County commission creates investment committee

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Doña Ana County Treasurer Jim Schoonover will now have to work with an investment committee created Tuesday by the board of commissioners. The seven-member committee is similar to the state investment council. Its members will include Schoonover, Manager Brian Haines and members of the public. The commission also voted to lower the percentage of county funds that must be insured by banks wanting to do business with the county. Schoonover convinced commissioners earlier this year to change the number from 50 percent to 102 percent by telling them it was required by the state. Continue Reading

County manager gets hefty pay raise

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The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted Tuesday to give Manager Brian Haines an 18 percent pay increase and a new 3-year contract. That extends his contract through 2009, with a $130,000 annual salary. Haines had been making $110,000 per year. The move is a strong endorsement by the commissioners of the job Haines is doing. It also brings his salary in line with that of the Bernalillo and San Juan county managers. Continue Reading

Richardson holds own with Sen. Clinton and others

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Many had packed up and left before Gov. Bill Richardson got a chance to address the Democratic Leadership Council Monday in Denver, but those who stayed were impressed, according to the Albuquerque Journal. Richardson promoted himself and state-level leaders as those who are moving America forward, taking shots at the White House and Congress for doing nothing. The governor was one of four potential 2008 presidential candidates to address the group. He was joined by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York, Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana and Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. Richardson was the last to address the group, and even C-SPAN packed up before his speech, the Journal reported. Continue Reading

In the end, Galvan simply gave up fighting

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He beat two criminal trials and apparently had a chance to beat misconduct allegations, but in the end, former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan just gave up. “He knew it was coming. It was expected, so there’s nothing new on the horizon,” Galvan’s attorney, Joe Arrieta of Las Cruces, told the Las Cruces Sun-News about last weeks’ Supreme Court ruling barring Galvan from the judiciary. Arrieta called the decision “pointless,” saying Galvan never planned to seek judicial office again, and his history would almost ensure he couldn’t be elected. “Obviously, the disciplinary background of Judge Galvan would keep him (from public office),” Arrieta told the newspaper. Continue Reading

Galvan, though barred from office, not found by high court to have violated judicial ethics

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When the New Mexico Supreme Court issued an order Thursday barring former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan from ever again holding judicial office, it also denied the Judicial Standards Commission’s request for financial reimbursement from Galvan. That’s because, the high court wrote in its order, Galvan “had already resigned from office when the commission conducted its hearing and … the commission failed to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence.” Essentially, the justices were making clear that they were not finding Galvan guilty of the judicial misconduct of which he was accused. It’s interesting that, at the end of the Galvan saga, he’s been twice acquitted of criminal charges and also not found to have violated the judicial code of conduct. Then why order him permanently barred from holding judicial office in New Mexico? The court’s order doesn’t answer that question. Continue Reading

Area code discussion comes to Mesilla

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Discussion of the new 575 area code that’s coming to New Mexico reaches Doña Ana County on Wednesday. The Public Regulation Commission will hold two public meetings in Mesilla on that day, both at the town hall, 2231 Avenida de Mesilla. The first is from 10 a.m. to noon, and the second is from 6-8 p.m. Two proposals are being considered for implementation in the next two years: Either all new telephone numbers in the state will have the 575 area code, or the PRC will split the state, with one area including Southern and Eastern New Mexico and the other including the central and northwestern parts of the state. If the second option is selected, the PRC must decide which area will have to switch to the new area code. The cost of changing materials such as letterhead and business cards has caused quite a controversy about which portion of the state will keep the 505 area code. Continue Reading

RichardsonWatch: Gov. makes stop in Florida

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Note: This is the first in an occasional series documenting out-of-state travel by the governor, just to get it on the record. Gov. Bill Richardson was in Florida on Saturday speaking to state Democratic Party activists, according to the Associated Press. The group was also visited over the weekend by 2008 presidential hopefuls Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and retired Gen. Wesley Clark, who are also considering presidential runs. It was Dodd’s first major appearance since announcing recently that he’s exploring a White House run. Update, 12:40 p.m. Richardson is in Denver today, along with many other Democratic presidential nominee hopefuls, attending a national party convention. Continue Reading

