Lawmakers appoint Charles Sallee as new director of Legislative Finance Committee

SANTA FE — Charles Sallee, a budget expert and former social worker, won appointment Thursday as staff director of the Legislative Finance Committee — one of the most influential posts in state government.

He was the lone finalist chosen by the bipartisan committee for a public interview, and he handled a series of questions for more than an hour Thursday in a hearing at the Capitol.

Many centered on how to ensure New Mexico’s massive revenue boom is put to good use and making the state’s budget-writing process more open to the public.

Sallee, 47, described himself as a “results-oriented” leader committed to objective data and scrutiny of state spending. He expressed interest in making the Legislative Finance Committee’s trove of information more accessible to the public, perhaps through interactive tools on the state website.

The LFC already publishes massive analytical reports and budget documents online. But Sallee said he’s eager to make it easier for members of the public to find and analyze the data they’re looking for.

Sen. George Muñoz, a Gallup Democrat and chairman of the Legislative Finance Committee, urged Sallee to keep his focus on improving the lives of New Mexicans, not just serving legislators.

“It’s just not us that are counting on you,” Muñoz said. “It’s the entire state counting on you.”

Sallee has served as interim LFC director since the retirement of David Abbey, who had served since 1997. Before that, Sallee worked as deputy director for budget development and fiscal analysis at the LFC.

A native of Las Cruces, he has also served as a policy analyst for the Texas Legislature and as director of social services at a nursing home.

At the LFC, Sallee will now lead a team of economists, analysts and evaluators who help lawmakers put together the annual state budget and hold state agencies accountable for their performance.

Sallee said Thursday that New Mexico has a historic opportunity to harness its budget surplus to improve educational and health outcomes and address poverty. The state government, he said, is well-positioned to withstand an economic downturn after building up its reserves and bolstering endowment-like funds designed to generate steady income.

“I see a bright future,” Sallee told lawmakers. “I see a very different opportunity with the kind of wealth we have generated in our finances than the types of things that turned out to be bubbles over the last 45 years.”

He also acknowledged oil and gas revenue accounts for about 40% of the state’s general fund revenue, underscoring the importance of building a diverse economy.

The appointment drew bipartisan support.

“Charles is undoubtedly the right choice,” said Rep. Gail Armstrong, a Magdalena Republican and chairwoman of the House Minority Caucus. “I am confident he will approach this job as he always has while working with the LFC, in a nonpartisan, fiscally sound way that protects the taxpayers of this state.”

Muñoz said the LFC hasn’t yet set a salary for Sallee, who now makes about $198,000 a year.

Thirteen people applied for the position, Muñoz said, and four were interviewed in closed meetings. After the initial interviews, Sallee was the only applicant who scored high enough on evaluations to be named a finalist, Muñoz said.