By Connor Currier
Moriarty City Clerk/Treasurer Deborah Liu resigned Aug. 15 over tensions with the city council’s lack of financial transparency.
As the governing body for the City of Moriarty faces financial scrutiny, in an exclusive interview with NM.News, Liu gave some parting words for the city and its council, “The corruption runs rampant in small municipalities like Moriarty,” Liu said.
She expressed her short experience working alongside the city council in the midst of governmental financial scrutiny.
“I am disgusted that the council is more concerned about protecting their family and friends working for the city than taking seriously the incompetence and non-compliance of city activities, state and federal reports.”
Liu was hired in December of last year and, during her short tenure, found numerous traces of financial mishandling. Liu sent her resignation to the mayor amid the ongoing financial inquiries by federal and local authorities.
Moriarty Mayor Brandon S. Webb confirmed Liu’s resignation in a phone call with NM.News.
“I don’t have anything negative to say about her parting words, I think it’s true,” said Webb on Liu’s reasons for leaving. “You know corruption is everywhere, just like good is everywhere.
“And I agree with her coming into Moriarty to try and accomplish as much as she could in an unwelcoming situation. You know, it wasn’t like she was part of the team,” Webb said.
Liu said she was not given a fair chance from the very beginning of her tenure.
“I accomplished what I could under the most unwelcoming, unhealthy and mistrusting circumstances. The gross fiscal mismanagement is the fault of the entire city, which has tried to oust me since my hiring,” said Liu.
In a recent interview with Mayor Webb, he gave credit to Liu, noting her role in helping clean up Moriarty’s financial mess.
Webb also attempted to distance himself from the previous city council’s years of financial decision-making since he was elected in 2024.
“The City Council has been signing off on finances, budgeting, the audit, everything for four years. And how in the world didn’t they see this going astray?” said Webb
NM.News also has reached out to the New Mexico State Auditor Joseph M. Maestas to inquire about Moriarty’s state of financial affairs. He mentioned that his office made numerous requests for the city’s financial records and visited Moriarty.
The auditor stated, “In keeping with our commitment to audit integrity, transparency, and good governance, we will continue to support local governments to help ensure full compliance with audit requirements, said Maestas.”
The auditor verified the inquiries into the City of Moriarty’s financial records relating to their undisclosed pending 2024 audit report.
In July of this year, Liu disclosed an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) document to the INDY stating that the City of Moriarty was underpaying employees by over-taxing them.
Previously, the city had not disclosed any information pertaining to IRS letters and fines to the public before Liu came into office, years after receiving multiple inquiries by the IRS.
In the aftermath of the revealed IRS document, NM.News investigated the City of Moriarty’s 2022 and 2023 audit reports. The audits concluded that the city ignored repeated audit warnings and overspent its budget by over $5 million.
“I hope the honest constituents take matters into their own hands this coming election, and vote for those who do want economic transparency, and a government that remembers that they are in such seats representing the constituency and not their personal pockets,” Liu said.
Liu expressed her gratitude in the opportunity to work for Moriarty but made it clear that she is “disappointed, not disgruntled” with how the council treated her.
New Mexico News reached out to Moriarty city councilors for comment but did not receive a response by press time.