Poll voters optimistic about spaceport

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The majority of those who voted in last week’s poll are optimistic about the creation of Spaceport America, the newly renamed facility being constructed at Upham. Of 94 voters, 59, or 63 percent, said the spaceport will benefit the state and its residents. 31, or 33 percent, said it will not, and four voters, or 4 percent, said they don’t know. Be sure to vote in this week’s online poll, located in the right column near the top of this page. Continue Reading

BREAKING NEWS: High court says Galvan can’t be a judge ever again

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The New Mexico Supreme Court has issued an order barring former Doña Ana County Magistrate Judge Reuben Galvan from ever again holding judicial office. Galvan had a chance to defend himself in the matter, but he let pass a June 16 deadline to respond to the Judicial Standards Commission’s petition seeking a permanent ban from office. The high court issued its order Thursday. Galvan resigned last year amid allegations that he raped and solicited a bribe from a Las Cruces woman in August 2004. After two hung juries, prosecutors dropped the criminal charges. Continue Reading

City manager says he never promised to reimburse judges’ legal fees

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Las Cruces City Manager Terrence Moore disputed a claim by the attorney for the city’s two municipal judges that he promised to pay the cost of their legal defense against an ethical complaint, which the city is now refusing to pay. Melissa J. Reeves, attorney for municipal judges Melissa Miller-Byrnes and Jim T. Locatelli, said during Friday morning’s court hearing that “the city manager originally told the judges their defense would be paid … and then he reneged on that.” Moore said that’s untrue. “I’ve never made that type of commitment,” he said. “I don’t have the authority to do so.” The city manager can spend up to $35,000 without council approval. The judges are seeking more than $100,000. Continue Reading

District judge asked to dismiss Las Cruces municipal judges’ lawsuit against city

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A district judge was asked Friday to dismiss a lawsuit against the City of Las Cruces by the city’s two municipal judges, who are seeking reimbursement for the cost of defending themselves against an ethical complaint filed in 2004 by the city attorney’s office. District Judge Jerald A. Valentine gave both sides a week to provide him with documentation for their arguments before he decides whether to dismiss the lawsuit. The lawsuit is part of an ongoing battle between the judges and the city attorney’s office over problems at the court. Because of the lawsuit, city prosecutors have put on hold dozens of pending drunken driving and domestic violence cases. The dispute began when the judges, Melissa Miller-Byrnes and James T. Locatelli, complained to city management about the handling of cases by prosecutors and police. Continue Reading

Stewart/Colbert in 2008 gains momentum

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For anyone who doesn’t know, this bumper sticker is referring to The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report, a couple of comedians on Comedy Central who make fun of the politicos who make the news. I first saw this bumper sticker in Las Cruces about a week ago. I’ve seen Stewart/Colbert ’08 bumper stickers four times now. I didn’t think much of it at first. I live in a college town, after all. Continue Reading

Former Las Cruces councilor wants state law changed to keep county tax increase out of cities

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A former Las Cruces city councilor wants to change a state law that allows Doña Ana County to tax him. Woodie Jenkins has convinced State Sen. Mary Jane Garcia, D-Doña Ana, to get involved, and asked the New Mexico Municipal League for help. At issue is the passage by the Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners of two gross receipts tax increases of one-sixteenth percent each that went into effect July 1. The increased revenue is being used to raise salaries and increase other funding for the county’s jail and sheriff’s and fire departments. In addition to unincorporated areas, the tax applies in the four municipalities in the county – Hatch, Las Cruces, Mesilla and Sunland Park. Continue Reading

Richardson says Dendahl started negative attacks

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Gov. Bill Richardson took issue today with me saying he started the negative campaigning in the gubernatorial race. Along with Doña Ana County Commissioner Bill McCamley, I was a guest host on the Michael Swickard radio show this morning, and interviewed the governor. I asked the Democrat about his campaign’s decision to air a negative ad days after Republican John Dendahl jumped into the gubernatorial race last month. Richardson pointed out that Dendahl, for several years before becoming a candidate, repeatedly attacked him in a column he wrote for three state newspapers. “His whole life is attacking me,” Richardson said. Continue Reading