By Lynn Janes

The town of Hurley had a budget workshop and regular meeting May 13, 2025. Mayor Ed Stevens, Mayor Pro Tem Reynaldo Maynes, Pete Ordonez, Aron Phillips and Robert Candelaria attended.

Budget workshop

Darlene McBride, town clerk, started with a summary of what had been spent to date. She had a few things she wanted to point out. The small city subsistence funding came in at $140,000 less than the year before. Some of the gross receipts tax (GRT) had increased some with Dollar General Store opening. Because of the construction they also receive a little more GRT. The increase seen had been about $20,000 the previous month.

The employee insurance will be increasing by 20 percent. McBride wanted the council to know that everything had increased. Stevens asked if the insurance would increase in July, and McBride said yes. With the projected incomes and losses, the town will meet in the middle. The water the contractors use had brought about $15,000 into the town. Based on projections McBride felt the town will be in reasonable shape.

The only thing currently not on the budget would be the library and McBride said they would have to make a decision on what they wanted to do. The town had budgeted $20,000 last year and hardly any of it had been used. Stevens asked since he had been gone what input they had on the library. McBride said the library board had met and created a librarian job description, which had been previously approved by the council. They started to receive applications and will start the process. The librarian will receive $15 an hour or more.

When they started the process to start a library the state required some financial original input by the town to be eligible for grants. They also had to have the library open at least a certain number of hours each week.

The council talked about stipend increases for the council. Hurley's falls much lower than the other municipalities. Maynes said Bayard has been $200 for the council and $350 for the mayor and Santa Clara has been $200 for the mayor and $125 for the council. Hurley had not changed for around 20 years and pays the mayor $175 and council $113. If they voted to raise the stipend it would not be for themselves, but the next people elected to those positions.

McBride said she would have them an update as soon as possible. Maynes complimented McBride in coming so far since last year.

The council continued discussing the stipends of the judge and fire department. The fire department can apply for a grant that would provide stipends for them. It opens up in July or August. It only pays when they respond to a fire. The judge has the highest stipend.

McBride asked them what they wanted to do about the library on the budget. Last year they had allotted $20,000 and only used $2,000 but had not hired a librarian. The library board had just been created and just started the process of looking for a librarian. McBride didn't know if they currently have been open enough to qualify for grants and funding. Ordonez said he would like to see a report from them every month. They decided they wanted to see a report and the number of people using the library.

Maynes addressed the security systems and that being important. Police Chief Kevin Vigil has also been looking into systems. Candelaria said he could help with that. They discussed changing some of the locks and doing some with keyless entry.

Candelaria went over some of the things he had been doing and would be looking at to improve the technology in Hurley and explained how it would work to help everyone and accessible to those it should be.

McBride wanted to schedule another special meeting for the budget before it had to be turned into the state. The interim budget must be turned into the state by June 1, 2025, and the final budget July 1, 2025.

Ordonez had concerns of overtime. McBride told him how it worked, and they had provided an explanation for the overtime. Stevens said he reviews the payroll each time and has not seen a problem. No one had taken advantage of it. Ordonez wanted to know if overtime would be included in the budget. McBride said yes and no and explained it to Ordonez.

McBride said the only ones that have overtime would be the officers, maintenance director and her. McBride usually will have two to four hours and the maintenance director has three to five and the officers have zero to eleven. Maintenance has overtime because of call outs.

Candelaria suggested they have part time officers from maybe other municipalities that could fill in. Vigil explained the liability in that, and it would not be a good idea. He discouraged that course of action. He did say he would be open to hiring a retired police officer full time but set up hours that work for them. Vigil also pointed out he didn't think legally an officer could hold two positions at two different departments. He also said they could have a problem with insurance if an officer only worked part time and he would need to check.

The council will have another budget meeting May 27, 2025.

Workshop meeting adjourned

Regular meeting

Senator Gabriel Ramos had not been able to attend to provide a legislative update.

Public input

Archi Padilla wanted to address the agenda item to combine the animal control job and code enforcement job into one. "I do not think it is a good idea. The animal control officer already does two jobs." The second job which no one considers would be the care of the animals, as the person is the shelter attendant. Even with a raise it would not give the extra time needed to do it all. She said Bayard has a part-time animal control officer but would be making it a full-time position because the mayor and clerk went to the shelter and realized it needed to be a full-time position. Santa Clara also has someone part-time, but they don't have a building. Hurley has a building, and it requires upkeep. The animal control officer has to pull weeds, water trees, take care of dogs, feed them, walk them and give them yard time. Then they have to ride around to do patrolling duties as code enforcement officer. "This person will be set up to fail." The town has tried to make this a part-time position in the past and it does not work. "Please don't lump it into one."

