Officials want more pay for city workers

Tucumcari city commissioners came to a consensus last week that any money available in the forthcoming budget should boost salaries for city workers. Infrastructure and equipment needs also ranked high on the priority list.

During a commission work session Thursday, Finance Director Rachelle Arias quizzed commissioners and City Manager Mark Martinez about priorities for fiscal year 2023, which begins June 1. The city is required to submit an interim budget to the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration by May 31.

Martinez said “we expect to have excess funds, but not a large amount” in the budget. For his highest priority, he advocated using a large amount to pay “a competitive wage” to city employees. Martinez said competing counties are offering as much as $4 to $10 an hour more than Tucumcari.

Arias agreed Tucumcari’s pay scales are “not competitive.”

Commissioner Mike Cherry, while supportive of worker raises, said the city would need to institute 6% raises to be at just a “break-even” point at current inflation rates.

“I don’t think you have any disagreement (on pay raises),” Cherry said later in the meeting. “But it just depends how much.”

Commissioner Ralph Moya also voiced support for worker pay increases, but pointed out the city fell behind on employee pay during a series of tight budgets in previous years.

Mayor Ruth Ann Litchfield also supported city workers’ pay be raised “as much as possible, especially for the Tucumcari Police Department.”

Martinez said despite legal cannabis sales that began in New Mexico on April 1, he would remain conservative on additional sales-tax revenue from that.

Cherry agreed with Martinez’s assessment on cannabis, saying gross receipts tax revenue won’t increase from residents, but out-of-towners’ purchases.

“I don’t think it’s going to be the cash cow that some people think,” Cherry said.

When Commissioner Christopher Arias asked about city equipment, Rachelle Arias said much of it is “very outdated,” and the city faces a $1 million deficit “to give everybody what we want” in equipment. She said some of those needs are met with the state legislature’s capital-outlay allotments.

Among other needs, Martinez also cited linking a water line under the railroad track between Railroad Avenue and Seventh Street and a lift station near the KOA campground. He also mentioned finishing the wastewater-reuse plan, which is short $1 million for completion.

Moya said infrastructure and public safety needs were important. He also mentioned repairing the roof on the Tucumcari Recreational Center.

Commissioner Arias said he agreed with Moya, adding: “We have to make sure some what still is flowing and sewer still is flowing.” He said addressing the city’s crumbling streets also was critical.

Martinez mentioned again he was considering a request for proposals to have another entity manage the Tucumcari Convention Center. Moya pushed back on that idea, saying the city in the past has dealt with outside managers who walk away from the contract if they weren’t being paid enough.