Being budgets are tight, others shifting monies from one department to pay for something else but utilizes the equipment in this case communications, the modern cheapest deal was had when looking into digital capable equipment and what was offered at a "decent" price. Have to love county commissions, managements.
Sheriff, fire and county public works will be running dmr up there with mix of analog for while until the rest is to dmr.
Raton should be following suit down road as Colfax did to go digital. Basically it boiled down to getting rid of waris series/mix and match other equipment and going for what was affordable for modern age, at least what was offered in pricing and needs with a digital/analog capable system.
Since it is required vhf interops be in a analog zone calling someone next door isn't a issue since VLAW31 is required in the scan list.
SP locals had the trbo mounted in same time the change took place.
FWIW they do have ability to use the old lineup if needed in analog.
If you think that is odd since the state itself is going route of a p25 future and others around Colfax county going toward p25, another small town using waris series still has been considering nxdn in lower west NM while everyone around them has p25 capable equipment.
Way it's going lately the trunk drawers for NMSP will start to look like CHP trunk drawers.