Governor's Office defends another round of salary increases for senior staffers

SANTA FE — Top staffers in Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office recently got hefty salary increases — in some cases bumping up their pay by 26% — that were much larger than most state employees received.

The Governor’s Office defended the pay raises for roughly 20 senior staffers as necessary given “market realities,” while also saying such workers are typically on call on a full-time basis.

“The governor’s senior staff salaries were adjusted to reflect the extraordinary level of expertise and experience they bring to serving New Mexico,” said Lujan Grisham spokesman Michael Coleman. “These seasoned professionals could command higher compensation in the private sector but choose public service.”

But some leading lawmakers criticized the pay increases while questioning whether taxpayers are getting a sufficient return given the state’s ongoing struggles with issues related to health care, homelessness and child welfare.

“With so many urgent challenges facing our communities, taxpayers deserve to see meaningful results, not just expanding payrolls for political appointees,” said House Minority Leader Gail Armstrong, R-Magdalena.

The Governor’s Office staffers receiving sizable salary increases include Lujan Grisham’s chief of staff Daniel Schlegel, whose pay level jumped from $201,893 last year to $234,000 this year — a 16% increase.

The governor’s General Counsel Holly Agajanian got a 19% pay raise to $208,000 per year, while her Deputy Chief of Staff Diego Arencon and Director of Cabinet Affairs Caroline Buerkle each received 9% salary increases, according to data from the state Sunshine Portal.

The largest pay raise was received by Leah Mountain, an administrative assistant, whose pay rate increased by 26% to $78,000 per year. The pay raises were first reported by The Candle, an online publication covering New Mexico news.

All state employees received 4% salary increases effective July 1, under a $10.8 billion budget bill approved by lawmakers in March and signed into law by Lujan Grisham.

Coleman, who also received a 10% pay bump, said the across-the-board salary increases for state workers represent a commitment to the broader workforce, while the pay hikes for senior Governor’s Office staffers are targeted at “specialized executive roles.”

“These professionals have helped secure billions in federal investments, navigate unprecedented challenges, and position New Mexico as a national leader on multiple fronts,” he said in a statement. “That expertise has value, and the governor believes that retaining it serves every New Mexican’s interest.”

The Governor’s Office did not say specifically when the raises were approved, but any salary adjustments made before July would have meant the 4% increase would be calculated based on a larger base salary.

Meanwhile, the pay increases are not the first of their kind approved by Lujan Grisham’s office.

Similar pay raises for top appointees under Lujan Grisham were approved in late 2022 and early 2023, shortly after the governor won reelection to a second four-year term.

Before that, about eight top Governor’s Office staffers received hefty salary increases in 2020, during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The governor herself has not seen her $110,000-per year salary increase since taking office in 2019, in large part because pay levels for statewide elected officials are set in statute. Lujan Grisham did sign a 2023 bill increasing those salary levels, but the pay hike for the governor will not take effect until 2027 — just after she leaves office. The state’s next governor will make $169,714 per year.

Top state investment officials and legislative branch officials have also received sizable salary increases over the last year.

New Mexico’s chief investment officer Vince Smith got a nearly 40% pay increase in June and is now the state’s highest-paid employee at $455,000 per year. Many other State Investment Office employees also received salary bumps.

In addition, Legislative Finance Committee Director Charles Sallee had his salary level increase from $193,640 last year to $213,200 as of this year, according to Sunshine Portal data.