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Bernalillo County picks next county manager in narrow vote
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The next Bernalillo County manager will be Cindy Chavez. The Bernalillo County Commission approved the hire on Tuesday in a 3-2 vote.
The county manager is the top administrator for the county government.
The hiring is contingent on Chavez successfully completing a background investigation and the negotiation of an employment contract. As that contract negotiation progresses, Deputy County Manager Shirley Ragin will serve as interim county manager.
Commission Chair Barbara Baca nominated Chavez, who is a member of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors in California and is originally from Alamogordo. The Santa Clara district that Chavez represents includes 500,000 residents.
“She’s a servant leader and a senior executive offering 25 year tenure in the public sector, crucial for transformative change amongst donors, corporations, government and community partners. I think we have a stellar candidate in Ms. Chavez,” Baca said.
Commissioners Adriann Barboa and Eric Olivas also voted in favor of Chavez.
Olivas said that along with leading a diverse district in California, Chavez also has local ties to Bernalillo County, with family in the East Mountains.
Commissioners Steven Michael Quezada and Walt Benson voted for the county’s current Economic Development Director Marcos Gonzales. Benson said that Gonzales understands the culture of the county, while Quezada said Gonzales has “proven himself to be a great leader.”
Several commissioners said that all three candidates were excellent, making the decision difficult.
The commission was also expected to vote on a $40.5 million bond package, but had not by press time. If approved, the bond package will go in front of voters in November.
