Laura M. Montoya was elected Sandoval County Treasurer in 2012. She has been a public servant for more than two decades, having worked in several capacities in both the New Mexico House of Representatives and the New Mexico Senate.
Montoya got her start in government in 2001, working for a ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee. Following that, Montoya worked as a Constituent Services Representative for U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman. At the time, she was the youngest Latina woman working in that capacity in the United States, managing five counties in Northern New Mexico, all while working on her Master’s degree at New Mexico Highlands University.
Most relevant to the position of County Treasurer, Montoya served as the Executive Assistant to State Treasurer Douglas M. Brown. In this role, Montoya reviewed and updated the policies in the Treasurer’s office to the state standards. She also worked with the Treasurer’s investment committee and worked directly with tribal government personnel, processing the receipt of revenues from the tribal gaming compacts. Part of her responsibility was to streamline the processes of the Treasurer’s office.
Treasurer Montoya has served as Legislative Chairwoman for the past seven years for the Treasurer’s Affiliate. In that capacity she has assisted in the passage of over 20 pieces of legislation that remove tax loopholes; effect efficiency of tax collections; equitability of taxes; assisted our Veterans, Seniors, and Disabled; and expanded the permissibility of investments in New Mexico for Class A counties and municipalities in a Class A county.
Laura was the only New Mexico County elected official that served in an appointed leadership position by the National Association of Counties (NACo) President for seven years as Vice-Chair of the Finance, Pensions, & Intergovernmental Affairs Committee and is the only County Treasurer that served on the New Mexico Tax Policy Committee.
Treasurer Montoya was the chairwoman of the Sandoval Treasurer’s Investment Committee and managed approximately $40 million in investments, $50 million in non-property tax revenue, and over $1.2 billion in property taxes charged to the Treasurer to collect with a 99.37% collection rate. Under her leadership, the Treasurer’s Office was able to get four clean audits to complete her term with the county earning a clean audit in its entirety in her last year of office. (2020)
As the Finance, Pensions & Intergovernmental Affairs Vice-Chair, Treasurer Montoya worked on national policies that affect counties as it relates to taxes, pensions, county, and tribal governments, and elections. Treasurer Montoya has spoken at a press conference on Capitol Hill to fight for full funding of Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PiLT) and Secure Rural Schools (SRS) and was on a panel with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Congressman Ben Ray Lujan to discuss federal tax policy.
Montoya was born, raised, and educated in Las Vegas, New Mexico. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Psychology from New Mexico Highlands University and later earned a Master’s degree in Public Affairs. While at Highlands University, Laura participated in the student senate and was the homecoming princess. Laura also served as Reina de Las Fiestas de Las Vegas.
Through a competitive selection process, Laura became the 2003 Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar and studied International Relations at the University of Costa Rica.
On November 8th, 2022, Laura was elected as the next New Mexico State Treasurer. Laura will be sworn in during the first week of January 2023, to become the first female State Treasurer of New Mexico and the first Latina State Treasurer in the United States.