Neither the optics nor the perception of a government in control are favorable at Espanola’s City Hall at present.
We have a city manager, Jordan Yutzy, suddenly suspended on June 28 reportedly without warning and without explanation from the man who suspended him, Mayor John Ramon Vigil.
Yutzy, an experienced municipal executive, is temporarily out and working in his place is a former human resources manager for the city, Sally Baxter who is not experienced being the chief executive office of a city.
The mayor faces accusations of sexual harassment and bullying in a formal complaint filed by Danielle Bustos, customer services manager in the city’s utilities department. She has also filed a request for a restraining order against the mayor.
That order has not been ruled upon at this point by the First Judicial District Attorney’s Office.
The mayor has hired an attorney to represent him. Neither man is talking.
Yutzy’s Administrative Assistant, Laura Rendon, has resigned and is reportedly considering legal action against the city.
Abruptly on Tuesday, July 3 a city comptroller was hired and is reporting to the inexperienced Sally Baxter. The “temporary” comptroller is Guadalupe Mercure, formerly working in finance for Rio Arriba County.
Mayor Vigil has said she was hired to complete the city’s fiscal budget for the year and to bring the city into compliance for an audit that was due in December of 2022.
The city could face problems with obtaining state funds in the face of the delinquent audit.
As the saying goes in the comedic baseball skit, “who’s on first?”
Government is designed to be thoughtful and deliberate. It is not supposed to be hit and miss. It is not designed to appear frantic. It is also designed to be collaborative. Some City council members say they know virtually nothing about what is happening in the mayor’s office or at city hall.
Light is supposed to be shining on all that is being proposed or executed in government. This is a city with clouds of mistrust hovering over it and with darkness descending. Government monsoons are threatening.
Once again, locally and across the state, Espanola is being made a laughing stock. This is so unfortunate to all the good people who live and work here.
There is also the shadow of favoritism and nepotism constantly making the city appear as though its organization is a family tree not a logical government organizational chart.
The new temporary comptroller is said to be a cousin of Police Chief Mizel Garcia.
The city is six months delinquent on a financial audit.
The city council needs a brakeman or brake woman to halt this runaway train before it goes completely off the tracks. Confidence is waning.
We begin to celebrate Fiesta this week and honor the rich cultural heritage of our city. It is a weekend of reflection, a deep flowing bow to tradition and history, a time to celebrate.
It would be an appropriate time to dedicate ourselves to good, transparent government and to reversing the stygian optics and perceptions that plague Espanola.