Bernalillo Mayor Jack Torres’ proposal to modernize the fire chief’s status will take the spotlight at Monday’s Town Council meeting.
At the previous meeting, Torres introduced an ordinance that would make the fire chief a regular employee, selected through the same hiring process used for other department heads. The chief is now an at-will employee, hired by the mayor and approved by the council. The chief is said to serve at the pleasure of the mayor and council and therefore can be terminated without cause.
If the ordinance is approved, the chief would be subject to a one-year probationary period, after which he or she could only be let go for cause.
Torres earlier told the Sandoval Signpost the change, and the job protections that come with it, are likely to improve the candidate pool as the town searches for its next chief. Bryan Picchione is serving as interim fire chief, after Chief AJ Bonnett’s term wasn’t extended.
Torres said he recently found out that Bernalillo is probably the last municipality in New Mexico where the fire chief is an at-will employee.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE:
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. June 22
WHERE: Bernalillo Council Chambers, 829 Camino Del Pueblo
VIRTUAL: via Microsoft Teams (Meeting Number/Access Code 224 663 521 854 90; Passcode 6UD6Hq9k Phone Conference ID 276 099858#) or by telephone at 575-323-1898