The Bernalillo County Commission will consider changes related to new work opportunities for former elected officials and salaries for current and former officials on Tuesday.
A change to the county’s code of conduct would eliminate the one-year “cooling-off period” required for former elected officials before they can accept employment or consulting work with the county.
When the board agreed in October to publish an ordinance approving the change, sponsor Steven Michael Quezada said his intention was to allow newly elected officials such as a sheriff, treasurer or assessor to hire former officials as part of their staff, and put their expertise to use for the benefit of the county.
The meeting will be Quezada’s last as a commissioner, but he said he has no intentions of working for the county after stepping down.
Another agenda item is in response to a new constitutional amendment approved by state voters in November that allows commissioners in each county to set officer salaries. Previously, the New Mexico Legislature held that authority.
Commission Vice Chair Eric Olivas said he has issues with both pieces of legislation. He said scrapping the cooling-off period could lead to the appearance of impropriety and the potential for the exchange of favors.
Olivas said he’s concerned about the “rush” to adapt the new salary rules, noting commissioners are not permitted to change their salaries for current terms and the November election has established who the new pay rates will affect. Bernalillo County voters elected three commissioners, a
treasurer and a clerk.
Olivas said some of the options commissioners will be looking at contain substantial pay increases, and commissioners’ pay would more than triple to $150,000 under one proposal.
He said he would prefer to see the county establish a salary commission similar to what the City of Albuquerque uses to determine what the mayor and city councilors are paid.
Commissioners will also discuss Olivas’ proposal to change county policy to permit some employees to use cannabis when off-duty.
Based on commissioners’ unanimous vote to publish that ordinance, he said he thinks it has a good chance of passage.
Olivas said the policy change creates three categories of employees:
Some employees, including those who regularly carry firearms, would continue to be prohibited from using cannabis. Another group subject to random drug testing would no longer be screened for cannabis, Olivas said, and still other employees aren’t randomly tested.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 5 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 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
THESE “NEW” CHANGES TO THE PRIOR LAW SEEM TO BE DESIGNED NOW, TO BE DESTINED TO CAUSE MULTIPLE NEW LAWSUITS AND MASS CONFUSION TO THOSE TRYING TO DECIDE WHAT IT MEANS AND WHETHER THERE WILL BE A NEW LAWSUIT EVERY TIME THAT ONE OF THE PRIOR BERNALILLO COUNTY FORMER EMPLOYEES TRIES TO MAKE A NEW INTERPRETATION OF IT. THOSE CHANGES SEEM TO BE IMPOSSIBLE TO KEEP FAIR, NOR EVEN HELPFUL, NOW, AND NEVER EASILY TO BECOME INTERPRETABLE AS THE YEARS GO BY NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. FREE COMMON SENSE WOULD SEEM TO IMMEDIATELY HAVE THE EFFECT OF MAKING BERNCO TRYING TO CRAM A BIG SQUARE BOX INTO A SMALL ROUND HOLE. NEW MEXICO AND BERNCO HAVE ENOUGH UNINTERPRETABLE ORDINANCES AND OTHER “LAWS” AND/OR OTHER THINGS ON THEIR BOOKS, SO THAT THIS MAKES US LOOK LIKE UNCLEAR AND UNINTERPRETABLE NEW LAWMAKERS, AND THIS MAY BE LATER LABELED THE “BERNCO MAKE UP YOUR MIND STATUTE ” WE COULD NOT DECIDE WHAT WE WANTED IN THIS NEW LAW, OR EVEN IF WE WANTED ANY NEW LEGISLATION. WE ARE DEEMED TO BE UNABLE TO DECIDE WHAT WE WANT AND/OR NEED IN ANY AND ALL NEW LEGISLATION, SO WHY MAKE THE PRESENT BECOME SUPERCEDED IN THE FOGGY FUTURE NOW.