Commissioners chided for 'overstepping'

Tucumcari city manager Paula Chacon during a city commission meeting Thursday chided Mayor Pro Tem Jerry Lopez and a District 3 Commissioner CJ Oglesby, namely for “overstepping their boundaries” in talks with state transportation officials.

During her manager’s report, Chacon said: “I need this to be on the record: I do want to talk to you all about commissioners overstepping their boundaries.”

She said the commission serves on the legislative level and that the manager serves at the administrative level.

She said the New Mexico Department of Transportation brought a street sweeper to the city and that she had been in talks with the agency to clean streets before the Fired Up festival in September.

“Instead, it was taken to the Department Secretary, making it look like (NMDOT) District 4 was not working with us,” Chacon said. “This perception could possibly hinder any future projects with NMDOT and the City of Tucumcari.”

Chacon said NMDOT has repaired many street lights in the city and made other improvements.

She accused Lopez and Oglesby of meeting with state transportation officials “without my knowledge or even talking to me about it.”

Chacon then expanded her criticism of the commission.

“I find myself almost after every meeting having to apologize for actions or comments made by this commission in order to keep good working relationships and employees in place,” she added.

“Actions and comments like this kill my employees’ morale because it makes them feel like the progress they are making is not valued. Keep in mind that all of our departments are short-staffed, and we cannot afford to lose any more employees.”

In her office Friday, Chacon said the city and NMDOT had “its best working relationship in years.”

Chacon, due to retire at the end of the year, said she spoke up Thursday because she’s concerned for her eventual successor.

“They continue to overstep their boundaries,” she said. “They’ve got to stop. They don’t listen.”

Lopez and Oglesby did not respond to Chacon’s criticisms during Thursday’s meeting.

A message left for Lopez requesting comment was not returned. Reached by phone, Oglesby said he’d respond by text later but did not do so.

It wasn’t the first time Chacon and Lopez had butted heads.

In March, Chacon sent a letter to the commission written by her attorney, Warren Frost, that accused Lopez of harassment, a hostile work environment and conflict of interest.

Frost stated “it is clear that Jerry Lopez has no understanding of his role as a city commissioner and has an irreconcilable conflict of interest as it relates to his son who is employed by the Tucumcari Police Department.”

Frost wrote that Lopez made repeated demands to Chacon to fire Tucumcari Police Chief Patti Lopez (no relation).

“Paula receives almost daily calls from Commissioner Lopez complaining about the Police Department and attempting to intervene on behalf of his son,” the letter states.

Jerry Lopez’s son, Matthew, has been a city police officer since 2019. Jerry Lopez took office as District 1 commissioner in January.