Lawmakers take aim at guv’s exempt employees

Some also proposing cuts to legislators’ per diem and legislative budget

There’s disagreement about how many exempt employees the governor has, but there appears to be some level of agreement – at least in the Senate – that the number should be cut to help plug the state’s budget shortfall.

A bill introduced by Sen. John Ryan, R-Albuquerque, would limit the governor to 220 exempt employees who serve at his pleasure. Ryan announced the legislation Monday in a news release, but it’s not yet online.

“Governor Richardson’s political appointments — who are often considered political paybacks — are costing the state over $40 million a year,” Ryan said in a news release. “There are a lot better uses for this money, especially as the state faces financial crisis.”

Ryan said his bill, which is co-sponsored by the majority of his Senate colleagues — 15 Democrats and 15 Republicans — would save the state more than $22 million a year.

Rep. Nate Cote, D-Organ, introduced a similar bill on Monday that would require the governor to cut the number of exempt employees in his administration who make over $50,000 a year by at least 180. Cutting that many for the rest of the year would save $8.1 million this year and $19 million next year, according to a news release.

“Under the current fiscal conditions, all state expenditures must be analyzed and none excluded,” Cote said in the release. “…My bill is an attempt to reduce the size of the state’s payroll. I feel the state government has grown too large for the revenue available in the state of New Mexico.”

Cote’s bill has been ruled germane.

The governor said earlier this year that he would trim the salaries of 470 exempt employees but, in the past year alone, the number of governor exempt employees has risen from 789 to 816, Cote’s release states. Over the past seven years, the number has increased by 281.

As The Santa Fe New Mexican’s Kate Nash pointed out today, there’s not even agreement about how many exempt employees there are. Ryan says it’s more like 500 – up from 167 under former Gov. Gary Johnson. And Richardson’s finance secretary, Katherine Miller, was quoted as saying it’s more like 450.

Richardson ‘disturbed’

Richardson said in a news release that he’s already done a lot to cut expenses in his administration, including implementing a hiring freeze. He said biweekly state payroll is down $1.3 million since November 2008.

“I am disturbed that some lawmakers have seriously mischaracterized the results of these important cost-cutting measures,” Richardson said in a news release. “The truth is, there have been real results and savings to the State of New Mexico. In just the past 11 months, we’ve cut payroll by millions while making sure services to New Mexicans are not affected.”

The news release said the state “has nearly 1,300 fewer employees than when the hiring freeze took effect on November 15, 2008” and said Richardson has taken other cost-cutting measures, including freezing salaries of all employees, cutting exempt employees’ pay by 2 percent, halting exempt employees’ comp time and halting overtime for “non-essential employees.”

As The New Mexican has previously pointed out, Richardson has continued to hire some exempt and other employees even during the hiring freeze. Other elected officials have hired employees during the freeze as well.

Legislative per diem, budget cuts also proposed

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are also working on cutting their own expenses. Sen. Mary Kay Papen, D-Las Cruces, has introduced a resolution calling on all lawmakers to voluntarily reduce their per diem reimbursements by at least 10 percent for the remainder of the special session. The rate is set by the state Constitution, and is currently $159 a day.

“I believe it’s important that the people of the state know that their legislators understand and are willing to share in the cuts that will need to be made in order to achieve a sound, balanced budget,” Papen said in a release. “And if this is done on a voluntary basis, I think it underscores the commitment of our legislators to do what is right and what is best to achieve that result.”

That’s not the only cost-cutting proposal in the Legislature. Already, the House has reduced its staff by 13 employees for the special session. And Majority Leader Ken Martinez, D-Grants, has introduced a bill aimed at cutting the Legislative branch’s budget by 5.3 percent.