Pay raises likely for city workers

At least two Tucumcari city commissioners said during a work session last Wednesday they wanted to give at least $1-an-hour raises to employees during the next fiscal year.

Commissioners held the session to discuss the fiscal-year 2024 budget. The commission scheduled another work session for 3:30 p.m. May 23, which is when city manager Paula Chacon said she would have more solid financial data after meeting with all city department heads.

City finance director Rachelle Arias told commissioners the city’s coffers were looking “pretty favorable” through 10 months of the current fiscal year, including a surplus of about $1 million.

Mayor Ralph Moya said the city’s revenue “looks good” but cautioned “we don’t want to be where we were three or four years ago” when a cash crunch prompted layoffs.

Commissioner Mike Cherry said he was inclined to recommend a $1-an-hour pay increase for lower-paid city employees instead of percentage increases.

Commissioner Christopher Arias agreed $1-an-hour raises were “a bare minimum.” Rachelle Arias estimated such a pay hike would lead to a $200,000 increase in the city’s annual $5.5 million payroll.

Moya said because the police and EMT departments are short on personnel, additional pay hikes might be needed to “bring it to the level it needs to be.”

Police Chief Patti Lopez again recommended $3-an-hour raises for officers, plus other increases that include $1-an-hour for those who earned an associate’s degree, $2-an-hour for a bachelor’s degree and 50 cents an hour for varying police certifications. Lopez said she also wants to offer a $10,000 retention bonus.

Chacon was asked about incentives for city employees if they earned a commercial driver’s license. Current city drivers earn about $13.61 an hour. Commissioner Paul Villanueva said that needs to be about $15 an hour to be competitive with state wages.

Villanueva asked about increasing employee allowances for clothing and equipment. He noted the allowance for work boots is $100, and boots with safety steel toes would cost at least $200.

In other discussions:

— Lopez said since the sale of recreational cannabis was legalized a year ago, property crimes in the city have increased. However, she attributed that to fentanyl abuse and not marijuana.

“I can’t see cannabis having anything to do with that,” she said.

— Lopez said officers once were required to write reports on all domestic disturbance calls, but “that went by the wayside.” She signaled she would bring back that policy, citing the need to “address the cycle of violence.”

— Addressing $300,000 received in capital outlay funds for new police vehicles, Lopez said the department can acquire five new Dodge Durangos for about $202,000. Four will need to be equipped with equipment at a cost of up to $22,000 each.

— Answering a Cherry’s question, Rachelle Arias said capital outlay requests for equipment from city departments total over $1 million.

— Moya said next year’s budget should contain priorities for infrastructure needs, including repairing potholes and fire hydrants. He also said funds should be set aside to clean up problem properties — citing the vacant KFC building as an example — and file a lien against the owner.

— Linda Gonzalez, head librarian at the library, said state general-obligation bonds can be used the make the building’s entrance accessible to handicapped people. She also said one employee will be promoted to full-time work.

— Scott Crotzer, director of the Tucumcari/Quay County Chamber of Commerce, said he submitted his preliminary budget. He said the chamber’s guestbook, which first was set out in 1998, recently filled. “Our visitor sign-ins are through the roof,” he said.

Crotzer said he is consulting with the New Mexico Department of Transportation to update outdated signs in the city.

He also said artist Doug Quarles next will restore his large “Legendary Road” mural on the east side of Lowe’s Market.

— Connie Loveland, director of Tucumcari MainStreet, said she forwarded her annual plan to the city. She said she recently received a $5,000 grant for an art incubator program. She said the railroad museum is busy because Route 66 motels are recommending it to customers.