Highlights from the Week of September 6, 2021
There's a lot going on in the City Different!
Economic Recovery Boosts Businesses, City Finances
KEY SECTORS of the local economy performed well throughout the 2021 fiscal year that concluded in June, and other sectors that had lagged roared back to life starting in February. The recovery is a good sign for local businesses, it’s good news for City finances that depend on tax revenues, and good for our ability to deliver services to all our residents.

According to a recent Finance Department report to the Governing Body, year-over-year comparisons of taxable gross receipts to pre-pandemic FY19 show growth in four of the five months since February. The trend peaked in June, the last month for which citywide figures are available. June 2021 total taxable gross receipts for Santa Fe businesses surpassed June 2019 levels by 25 percent.

The impact of the pandemic and the recovery have varied by industry: 
  • Hospitality sectors such as accommodations, food services and arts, entertainment and recreation did not recover to pre-pandemic levels for the fiscal year, but rebounded as re-openings got underway starting in February.
  • Retail trade and real estate surpassed pre-pandemic levels in FY21.
  • Other industries such as construction and the professional, technical and scientific sectors posted year-over-year growth throughout the pandemic.

The Finance Department predicts that the economic recovery in Santa Fe is expected to continue, albeit at a more moderate pace in the coming months. Additional economic disruption caused by COVID-19 variants like Delta remains a substantial unknown at this time. Read the department's memo here.

Finance Director Mary McCoy says: “The impact of COVID-19 was initially severe, with Santa Fe businesses posting a loss of $500 million from February 2020 to January 2021. We are grateful to New Mexico’s Congressional delegation for passing the federal stimulus of $5 trillion that bolstered the economic recovery for Santa Fe.”
MAYOR'S NOTE:
A Special Weekend on the Plaza
This weekend is another reminder that the Plaza remains the heart and soul of Santa Fe civic life, as it has been for four centuries.
 
During Fiestas the entire community is welcome to celebrate the City's deeply rooted Spanish heritage. There's not another city in America that upholds such a rich, enduring cultural tradition in such an authentic way. Because of the pandemic, there may be less pageantry than usual, but the spirit of unity and communal reverence is sure to be present just the same.
 
That's partly because the Fiesta Council is graciously sharing the sacred space tomorrow morning for the Fire Department's commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. There will be a procession from Fire Station 1 to the Plaza at 9 a.m. and everyone is encouraged to join there by 9:15 for a remembrance ceremony that will include bagpipes, a memorial stair-climb by members of SFFD, and the dedication of 343 roses in honor of the 343 Firefighters who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
 
We will always remember 9/11 as a day of national tragedy. We will always honor the memories of those who lost their lives that day. We will always give our thanks to those who ran toward the danger and risked or lost their lives helping others that day. On this anniversary, we keep all of those courageous individuals and their families in a special place in our nation’s hall of heroes. We will never forget.
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Public Participation in Planning
The City is hosting the second Midtown Moving Forward Planning Sessions on September 23-25, giving community members a chance to learn about and weigh-in on alternatives for the physical development of the Midtown District. The City is also sponsoring a series of fun, creative, inclusive, and interactive events located at the Midtown site throughout September and October. Click for more info and have a hand in planning the future of your hometown.
150+ CHART Team Applicants!
Artful Life was pleased to receive more than 150 applications to be part of the CHART project team. The CHART co-directors will hire 8-12 core team members by the end of the month, then their training will begin. Follow CHART Santa Fe on Facebook and Instagram, visit chartsantafe.com, and sign up for updates here.
Last Chance(s): River Talks
There are only two more River Talks lined up for this year's series: "How to Become a Watershed Super Hero" on Sept. 18, and "Why Rain Gardens?" on Sept. 22. Visit the River & Watershed Section of our website for more on each talk, and feel free to email Zoe Isaacson (zrisaacson@santafenm.gov) with any questions or to reserve a spot.
It's Time for Another
Pick-Me-Up
Keep Santa Fe Beautiful's fall neighborhood litter cleanup is next Saturday, September 18, from 9 a.m. to noon. The annual event, hosted in partnership with our Environmental Services and Parks Divisions, brings together volunteers from across the city to help clean up litter in public spaces.

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