City officials to consider $2.50-an-hour raises

The Tucumcari City Commission previously was considering a $1.50-an-hour raise for all city employees to make their pay more competitive in the regional marketplace.

Now the commission is taking a look at $2.50-an-hour raises, especially for its police officers.

Commissioners during a work session Thursday ultimately asked acting city manager Mark Martinez and Finance Director Rachelle Arias to look at the fiscal effect of $2.50 raises for officers or the entire city staff before they make set a budget and submit it to the state during its regular meeting Thursday.

Mayor Pro Tem Ralph Moya, while supporting the across-the-board raises for employees, asked the commission to consider $2.50 raises for Tucumcari police officers because the department was “penalized” in its budget last year, though spending cuts were imposed in all city departments.

Acting Police Chief Pete Rivera said the proposed $1.50 hike was “a good rise but it’s not competitive.” He said uncertified officers at Santa Rosa are being paid $20 an hour. Under the $1.50-an-hour proposal, Tucumcari uncertified officers would be paid $17.87 an hour and certified officers $19.26 an hour.

Moya said increasing officer pay was urgent because the department has only seven of 14 positions filled. “It’s a big red flag,” he said.

Rivera said officers are working overtime to make up the shortfall but are “getting tired.”

Rivera also mentioned that fentanyl abuse was “out of control” in the city, and an officer was accidentally exposed to the powerful narcotic during an investigation and hospitalized.

Rivera expressed optimism he also would give bonuses to tenured officers from a recently passed spending bill by the state legislature. That program would provide bonuses equivalent to 5% of an officer’s annual income if he had served four or more years.

Commissioner Mike Cherry, citing the need for fairness, advocated $2.50-an-hour raises for all city workers.

Under the $1.50-an-hour proposal, the lowest-paid city employee would receive about $13 an hour. The minimum wage in New Mexico is $11.50 an hour, with it schedule to rise to $12 on Jan. 1.

Arias said she projects deficits ranging from $585,000 to almost $700,000 with the $1.50 raise. That compares to the $418,000 projected deficit in last year’s budget. The city’s cash balance would drop from $4.2 million to $3.9 million.

Martinez said he was OK with a one-time higher deficit.

“We’re tapping into savings to help our departments out,” he said.

Commissioner Christopher Arias pointed out that budget deficits are projected at the beginning of a fiscal year, but the city often ends that period in a surplus.

Other items discussed during the work session:

• Because of the precarious finances of the sanitation and sewer departments, Martinez said he would request fee increases of 3% to 4% this coming fiscal year instead of the usual 2% hikes for both.

The sewer department’s income exceeded its expenses by only $29,000, and the sanitation department likely will deplete its $1.5 million cash on hand to build a new landfill cell.

• Martinez said tax income from recreational cannabis sales, which began April 1, are not part of the budget for now.

Even when it happens, he said that income to the city will be “very, very minimal.” Based on early tax income reports, the city would receive $60,000 during a fiscal year from legal pot sales.

“Everybody thought we’d be paving our streets with gold” from those sales, he said.

• Martinez said he would continue to pursue a no-match state grant of up to $1 million to repair a leaky Tucumcari City Pool, which has been closed since 2019. He said he would know by mid-August whether the city receives the competitive grant.

He also said an earlier proposal to build an indoor swimming pool was not practical at this time. He said repairing the current pool is the best option and most economical.

• Martinez recommended $300,000 be budgeted for capital-outlay funds instead of the usual $100,000 so it could buy more needed equipment for city departments. He said in previous meetings a great deal of city equipment is outmoded.

• Commissioners found the amount of city cash reserves wasn’t as grave as initially believed. Rachelle Arias estimates the city has 4 1/2 months in cash on hand to cover all its expenses. A state analyst recently said one month’s worth is sufficient.

• The city saved nearly $100,000 in electricity costs when it switched to energy-efficient LED bulbs for streetlights.

During the regular meeting, commissioners voted to approve a $236,912.50 task order for Parkhill engineering firm of Rio Rancho to design a new cell for the landfill.

Martinez said the current cell’s remaining lifespan at the landfill is about a year. It as estimated the new cell will cost the city almost $1.6 million.

Martinez said the expense is “a big pill to swallow,” but it’s needed.