The Socorro ISD Board of Trustees on Sept. 30 approved moving forward with contracting a professional tax‑credit service to pursue federal credits tied to 25 electric buses and charging stations the district purchased under a federal clean energy program.

David Solis, the district’s chief financial officer, told trustees that the buses qualify for roughly $900,000 in direct IRS payments and additional credits for charging infrastructure, and that the district estimates more than $1,000,000 in potential federal funding. To capture those funds and meet the program’s registration and compliance requirements, the district issued RFQ E2620 and is proposing to contract with a tax‑credit service provider to handle the registration, claims and compliance work.

Solis said only one firm responded to the RFQ after outreach to more than 700 entities. He explained that the vendor’s fee would be a portion of any credits recovered: "If they provide services...they evaluate...and say, I'm sorry. There's no opportunity, then our cost is 0," Solis said. If the contractor secures recoveries, the district would pay the vendor a portion of the recovered dollars.

Trustees voted in favor of the procurement; the motion was made by Trustee Woodcraft and seconded by Trustee Garveya. Staff stated that the contract will be brought to the board with explicit fees and terms once the proposal is finalized.

Why it matters: accurate registration and compliance are required to secure federal tax credits and direct payments tied to federally funded clean‑energy vehicle purchases. Contracting a specialist can help the district maximize available funds while limiting upfront risk.

No specific vendor fee was approved Sept. 30; staff said the district wants to avoid paying if no credits are available and will present any fee arrangement for board approval.