Paddilla addressed another issue. At the last meeting, she had brought up that the law in Hurley requires all animals to be spayed and neutered. The organization she represents can help Hurley residents spay and neuter their animal for free. If the resident does not have a vehicle they can help transport the animal for free. She encouraged people to reach out to New Mexico BARC on Facebook or their website.

Lastly Padilla ask that they provide shade at the bus stops. She sees seniors out in the hot sun waiting for their bus.

Rudy Pena said he had worked eight years with the fire department. He wanted to obtain his paperwork but had not been able to and say they have no account of him being there. He had tried to start back with the fire department but has not been allowed in. He said the council did not have any say over who could be on the fire department and who could not. Pena said he had been on the council years ago and he had concerns about the drug houses and violence. "There have been several murders not solved because of stupidity, not holding accountability." The community had been hurt from the violence, destruction and robberies of their homes.

Pena felt the council had plenty of time to have taken care of these problems but instead had been there for themselves and influence. Background checks had not been done when they should have been. Hurley had become a senior community, and they don't have any protection. This year will be an election year, and the mayor would be ending his term.

Pena alluded to council members and the mayor and who has influence. He spoke to the past he has had with officers that had left for certain reasons that he had issues with. They had harassed him and shined lights in his house in the middle of the night. He had been pulled over for no reason and harassed by code enforcement. A former council member had called officers to his home. He continued to speak about incidents in a partial manner. Stevens let him know he had used his time up.

BarrieAnn Cummins-Smith had two letters to read from people that could not attend. One letter from Stephanie Torres said she called Hurley home for 25 years. She had never felt unsafe until the past year. The crime in her neighborhood had escalated. People had been roaming the alley ways at all hours of the night. When confronted they become aggressive. When calling the police at night they have to wait for the county, and it takes a long time. She has seen people yelling and screaming in the street. One time her security camera alerted her, and she found a woman slumped over outside her house. She went out to check on her and she raised up and blew out smoke and had been holding a piece of foil in her hand and had a straw in her mouth, she was doing drugs. "I am trying to raise my two-year-old granddaughter. This activity happens constantly and connects to the same house." She has made the police aware. The man that lives in this house can be seen walking the streets with a hammer and threatening people and pets. Her letter said she along with her neighbors have been scared. "This is not the community I once knew, and it breaks my heart. We deserve to feel safe in our own homes."

The other letter came from Selina McIntyre. Smith summed it up because of time constraints of public speaking. The person said what had been going on in Hurley was inacceptable. When the police need to be called it takes two to four hours for someone to come. She expressed being tired of people making promises and nothing happening.

Smith said people didn't want to speak because they have been tired of nothing happening. Stevens said in the future she could speak for herself but not for others.

Patricia Montoya had bought a house in Hurley three years ago. Six months ago, she had lost her son. She lives on Aztec Street and says they had heavy drug activity. "I haven't been here long but long enough time to know your town is in trouble." She asked how many other lives needed to be taken before something happens. "My son was a victim to the streets of Hurley, and nobody is doing anything about it."

Representative Luis Terrazas attended to provide a legislative update to the council. He commented on what people had said in public comment and said it has been a problem all over the state. "People are struggling and suffering all over."

Terrazas spoke concerning the animal shelter and the Department of Finance will be looking for input on how to distribute the $5 million allocated to animal welfare.

He spoke to the trouble all departments have had to find police. The legislature had been able to pass the return to work so officers that have retired can come back and not lose their pensions. It had been passed last year and this year they had made a few changes to make it better.

Terrazas said he would only be addressing the council on legislative updates but told the audience he would be glad to stay afterward and speak to the public and help any way he can.

Hurley had done well on capital outlay. They have many needs in New Mexico and especially in the rural areas. He has three counties and $2.5 million to distribute. Every year they have a process at Western New Mexico University for Prospectors and the presentations of needs far outweigh the fund available. They tend to have $2 for every $100 requested. It makes it hard.

Hurley ended up with $1.5 million for water systems and $150,000 for vehicles.

He said he hears sadness in their voices when talking about loss of life from fentanyl and drugs. Because he owns a mortuary in Deming, they have to respond to picking up bodies on the border. "No matter what side of the fence you are on, at the end of the day it is a loss of life." They had to pick up a 12-year-old girl and sometimes having to pick up three and four bodies at the same time. He did have a highlight. They had not had a death call on the border since the beginning of the year. "It is the first time in years we have not had death calls."

As legislators, they can help border security. Some of the problems has been drugs and human trafficking. Last year he had junior funds and had been able to provide $20,000 to help SASS (Silver Regional Sexual Assault Sexual Support Services). They had a conference to address human trafficking. This year they had not received junior funds that are sometimes called grow funds. Last year they had been able to fund the police on the border with license plate readers, which had helped to find and arrest people they would not have maybe found before. A group of legislators had come together and put in more telecommunication towers along the board so continual communication would be available.

