By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
Sandoval County commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday to stop setting their own salaries — handing that authority to a new five-member citizen commission instead.
Ordinance 624-2610 creates the Sandoval County Elected Official Salary Commission, a resident panel that will set pay for all county elected officials, including commissioners themselves. The ordinance takes effect 30 days after Wednesday’s vote and commissioners are expected to begin recruiting members immediately.
“I don’t think it’s fair for the commission to sit up here and try to set their own salaries,” said Commission Chair Jordan Juarez, who co-authored the measure with Vice Chair Jon Herr. “This at least gives the public the ability to put in input.”
Vice Chair Herr agreed. “It’d be nice if more electeds were as objective as this,” he said.
County Manager Wayne Johnson noted a recent constitutional amendment eliminated the state legislature’s previous authority to cap county elected official salaries, giving the commission — and now the new salary board — full discretion over pay levels. Commissioners were advised they could amend the ordinance to establish a salary floor if desired; no floor language was included in Wednesday’s passage.
The new salary commission is expected to complete its work before the November election cycle, setting pay for incoming — not current — officeholders.
More Details
- The five-member commission will represent Sandoval County residents; each commissioner is responsible for recruiting members from their district.
- Salaries for appointed deputy positions (under sheriff, deputy clerk, etc.) remain part of the county’s standard compensation structure and fall outside the new commission’s purview.
- The ordinance can be repealed or modified by the commission at any future date.