Cooling-off period change doesn't receive needed support from Bernalillo County commissioners to pass

Bernalillo County commissioners this week denied a proposed change to the county’s so-called “cooling-off period.”

Approval would have eliminated the cooling-off period, which doesn’t allow an elected official to accept certain county jobs until a year after leaving office.

Despite the commission’s 3-2 vote in favor on Tuesday, the proposed change to the code of conduct could not be made because it required a 4-1 vote.

Commission Chair Barbara Baca and Vice Chair Eric Olivas voted against the measure.

Baca and Olivas expressed concern that elected officials accepting employment with the county less than a year after leaving office could have an unethical amount of political sway. Those who supported the bill said it would help newly elected officials hire strong staff once they assume office.

Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada, in one of his final votes, sponsored the bill to support the change.

Quezada was one of three elected officials serving in their final county meeting Tuesday. County Clerk Linda Stover and Treasurer Nancy Bearce are the other two outgoing elected officials.

After the three were honored at the beginning of the meeting, and Bearce took the opportunity to speak as a “citizen of Bernalillo County” during the public comment period.

“I am a firm believer in term limits, giving others an opportunity to serve their community and participate in our democratic experiment. Bernalillo County is the largest urban county in population. It contains our flagship university. As such, there’s a great number of citizens who would be great public servants. … Let’s widen our democratic participation for diversity, equity and inclusion by keeping the one-year cooling-off period,” Bearce said.

Bearce, Stover and Quezada served for two terms, the maximum number for elected county officials to serve.