By Connor Currier
After City Clerk/Treasurer Deborah Liu resigned after alluding to government corruption, Moriarty Mayor Brandon Webb is searching for a new clerk.
In an interview with NM.news, Mayor Webb says he was “saddened” after Liu turned in her resignation letter on Aug. 15.
“Her resignation is sad for me, I hated to see Deborah to go,” said Webb. “She really came in and gave it her best for the time that she was here, and I appreciate everything she did.
The former treasurer cited multiple instances of financial mismanagement during her short tenure, including an undisclosed IRS letter and years of Moriarty’s failed audits.
Webb said he is looking for an experienced replacement who can work collaboratively with the city and its council to solve its financial problems.
“I’m looking for experience…somebody that can come in and hit the ground running and really know the details of the position,” said Webb.
According to the mayor, Emily Sanchez is now the interim city clerk/treasurer until the next city council meeting. Sanchez was originally brought in as a financial analyst to help with the audit and budget.
Webb made it clear that the mayor is in charge of personnel and day-to-day operations, while the city council is in charge of finances.
In a recent interview with Mayor Webb, he pledged to reform Moriarty’s government by outlining “plans to implement internal reforms” such as “providing department heads with direct access to their budgets and enhancing training around financial accountability.”
Webb said that Moriarty’s financial transparency is one of his top priorities moving forward after Liu decided to resign.
“It is still my priority to get the numbers straightened out,” said Webb. “I don’t think we can be all we can be without the numbers being right.”
The next council meeting will be on Aug. 27, where Webb said he will be addressing Liu’s resignation and expectations for the next clerk.
“I’m weighing everything out right now, and getting feedback from council,” Webb said.
