The leadership of Bernalillo County, both elected and appointed, changed considerably in 2024.
County Manager Julie Morgas Baca announced her retirement in February, setting up a contentious path for finding her replacement, former Santa Clara County (California) Supervisor Cindy Chavez.
Commissioners Steven Michael Quezada and Walt Benson objected to the process that was originally chosen. They wanted to hire a professional recruitment firm that would gather information on candidates and present it to the commission, which would then select and interview finalists.
Commission Chair Barbara Baca proposed a local search committee, members of which she would appoint, as is the prerogative of her position.
Quezada walked out of the April 9 commission meeting after other members dismissed his idea of each commissioner making appointments to the search committee.
The process later drew the attention of the New Mexico Department of Justice, which sent the county a letter in June saying it found that commissioners violated state open meetings law in establishing the process for choosing a new manager.
State investigators said the violation occurred when commissioners established a so-called “rolling quorum” — meaning that at least three of them communicated by email, phone or other means to discuss public business, without giving the public notice of their plans to do so.
Specifically, investigators said, Baca and commissioners Eric Olivas and Adriann Barboa determined who would be on the search committee before the matter was discussed at a public meeting.
Commissioners corrected the violation by ratifying the previous action at a June 20 public meeting. Benson and Quezada voted against the ratification, saying they still had questions about the legality of the process.
On June 25, commissioners chose Chavez on a split vote, with Baca, Barboa and Olivas in favor of hiring her, and Quezada and Benson preferring Marcos Gonzales, the county’s executive development officer.
Chavez started in the position Nov. 13.
The Nov. 5 general election saw Barboa and Baca both elected to a new term, while District 2 voters tabbed Frank A. Baca to replace Quezada, who had served his limit of two terms.
Tim Eichenberg was elected county treasurer and Michelle S. Kavanaugh was chosen as county clerk. Voters also approved $40.5 million in bond spending, meant for infrastructure and other improvements.
Quezada’s colleagues and staff celebrated his service at the Dec. 10 commission meeting. Benson credited him with helping the county make gains in economic development and affordable housing as well as bringing in state and federal money to improve local quality of life.
Quezada in turn thanked county staff and his constituents for their help and guidance.
In an Olivas initiative, commissioners made a major change in human resources policy by removing a prohibition on off-duty cannabis use by some employees. They expressed a desire to treat cannabis, which the New Mexico Legislature legalized for adult use in 2021, in a manner similar to alcohol. On-duty use remains a no-no.
The loosening of the rules doesn’t apply to some employees, notably those who regularly carry firearms, whose principal jobs include regularly transporting other people and those in positions paid for by federal grants.