While it is difficult to find humor when Espanola’s City Budget is passed in less time than most taxpayers spend considering purchase of a washing machine or new microwave, the July 25 meeting had laughable moments.
First, though, hooray. The city has a budget to submit to the state before the end of July deadline.
Unfortunately, all taxpayers should be suspect. The budget was prepared by Guadalupe Mercure, comptroller, who has not been on the job a full month. The city’s Finance Director Robert Corabi and City Manager Jordan Yutzy are both cooling their heels and hiring lawyers while being suspended and placed on leave from their jobs. So, no input from the persons who would be in position to give credibility to the budget.
Many employers review a newly hired person’s performance in 30 days. In Espanola, Mercure was highly praised by Mayor John Ramon Vigil and Mayor Pro-Tem Peggy Sue Martinez for her work on the budget. She must be a quick study, hired on July 3 from a finance position with the county.
Councilman Manny Martinez was roundly rebuked by the mayor for having the audacity to question Mercure’s sudden, shotgun wedding hiring on July 3. Hiring and firing and suspensions at city hall recently have all been shotgun weddings.
It’s no way to run a city.
Here’s the tragically funny episode from the July 25 meeting where the budget was passed by a vote of 5-2. The two logically thinking members of the council during the approval vote were Manny Martinez and Tim Dennis Salazar who voted against passage of this hastily developed spending plan.
Interim City Manager Sally Baxter made a rambling, nonsensical request to provide back pay for certain city employees. In the discussion that followed no one seemed to know whether the back pay was for overtime, paid time off, or accrued vacations.
The mayor attempted to explain the reason for the back pay and amid the confusion the council approved an amendment to the budget that clearly no one fully comprehended. The employees will be paid in what could be a dangerous precedent. If this was not so serious, the incident would have been hilariously marked by almost total consternation by most council members.
Taxpayers: this is your money being carelessly, confusingly, and recklessly spent. Don’t stand for it. It’s not funny.