By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper. — Rio Rancho Mayor Paul Wymer says he’s not going anywhere.
Now that Gregg Hull has lost the governor’s race, talk around town has turned to whether Rio Rancho’s former mayor might take back his old office, with Wymer stepping aside to make room. Wymer said the rumors came from “a small group of social media naysayers.”
“No, I have no plans to leave my mayoral responsibilities before my term ends,” Wymer told The Paper.
Wymer said this isn’t the first rumor about his future, calling it “the next chapter” in ongoing attacks on the city and on him personally.
Hull, who served three terms as mayor before running for governor, has no plans to return either, according to Wymer, who cited numerous conversations with him. Wymer said that could change down the road.
Hull did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.
Could Hull come back?
Not soon, by Wymer’s reading of city code. He pointed to a rule that bars former mayors and councilors from being employed by the city until one year after their term expires. Hull’s term ended in April, so Wymer said the earliest Hull could return would be April 2027.
Even then, it wouldn’t be a simple handoff. If the mayor’s office opened up, the City Council would have 60 days to appoint a replacement, according to the city charter. That person would serve until the next regular municipal election in March 2028. Voters would then pick someone to finish the term.
The city has filled a mayor’s seat that way once before. In 2007, councilors appointed Michael Williams to finish Mayor Kevin Jackson’s term after Jackson resigned following a series of interconnected financial scandals.
Wymer’s plans
Wymer served six years as the District 4 councilor. He took office as mayor May 1 after winning an April runoff with 63% of the vote, and his term runs through 2030.
He may stay longer than that. Wymer said he has no plans to leave the seat “until my term has ended, and perhaps longer,” should he run for reelection.
INFO BOX
- Next Rio Rancho mayoral election: March 2030
- Rio Rancho Governing Body meets Nov. 19, 6 p.m., City Hall, 3200 Civic Center Circle NE
- Read the city charter (Section 2.06 covers vacancies): ecode360.com/RI2091
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