Bernalillo County officially has its next manager.
Cindy Chavez will start in the job Nov. 13 after county commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to approve her employment contract.
Chavez will make $230,000 a year to start, with possible annual merit-based pay increases. She replaces Julie Morgas Baca, who retired at the end of June.
Chavez will supervise more than 2,500 people and a budget of more than $1 billion.
County Attorney Ken Martinez said the contract is in line with what other governments are paying and fits an executive wage analysis the county recently performed. He noted that Morgas Baca made $215,000 last year and said Doña Ana County recently hired a new manager at a salary of $220,000.
Appearing remotely, Chavez said she enjoyed the process leading to her hire.
“I want to say how honored I would be to serve as your county executive, and I enjoyed meeting everybody there that I’ve had an opportunity to meet,” she told commissioners.
Commission Chair Barbara Baca said she anticipates a smooth transition, as Chavez has visited the area a few times since being chosen and will return before starting the job. She said Chavez has been working closely with interim county manager Shirley Ragin as she prepares to take over.
Chavez is currently a member of the Santa Clara County (California) Board of Supervisors. She was chosen after a national search that resulted in interviews of 10 applicants and a forum at which three finalists met with commissioners and the public.
NEXT MEETING:
WHEN: 5 p.m. Sept. 10
WHERE: Ken Sanchez Commission Chambers in BernalilloCounty@Alvarado Square, 415 Silver Ave SW
VIRTUAL: GOV-TV, on the county’s website or on Bernalillo County’s YouTube channel
The four-year contract also calls for the county to provide Chavez with a vehicle for her official duties and limited personal use, and pay for job-related memberships in professional societies and associations, as well as dues or fees necessary to maintain licenses or bonds. She will also be entitled to Public Employees Retirement Association of New Mexico participation, with the county contributing $20,000 a year on her behalf, as well as some moving expenses.
Chavez was born in Alamogordo and has family members who live in the East Mountains.
Other items
Commissioners also approved allocating more than $763,000 for the Department of Behavioral Health’s CARE Campus detox center. Of that, $463,216 will go toward additional staffing for the observation and assessment unit. The four additional nurses will ensure the unit can maintain 24-hour operations and accommodate the growing number of people seeking emergency behavioral health support, county staff said.
The CARE Campus is already a 24-hour operation, county spokesperson Estevan Vásquez said Wednesday, but the focus is on provision of services during the day.
Also approved was $300,000 for the implementation and maintenance of the Unite Us closed-loop referral platform. Staff said the project, a collaboration with the City of Albuquerque, will streamline the referral process among social service providers, ensuring clients receive coordinated and comprehensive care.
I wish those in charge would learn that the referral process is not what needs boosting. Spending priorities should be on recruitment and retention of PROVIDERS. You can’t refer someone to a provider who doesn’t exist.