We don’t envy the New Mexico Attorney General when it comes to giving guidance on the city of Española’s spat over appointments of key City Hall positions by Mayor Javier Sanchez.
Sanchez doesn’t want to appoint the key positions of city manager, police chief, city attorney and city clerk. Ron Padilla was appointed interim fire chief by the mayor at the April 21 city council meeting and unanimously approved by the council. But Sanchez would not budge on his stance of keeping everyone who is in place now.
Three councilors Peggy Sue Martinez, John Ramon Salazar and Dennis Salazar allege the mayor is violating city ordinance (78-1), which states, “Organizational meeting; appointment and removal of officers.
“A. At the organizational meeting of the City Council, which shall be held on the second Monday following the election, the Mayor shall submit, for confirmation by the City Council, the names of persons who shall be employed by the City to fill the positions of City Manager, City Clerk, Chief of Police and Field Superintendent. Incumbent persons holding these positions prior to the organizational meeting may be removed during the organizational meeting at the pleasure of the City Council by a majority vote of all members of the City Council, without hearing and without showing cause.”
The councilors wanted that organizational meeting held after the election, which was held March 3.
Wouldn’t you like to assume these councilors are just trying to force the mayor to do the right thing. They’ve tossed phrases around such as, “This means you don’t care what the public thinks about their elected officials and how they elected them.” Another said the mayor, “Is completely unethical,” and is “violating the oath that we took on the Bible.”
Putting showmanship aside, the mayor’s desire to keep his executive staff in place has nothing to do with elected officials or what the public thinks about them.
What is closer to the truth is probably these three councilors have their own names they’d like to lead the four appointed positions. It’s also closer to the truth that the people these three councilors want appointed have agendas outside serving in an unbiased and dedicated capacity.
The mayor has an argument. We’re living in strange times, working in our own ways in very different and challenging manners. Why bring new people into these positions to learn from a distance, without the ability to work face-to-face with your employees?
Let’s be real here. Who are you going to find to move to Española, New Mexico during a virus disaster? It’s hard to get qualified people to apply for any of these position under the best circumstances. Think about the logistics of moving, home buying/renting, moving children or receiving any sort of hand-off from a predecessor and absent employees.
So since the mayor won’t appoint and continues to skirt the agenda, a questionable action, the three councilors have asked Attorney General Hector Balderas to give an opinion on the standoff.
Again, he’s got his work cut out for him. If he sticks to the ordinance that would force the mayor to appoint, an argument can surely be made this needs to be an exception.
Regardless, it would be great under this stressful, strange and difficult time if the eight city councilors could put their petty personal desires aside and try to figure out the 2020-21 budget. How will the city reopen and start providing some of the services that have not been available the past six weeks? There are going to be mental health issues, medical issues, staffing problems and infrastructure needs that will only be exacerbated by next year’s very ugly budget.
Those are issues that demand everyone’s attention. Squabbles about who runs what department and can deliver what favors can be rehashed after we find our footing in whatever our new routines will be.
Judging from court and law enforcement documents two of the councilors have much more important things to worry about than getting their buddies a job in City Hall.