Santa Fe County, New Mexico
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Santa Fe County is one of 33 counties in New Mexico. It is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010, the population was 147,532.[1] The county seat is Santa Fe.
[edit] Website evaluation
Last evaluated on Jan. 28, 2011
[edit] The good
- Excellent search feature.
- There is current and past budget information posted on the website.[2]
- Contact information for individual county commissioners is available.[3]
- Commissioners' court board meeting schedule, minutes, and agendas are posted online.[4]
- Checkbook register is online, dating back to 2009.[5]
- Public records, including an email for request submissions, is available in full.[6]
- There is information available for bids on current contracts and for vendor registration.[7]
- The website lists information on tax rates and property taxes, along with details on property assessments.[8]
- Permit and zoning information is available.[9]
- Financial reports, including the audits, are posted online.[10]
- Provides information on taxpayer-funded lobbying associations on the transparency portal of the website. [11].
[edit] The bad
[edit] Budget
The FY 2011 budget totals $225.2 million, or $187.8 million if inter-fund transfers are excluded.[12] It includes a hiring freeze that is estimated to save $1.4 million.[13]
It also included spending $27,000 on a phone survey to found out the spending priorities of county residents. [14]
| Expenditure | Amount |
| Salary and Wages | $41,199,530 |
| Employee Benefits | $16,612,523 |
| Travel | $84,851 |
| Vehicle Expenses | $2,221,814 |
| Maintenance | $2,216,290 |
| Contractual Services | $10,671,970 |
| Supplies | $2,149,610 |
| Other Operating Costs | $22,053,093 |
| Subsidies and Pass Thru | $5,052,500 |
| Capital Purchases | $66,835,401 |
| Debt Service | $18,723,995 |
| Fund Transfers | $37,337,593 |
| Total | $225,159,170 |
[edit] Stimulus
Santa Fe County has received $341,226,352 from the economic stimulus package.[15]
| Type | # of Awards | Total Amount | Reported Jobs |
| Contracts | 69 | $34,150,024 | 22.54 |
| Grants | 228 | $306,444,103 | 1843.21 |
| Loans | 1 | $632,225 | 0 |
| Total | 298 | $341,226,352 | 1865.75 |
[edit] Public Employees
[edit] Elected Officials
There are five elected County Commissioners.[16]
A district map can be found here.
| First | Last | Position | District | Party |
| Daniel | Mayfield | Commissioner | 1 | D |
| Virginia | Vigil | Chair | 2 | D |
| Robert | Anaya | Commissioner | 3 | D |
| Kathy | Holian | Commissioner | 4 | D |
| Liz | Stefanics | Commissioner | 5 | D |
[edit] Administrative Officials
The County Manager is Katherine Miller. She is appointed by the County Commissioners and serves as the executive branch.[17]
Valerie Espinoza, the county clerk, was given a prestigious Soaring Eagle Award by The New Mexico Association of Counties for service to NMAC and to the people of New Mexico.[18]
A possible "whistle blower" is now facing a jury trial for allegedly stealing to laptops from the county he maintains he was authorized to borrow. Eddie Garcia worked for the county as an energy specialist and informed The New Mexican in July 2010 of irregularities in a 2002 heating and cooling contract including a possible double payment. Six days after he contacted the paper the Santa Fe Police Department raided his home without a warrant and seized the allegedly stolen laptops.[19]
[edit] Salaries
The FY2011 budget allocates $41,199,530 to salaries and wages.[20]
[edit] Pensions
The FY2011 budget allocates $16,612,523 to employee benefits.[21]
Public Employees are now required to contribute an extra 1.75% to their pensions.[22]
Santa Fe County contributes 19.01 percent of gross pay and the employee contribute 3.29% of gross pay for employee pensions.[23]
[edit] Double Dipping
In 2010, New Mexico passed a law that outlawed double dipping, or taking a public pension and public salary at the same time. Because of this, poll workers who work to earn the $125 a day will lose their pension for that month. This led to Santa Fe County losing 84 poll workers.[24]
[edit] Lobbying
Santa Fe County last paid for lobbying in 2001 when the County allocated $60,000 to lobby the federal government.[25]
[edit] Transparency & public records
The website has a page dedicated to Sunshine.[26] It also has a public records page.[27] There is a request for Public Records form available here.
In 2010, the Sunshine Review had given Santa Fe County a failing grade.[28]
[edit] Taxes
The County Treasurer is Victor Montoya. The county raises revenue from a property tax.[29] Property Taxes can be payed online here.
| Revenue Source | Amount |
| Property Taxes | $52,577,953 |
| Gross Receipts Taxes | $41,758,200 |
| Rev. from Other Gov\'s | $13,598,185 |
| Care of Prisoners | $3,900,000 |
| All Other Revenue | $10,082,992 |
| Budget Cash | $65,904,247 |
| Fund Transfers | $37,337,593 |
| Total | $225,159,170 |
A Santa Fe couple has filed a lawsuit challenging the state law that caps property tax assessments as violating the state constitution. Under the cap, a home whose value has dropped significantly will not see their property taxes drop an equal amount. During a boom housing market the cap is intended to protect against massive tax increases.
[edit] News
[edit] Temple Controversy
The O Centro Espirita Beneficiente Uniao do Vegetal (UDV) wants to build a 4,600-square-foot temple on the east side of the city. Some residents spoke out against the temple because of lack of water to support it, incompatible with residential neighborhood, and because the group uses hallucinogenic tea which could lead to impaired drivers.[30]
[edit] Consultants' fees
Santa Fe County has spent $1.2 million to pay consultants to prepare a Sustainable Land Development Plan (SLDP), which is about to come before county commissioners for a vote.[31]
Santa Fe County recently adopted a hiring freeze and other budget-cutting measures due to deficit trouble. The county paid more than $600,000 in consulting fees between August 2008 and March 2010 to Planning Works LLC from the Kansas City area and a combined total of nearly $230,000 to two Los Angeles-based firms, Freilich & Popowitz and Miller Barondess LLP, to help craft the county’s SLDP.