Capital outlay can only be used for buildings, equipment, cars, infrastructure.

Terrazas co-sponsored HB 47 would give veterans a $10,000 deduction for property taxes. It had only been $2,000 breore. Disability would add on to that. Terrazas also co-sponsored HB 161 that provides free day passes to the state parks for veterans.

The medical malpractice issue continues to be a problem in the state and has caused many doctors to leave. Terrazas has worked with doctors for 37 years and they have been leaving because of this in the past three to four years. The community used to have many small practices and individual ones.

He had a few bills he had run trying to help the rural areas and provide exemptions or increase payments for independent health care professionals.

Terrazas addressed fire prevention. He had worked on a bill for archaeological surveys. Before a thinning project can happen, an archaeological survey must be done. In the past it had to be a certified archaeologist. This bill would allow for them to have apprentices and could work a larger area thereby allowing for more thinning to be done and less chance of wildfires.

He supported a bill that would help police officers that have been injured due to a crime. School superintendents had come to him with the problem of extensive absenteeism. They need legislation that holds parents accountable. Gila Regional needed a new CT Scanner. They had been able to help with $700,000. "We tried to spread out the funding available as evenly as possible."

Terrazas had worked on a few things in the tax committee he felt had been very important. The state had a surplus of $3 billion. They could completely eliminate state taxes for people that have been making less than $70,000 a year and it would only cost the state about $70 million. If the state has so much excess money, he wondered why they still keep charging taxes. People have been struggling to pay their bills especially with high inflation. "We need to do more as a state." He tries to support things that will not increase people's taxes and the cost of living. Some legislation has inadvertently added to taxes and the cost of living. More regulations cost businesses that turn that back to everyday costs to residents. "I feel sorry because in my district there's a lot of people on fixed incomes, and that is all they have. I'm trying to hold that line as much as possible."

New Mexico has to recognize where the money for the state comes from. It comes from oil, gas and extraction industries such as copper. Oil and gas have been number one. This state produces the cleanest barrel of oil in the country because of the environmental standards. "By fighting oil and gas we are allowing that barrel of oil to be produced in another state or country. We use that oil every day." Everyone drives on the streets and highways and everyone uses petroleum products. New Mexico has a lake of oil shared with Texas, and if New Mexico doesn't use it Texas will.

"I want to keep jobs here." With a surplus like the state has, taxes could be eliminated and funding could help the needs of small communities.

The last thing Terrazas wanted to address would be the homelessness and the crime problems happening. They have an arsonist in Silver City and Santa Clara and with the wind and weather homes could be lost. This has to be taken seriously. They have been having talks with the District Attorney Norm Wheeler, law enforcement and the county to see what can be done. The problems have been some of the laws passed in the last few sessions in Santa Fe has made it very hard and difficult to hold these people. They have hoped the judges would hear people's cries and go out on a limb and hold these people. Terrazas didn't know how many fires this person has set but he didn't want to see anyone lose their life like his family had in Santa Clara. He had lost an aunt and cousin in a house fire.

Last time a special session had been held in Santa Fe to address crime it had been a waste of time and money. The session ended five hours after it started. They didn't read one bill that addressed crime. "We need to get beyond party lines. We need to start thinking about our families." It needs to be safe for the women and children to walk the streets or go downtown. People want to see crime solved and that will only happen when the parties come together.

Maynes asked about the $1.5 million. Terrazas said that had been for water system improvements. Also, with that they had received $150,000 for vehicles. He wanted to help Hurley as much as possible and said he would like to see the GO building restored and had seen a lot of improvements.

Terrazas has been trying to help community centers and fairgrounds, things that kids would be involved in. He also wanted the council to recognize the legislature has expressed they will not be reauthorizing funds. What that means Terrazas said was when he had been able to have the GO building grant reauthorized but probably will not be able to do that again. They had been told they have too much money sitting there not being used. "My recommendation is to get the money spent and get the projects done so we can keep funding you guys as much as we can moving forward."

Maynes asked about malpractice. Terrazas said he had sponsored bills to address it in different ways. He knew when it first came out it would cause problems. Being in insurance and business he tried to express what would happen and fought hard against it. Doctors have been begging to have that legislation changed back, they show up at the legislature. They had around one hundred doctors show up in white coats.

Terrazas said he had only given them a tiny bit of information and added he had a wish that they didn't have Rs and Ds on their names. Just watch the webcast and see who has been helping you and who has not. "You might be surprised." He said the sessions can be watched live and they record them so they can be watched later.

