I am writing today to announce the closure of the New Mexico Independent. After three and a half years of operation in New Mexico, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news…
While environmental activists played their part yesterday during demonstrations at the capitol building, going so far as to dress up as solar panels and to sing the tune of “You Are My Sunshine,” their counterparts, the anti-cap-and-trade contingency who has…
Roughly one quarter of University of New Mexico students are unimpressed with the state’s flagship public school, according to a survey that questioned college students about their higher education experiences.
Richard Berry speaks with NMI and other press on election night.
So far, two of mayor-elect Richard Berry’s appointees will be double-dipping. Both Lou Hoffman and Tito Madrid currently receive government pensions. Police Chief Ray Shultz qualifies for a pension but will not be taking it while working for the Berry administration.
Berry has filled every position but two so far, Berry spokesperson Chris Ramirez told the Independent. Next week he’ll announce his selections for chief financial officer and for director of municipal development. He will not be filling the position of chief operating officer, Ramirez said.
There has been some speculation that Berry might move current Chief Administrative Officer Ed Adams to the position of chief operating officer. But Ramirez told the Independent that the position won’t be eliminated or filled. Instead, Berry’s administration will assess at some point in 2010 whether or not they need to fill it.
Lou Hoffman, who will head up the Department of Finance and Administration, has been retired from the City of Albuquerque since 2006, and currently draws a $67,000 pension from the Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). His salary will be $97,000, the same salary currently allocated for that position, and he’ll continue pulling his pension.
Tito Madrid, Berry’s Constituent Services Director, is also retired and draws a pension from PERA. The amount he collects wasn’t known by the Berry administration as of Tuesday. His salary will be $75,000. Madrid’s position is a consolidated position, Ramirez said, which means several people were doing the job under Chavez. The combined salaries of those people totaled $82,000.
Ramirez said that both Madrid and Hoffman fall within the guidelines set out in a bill by State Rep. Lucky Varela earlier this year that required a 12 month waiting period before a government retiree could be rehired and collect both a salary and a pension. This practice, called double-dipping, has been roundly criticized at both the municipal and state level in New Mexico due to what some say is a potential for abuse. Varela’s bill, passed last year by the state Legislature was vetoed by Gov. Bill Richardson.
“The way Lucky Varela’s bill was written, we’re not in violation [of what the state legislature passed],” Ramirez said. “[Hoffman] isn’t someone who retired then came right back.”
“Hoffman has so much knowledge and Berry felt he truly was an expert in his field,” Ramirez continued, “He was the best pick, and also agreed to take a much smaller salary than most people at his level of experience would have.”
Madrid has not worked for the city, but has held the position of director of field operations for the New Mexico Environment Department. As of Tuesday, Ramirez did not know how much Madrid, who was traveling, collects from PERA.
As for Adams, Ramirez said Berry’s transition team is still looking at what role he might play in the new administration, if any.
While Adams was in a classified position in the past before joining Chavez’s upper ranks, the incoming administration considers him to be unclassified now and not guaranteed a job. They’re still trying to figure out if there is a position for him, Ramirez said.
“We know he’s made a significant contribution to the city and has a lot of knowledge,” Ramirez said, “and are still trying to figure out if there’s a position for him.”
