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.
The mayoral transition in Albuquerque continues to shake out news that top executives under Mayor Martin Chavez moved to lower positions in city government in the waning days of his administration while keeping the salaries they had as political appointees of the mayor.
Today, we have news that Chavez’s employee relations director, Lawrence Torres, will keep his $81,000 salary even after he moves back to the Open Space Division as a public safety officer.
Torres had been a loyal employee for Chavez, collecting more contributions for the mayor’s public financing bid than any other city worker.
The Independent took note of Torres earlier this year, in a story about the degree to which city employees helped Chavez qualify for public financing of his campaign for reelection. Our analysis showed that at least 52 percent of the qualifying contributions Chavez needed were collected by city hall workers. In his role as employee relations director and prior to that as a union representative, Torres was in direct contact with the city’s work force. He ultimately filled ten contribution books for the mayor, for a total of 250 contributions. This put him well ahead of his fellow workers in the effort he made to help Chavez qualify for the public funds.
Under an October 26 agreement signed by outgoing Chief Administrative Officer Ed Adams, Torres continue to make $81,000 per year, rather than the usual salary for that position, which is about $30,000 lower. His high salary will boost the value of any unused leave he cashes out when he retires, this week, according to the Albuquerque Journal.
Former CAO Ed Adams also transferred to a lower position in another department while keeping his high salary. As the city’s top administrative officer, Adams made $147,000, a salary he continues to make as a project manager in the Municipal Development Department. That agreement was made in 2006, though, well before Chavez lost the 2009 election.