Maynes said he wanted to respond to some of the public input, and he would only be speaking for himself. When he started on the council, they didn't have any officers and now they have three¬—two amd one uncertified. They have a new clerk and deputy clerk. The town has had many projects upgraded and fixed. "We, as a council, stopped the junkyard and that was to benefit you. We didn't feel it was suitable for our town." The mayor had broken his leg, and he had to fill in to do the duties for a short period of time. "I am doing my due diligence as a citizen of Hurley. I control my neighborhood and have kids. I do my part to make sure my family is safe." He knew not everyone had those capabilities. The citizens need to take action and do their due diligence.

"I cruise the neighborhood three or four times a week, every neighborhood. I can't do anything if I see something, but I can say something." Maynes continued that he cared about the community and had not been selfish. "I am not here for my own good. I don't get any benefit from being here, but I am here to help the community."

Stevens said, "That was very well put." Part of the residents' responsibility would be "if you see something wrong call 911" and they would have someone come. "It is so important to take charge at this time instead of waiting to the next day and then saying something. Building a department takes time and it has not been about the money it had been about the supply. They need to be certified and well trained.

The council approved the consent agenda that included minutes, and department reports except the library report that had not been received.

The council approved the Axon contract for police department body cameras. Kevin Vigil, police chief, said the current contract expires in October. It must be renewed every five years. These cameras will allow them to upload the information for prosecution and crime analysis. He had provided papers to the council that showed the contract broken up into the five years at a cost of $8,700 a year and comes out of the law enforcement fund. These cameras will be the newest technology and spoke to what the capabilities would be. The police department has a fund of $95,000 a year and this cost would come out of that.

The council approved the consolidation of the animal control officer job and code enforcement job. It would include a pay increase. Vigil said he knew it had been separated recently. He had been trying to fill the code enforcement position for some time and had not been able to find anyone. It had been advertised but no applications had come in. He didn't know why it had not had any applicants. Currently the animal control officer had been doing the job of the code enforcement officer. Vigil said they could be setting themselves up for litigation because he doesn't hold that title and explained some scenarios. Also bringing them back together he felt needed an increase in wage. Nothing will change except it will be full-time and the wage will increase from $18.50 an hour to $20 an hour.

Maynes said to be transparent, "Our hands are tied because we know we need an animal control officer and code enforcement officer but the position for code enforcement has been open for a year now and no one applies." He didn't think they could continue to wait. "We can't force people to apply for these positions."

Ordonez referred the resident that said it would be too much work for someone to do both jobs. He asked if this had been discussed with the person that would be taking on both jobs. Vigil said yes and he didn't have any concerns and had actually been the one to initiate the discussion. He had already been doing both, and this would just be adding a title.

The council approved resolution no. 11-2024/2025 accepting the 2024 audit report.

The council approved using Beasley, Mitchell and Company to do the fiscal year 2025 audit. McBride said this would just renew their contract.

The council approved resolution no. 12-2024/2025, supporting the application and pledge of matching funds for the transportation fund. McBride said this would be for design and survey of Chino Boulevard to install sidewalks, curbs and gutters.

The council approved resolution no. 13-2024/2025 for quarterly budget adjustments. McBride explained each adjustment.

Mayor's and councilors' reports

Maynes said he had met with the group that would be planting the trees. They had planted some of the trees in the E Street Park. They will also be removing the invasive Chinese elm trees on First Street and putting in new trees in late May at no cost to the town. They will be working on this project for the next four years. "It is going to help the community look a lot better and really beautiful." He went over some of the other areas they would be working on.

Ordonez said he had referenced a stipend grant for the fire department. The grant will be $25,000 a year. The fire chief has made sure the department will be in full compliance to be eligible for the grant. These funds will be used when called out on a fire and will be a great incentive for the department volunteer members.

Phillips didn't have anything to report currently.

Candelaria said his main goal at the beginning had been to have the administration office situated with their technology and explained what he had done. He will also be working on enhancing the communication

Stevens said, "I appreciate all the effort while I was gone." He congratulated the council and residents for supporting the council and making the town better. "We are trying, and we will continue to try."

McBride said the town had been working with the Copper Collaborative, an effort between the three municipalities to do cleanups. Previous years they each did their own and this year they will be trying something new. Each municipality and their maintenance department will go to one of the towns and everyone will work together. First, they did Santa Clara, and Bayard will be in June and Hurley in July. They also had volunteers from Freeport McMoRan come help and they also sponsor the event.

Even if residents had appliances they could not discard by themselves, it would be picked up and hauled off for them. Residents just had to put things on the sidewalks or alley ways, and it was picked up. Hurley's will be July 25, 2025. That gives residents time to work on their yards and gather items to be hauled off.

Special meeting May 27, 2025, at 4:pm
The next regular meeting will be June 10, 2025, at 5:00 pm.

Meeting adjourned.