Residents packed the Sandoval County Commission chambers for the final commission meeting of the year Dec. 11, marking the conclusion of the second term for Commission Chair David Heil and Commissioner Jay Block, who was recently elected to the state senate
“Commissioner Block, it’s been a pleasure working with you over these eight years — well, most of the time anyway,” Heil said. “I hope you take your tenacity to the Roundhouse to change New Mexico from being the first in crime and last in education to being the last in crime and first in education.”
Heil reflected on how much progress had been made during his time in office and emphasized how his county investments are designed to save taxpayer dollars and improve services.
After Heil spoke, he ceremoniously passed the chair’s gavel to Vice Chairman Michael Meek, who then assumed control of the meeting.
“Thank you, Chair, and I assure you that we will continue to work towards all the goals that you and Senator-elect Block put into motion and keep things moving so that we are still the top county in the state,” Meek said.
Commissioners Kathrine Bruch and Joshua Jones also shared parting words with Block and Heil.
“In all honesty, [Heil] is an incredible role model for how to be present in your community. He is everywhere all the time and if we can emulate that, we’ll do a great job,” Bruch said. “It’s not an adversarial situation and that’s how government is supposed to work. It’s supposed to work where we sometimes agree to disagree. We can’t all be right all the time.”
“You can leave like you feel you have done something, you can leave with conflict with other people. But don’t do that, that’s not the way to go. Go out on a high note,” Block said. “So with that, I want to say thank you for everything for the past eight years. I especially want to thank Chairman Dave Heil, who’s been a friend and a mentor and who has just taught me so much about trying to calm down.”
Block reflected on the personal significance of serving as a commissioner, likening it to his experience in the U.S. Air Force, and expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him by District 2 constituents. He thanked his fellow commissioners, county staff and family for their support. He pledged his commitment to continuing his work for the county as he transitions to his new role as a state senator.