Valencia County

Valencia County was established by Mexico in 1844 and was confirmed as part of the New Mexico Territory in 1852.

The county, which was formerly much larger in area, lost almost 81% of its territory on June 19, 1981, upon the creation of Cibola County, which occupies the western most portion of Valencia County’s former area. Although Los Lunas is the county seat, Belen is the largest town. The population in the county is approximately 75,626 covering a total area of 1,068 square miles. It is the second smallest county in New Mexico by area.

The county claims a few national protected areas with part of the Cibola National Forest, the El Comino Real de Tierra Adentro National Historic Trail, and the Manzano Wilderness. Between mountains and mesas are the southward flowing Rio Puerco and the Rio Grande. Pueblo Indians settled in the Rio Grande valley about 1500 and created productive farmland with irrigation. The Isleta Pueblo Indian Reservation is in the northern part of the county. Though agriculture (cattle, milk) persists there, construction, healthcare, the Santa Fe railroad yards of Belen, and government employment are among the leading elements in the economy.

Valencia County has the longest record for predicting presidential election winners in the entire country, voting for the winning candidate in every election since 1952.

Upcoming Events

Oct
22
Thu
2026
FREE Online Webinar: Effective Employee Discipline
Oct 22 @ 9:30 am – 12:00 pm

ON-LINE: Effective Employee Discipline Training

INSTRUCTOR:  Mark Allen, NMC General Counsel

Date: Thursday, October 22, 2026

Time: 9:30am-12pm

Participant certificates will be provided.  

Target Audience: Any county supervisor, manager, and HR employees tasked with advising on discipline.  

Description: This training will provide the keys to correct poor performance in a fair and equitable manner without inviting litigation.  Participants will come away with a better understanding of the role of discipline and when it is warranted; progressive discipline and determining the appropriate discipline; drafting effective disciplinary documents; conducting predetermination (Loudermill) hearings and understanding the principles of due process; the importance of treating employees fairly & consistently; the roles of the supervisor/manager, HR, and legal in the disciplinary process; and the keys to avoiding liability when imposing disciplinary action. The principles taught (if followed) will increase the odds of avoiding disciplinary appeals and winning if appealed.

Registration Link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_AthlhFgUSN6V6DPo3fJVkw

 

 

Nov
16
Mon
2026
Advanced Supervisor Leadership Course @ PSPG, 8341 Washington St. NE. Albq., NM
Nov 16 @ 8:00 am – Nov 20 @ 5:00 pm

Description

Review of basic leadership and supervision 101 concepts, defining the terms leadership, management, and supervision, review of leadership theory and principles, review of destructive leadership approaches, employee temperament review, agency/department morale, 16 hours of table-top critical incident scenarios, emotional intelligence and a brief self-assessment, performance standards, performance reviews, discipline, and recognition, training assessment, plan and implementation, burn out and peak performance, HR review and civil liability, establishing policy and procedure, effective project management, ethics in

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Advanced CIT Albuquerque -Sept 2024

Nov
30
Mon
2026
Detention Field Training Officer @ 1851 Copper Loop, Las Cruces, NM
Nov 30 @ 8:00 am – Dec 1 @ 5:00 pm

Description

This training is designed specifically for the detention environment and will review the role of a detention FTO. This role is critical in maintaining safety and compliance within detention facilities. Proper training ensures that new officers are well prepared to handle the challenges of their positions. It provides instruction on adult learning principles, documentation, evaluation, and best practices for mentoring and developing new detention officers.

This course is free to NMC Law Enforcement Insurance pool members.

 

https://www.nmcounties.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/16-Hr-De-Escalation-Albuq-April-2025-1.pdf

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