Bernalillo County commissioners approve contract for new county manager

Bernalillo County commissioners unanimously approved a four-year contract for the new county manager, Cindy Chavez.

Chavez will be the top administrator for the county government, responsible for running day-to-day operations and enacting policies set by the elected county commission. The previous county manager, Julie Morgas Baca, retired in June at the end of the county’s fiscal year.

The five-member commission approved Chavez’s contract Tuesday evening.

The commissioners put in place an extensive, and at times contentious, hiring process to select Chavez, including a public question-and-answer session with the top three job candidates.

The importance the commission places on the job is also reflected in the new manager’s salary of $230,000, which is the highest salary of any county employee. Only two other county employees have base salaries above $200,000: the Interim County Manager and Deputy County Manager of Finance Shirley Ragin, who is paid a $215,000 salary, and the County Attorney Ken Martinez, who is paid a $209,997 salary, according to the county transparency portal.

The contract also allows the county to reimburse Chavez for up to $25,000 in moving expenses like travel, moving company fees and storage.

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Martinez said that the pay package for Chavez is fair, pointing out that a recent analysis of the county’s executive pay indicated the county manager salary should be increased over that of the previous county manager, who had a $215,000 salary, by 10% to 12%.

Doña Ana County in southern New Mexico approved a contract for its new County Manager Scott Andrews for $220,000 last week, according to reporting from the Las Cruces Bulletin.

The contract otherwise is similar to the previous Bernalillo County manager’s contract, except a new annual review process has been added, Martinez said.

Chavez is a Santa Clara County supervisor in California. She does have a New Mexico connection. Both her parents are from the state, and Chavez’s mother still lives in Alamogordo.

Ragin will continue filling the interim county manager role until Chavez arrives in November. Chavez’s start date is Nov. 13.

Commission Chair Barbara Baca thanked Ragin and said she expects a smooth transition.