Commissioners approve raises for Bernalillo County officials — including themselves

Bernalillo County commissioners voted to give themselves — and other elected county officials — raises Tuesday night.

The Commission voted 3-2 to boost their own pay by 15%, as well as that of the county’s clerk, treasurer, sheriff, assessor and probate judge.

The commissioners heard four options: one to leave salaries unchanged; one to bring them all to market value, which would mean significant bumps; one that would give a 15% raise; and one to increase pay by 10%.

With the approved 15% increase, commissioners will be paid $44,969; the county’s clerk, treasurer and assessor will make $99,626; the sheriff will bring in $103,884; and the probate judge will earn $43,869.

Currently, commissioners make $39,106; the clerk, treasurer and assessor each make $86,632; the sheriff makes $90,334; and the probate judge makes $38,147.

The raises go into effect Jan. 1 for the positions elected or reelected in November. The other positions will get a raise when their next term begins in 2027.

Commission Chair Barbara Baca and Vice Chair Eric Olivas voted against the raises. The two expressed concern about the process being rushed and the appearance of a conflict of interest with the commissioners voting on their own salaries. They also lobbied for an independent committee instead of the commissioners to review the salaries.

Olivas proposed an amendment that would have raised the pay by 25% for elected officials who weren’t commissioners and for the committee review of commissioners’ pay. But nobody would second the motion.

Olivas also objected to the position of commissioner paying more than the county’s median income, which was $36,996 in 2022, according to the U.S. Census.

The vote and raises came on the heels of New Mexico voters — 66% of them in favor — approving a constitutional amendment allowing county officials to give themselves raises.

The discussion marked Steven Michael Quezada’s last few minutes on the dais, and the deciding vote was his last as District 2 commissioner. He has served his two-term limit and leaves at year’s end. Quezada’s successor, retired lawyer Frank Baca, will enjoy the raise instead.

“It is a great privilege to serve, it is. A lot of times it’s people who can afford to serve, which I think eliminates many people who have the desire to serve. Just because you have the desire to serve doesn’t mean you shouldn’t feed your children or pay your mortgage,” Quezada said.

He also pointed out the makeup of the Commission and how each member’s economic standing allows them to serve: Quezada is an actor and business owner, Walt Benson and Olivas are small-business owners, Adriann Barboa runs her own nonprofit, and Baca is retired.

“I wouldn’t want to do anything to increase my own salary, but if we’re in charge of the salaries of the treasurer and the county clerk and the sheriff. … I think maybe we need to come to a consensus on that, because people, they have to survive,” Quezada said.

In addition to Frank Baca, Benson and Barboa will receive raises in January since they were reelected. Barbara Baca and Olivas will not.

Benson, the Commission’s lone Republican, said he supported the raises because he wanted the positions to bring more competition. Benson was unopposed in both the primary and general elections this year. Barboa, like Quezada, voiced her support for the raises in hopes that it will bring a more diverse pool of candidates to run for office.