In recognition of National County Government Month, Sandoval County officials are inviting residents to attend an Open House at the County Administration Building on Thursday, April 16, 2015.

Since 1991, the National Association of Counties has designated April as National County Government Month. This year’s theme is Counties Moving America Forward: The Keys are Transportation and Infrastructure. This theme highlights facts such as counties being responsible for building and maintaining 45 percent of public roads and maintaining 40 percent of bridges across the nation.

In Sandoval County, road crews maintain more than 1,516.5 miles of roads, performing services ranging from road paving and blading to snow removal, fence repair and trimming obtrusive vegetation. And that’s just a small part of what one county department does on a daily basis.

Citizens attending the April 16 open house will gain insight to nearly all county services. The Sandoval County Administration Building will be open during normal business hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with guided tours being offered from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The building is located at 1500 Idalia Road, Building D, in Bernalillo.

Tour the Newest Fire Station
The tour will include an explanation of the services provided by each county department. Citizens also will be able to tour the county’s newest fire station on Santa Ana Pueblo and the historic El Zócalo Visitors and Event Center in downtown Bernalillo.

At 5:00 PM, representatives from the Sandoval County Historical Society will do a presentation on county residents’ history of distinguished service in the military, including those who fought in World War I and World War II.

This presentation will take place in the county commission chambers on the third floor of the administration building. Following the presentation, citizens will have some time to mingle with their county commissioners before the commission convenes for its regular meeting at 6:00 PM.

“As a public facility, the county administration building is always open to county residents, but most of them only come to the building when have a specific business reason,” said Sandoval County Manager Phillip Rios. “Because The National Association of Counties has designated April as National County Government Month, we’re inviting Sandoval County residents to take some time to really look at our facilities and learn a bit more about the services they get in return for their tax dollars.”

Any citizen who visits the administration building on April 16 will receive a copy of the 2015 Sandoval County Residents Guide, which provides an overview of all county services, along with contact information for every department.