer's Office and repaid within the same fiscal year the notes are issued
  • Secured and paid by severance tax revenues collected when oil, gas, and other minerals are severed from the land
  • Funds capital projects authorized by the legislature, including earmark projects (water, colonias, tribal, housing)
Severance Tax Bonds and Notes Comparison: Senior vs. Supplemental, Long-Term Bonds vs. Short-Term "Sponge" Notes
Bond or Note Type Senior Supplemental
Long-Term Bonds
  • Funds capital projects as authorized by the Legislature
  • Tax-exempt
  • Sold once per year, competitively
  • 10-year maturity
  • Funds public school capital projects as certified by PSCOC
  • Tax-exempt
  • Sold infrequently, competitively
  • 10-year maturity
Short-Term "Sponge" Notes
  • Funds capital projects as authorized by the Legislature
  • Taxable
  • 1–2 day maturity ("pay as you go")
  • Sold 1–2 times per year (December/June)
  • Funds public school capital projects as certified by PSCOC
  • Taxable
  • 1–2 day maturity ("pay as you go")
  • Sold 1–2 times per year (December/June)

For more information on the General Obligation and Severance Tax Bonding Programs, please contact Board staff.

Debt Affordability

2025 Debt Affordability Study

Debt & Post-Issuance Compliance Policies

Current State of New Mexico Debt Policy
Debt Policy File Type
Current Debt Policy PDF
State of New Mexico Debt Affordability Studies
Debt Affordability Study File Type
2019 Debt Affordability Study PDF
2018 Debt Affordability Study PDF
2017 Debt Affordability Study PDF
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