The SLDP is a guide for county residents and businesses to follow and this one is an update of the 1999 Growth Management Plan and covers such topics as roads, water usage, land use, economic development, housing, financing, etc.
In June 2010, county officials announced that staff would complete this master plan for Santa Fe County, taking over the work from the private consultants. Capitol Report New Mexico discovered the breakdown of fees after a public records request.
| Freilich & Popowitz, LLP | Check Number | Date Paid | SLDP | Miller Barondess LLP | Check Number | Date Paid | SLDP | Planning Works | Check Number | Date Paid | SLDP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 401853 | 2/24/10 | $4,158.00 | 389253 | $2730.17 | 392016 | $64,179.39 | |||||
| 402913 | 3/19/10 | $39,105.00 | 390730 | $11,314.43 | 393870 | 8/18/09 | $24,978.62 | ||||
| 403416 | 3/30/10 | $63,112.50 | 388484 | 4/15/09 | $92,779.40 | 393779 | $89,609.92 | ||||
| 407919 | 7/6/10 | $12,771.00 | 388939 | 4/28/09 | $376.10 | 400034 | 1/8/10 | $187,402.68 | |||
| 389155 | 4/30/09 | $86,322.79 | |||||||||
| 383204 | 1/11/08 | $116,084.90 | |||||||||
| 380565 | 10/23/08 | $50,399.97 | |||||||||
| 377576 | 8/6/08 | $6,901.67 | |||||||||
| 378914 | 9/24/08 | $8,904.04 | |||||||||
| 377576 | 8/6/08 | $6,901.67 | |||||||||
| 378914 | 9/24/08 | $8,904.04 | |||||||||
| Total: | $119,146.50 | Total: | $107,200.10 | Total: | $634,783.98 |
Mike Anaya on SLDP consultants fees |
The total cost of all three consultant firms was $861,130.58.[32]
One of the county commissioners, Mike Anaya, spoke to Capital Report New Mexico about why he thought the prices were too steep.
On November 9, 2010, the commission passed the Sustainable Growth Management Plan (SGMP) by a 5-0 vote after a marathon hearing that lasted nearly five hours. There were 73 people who delivered public statements for and against the plan.
“We want to preserve what we’ve got … and I think that’s what this plan does,” Commissioner Harry Montoya said as he joined fellow commissioners Kathy Holian, Virginia Vigil and Liz Stefanics in voting “yes” for the plan. Commissioner Mike Anaya, who represents District 3 — an area where, judging from the public comments, a good deal of the plan’s opposition came from — indicated he would vote “no” but switched to “yes” after hearing promises that the plan would include amendments at a later date.[33]
[edit] Sheriff admits selling supplies on the side
Santa Fe Sheriff Greg Solano resigned in November 2010 and admitted to embezzling surplus supplies from the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office for months. He would sell old protective body vests and other supplies no longer utilized by deputies.
Solano pleaded guilty to five counts of fraud for selling county property on Ebay. He faces up to eight years in prison along with a possible 15 years of probation and up to $137,000 in restitution.[34]
“I have done some things that I should not have done and am ready to come clean and face the consequences,” Solano wrote to staff and supporters.
Undersheriff Robert Garcia was sworn in as interim sheriff by the Santa Fe County Commission and the new sheriff will come into office on Jan. 1.[35]
[edit] External links
- Santa Fe County Website
- Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce
- Public Records Directory - Santa Fe County
- Santa Fe County on E-Reference
- Santa Fe Census Data
[edit] References
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau
- ↑ Budget and Financial Presentations
- ↑ County Commissioners
- ↑ County Commissioners - BCC Meeting Schedule, Agendas and Minutes
- ↑ Checkbook
- ↑ Public Records
- ↑ Current Bid Solicitations
- ↑ Santa Fe County, Tax Center
- ↑ Growth Management & Land Use
- ↑ Financial reports
- ↑ County Manager -- Lobbying
- ↑ 2011 Budget
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Hiring freeze to help trim county budget"
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Hiring freeze to help trim county budget"
- ↑ Recovery
- ↑ County Commissioners
- ↑ County Manager
- ↑ Cibola Beacon "County officials lauded for leadership roles"
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Ex-county worker to face jury trial"
- ↑ 2011 Budget
- ↑ 2011 Budget
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Pension rule hits workers' paychecks"
- ↑ Santa Fe County Human Resources
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "'Double dipping' pension rule discourages would-be poll workers"
- ↑ Open Secrets
- ↑ Sunshine
- ↑ Public records
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Santa Fe County's website ranks top in state"
- ↑ Treasurer
- ↑ Santa Fe New Mexican "Temple fray reaches pinnacle, but county delays decision"
- ↑ New Mexico Watchdog, Yikes! SF County didn’t just pay $861K for land development plan — it paid more than $1.2 million, Oct. 28, 2010
- ↑ "Santa Fe County has paid $861,130 in consultants fees for Sustainable Land Development Plan," New Mexico Watchdog, October 6, 2010
- ↑ "Santa Fe County passes Sustainable Growth Plan," New Mexico Watchdog, November 10, 2010
- ↑ Reuters "New Mexico sheriff faces possible jail term over eBay sales"
- ↑ "Santa Fe County Sheriff resigns after admitting selling supplies on the side," New Mexico Watchdog, November 24, 2010
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