This three-part series reports on which candidates showed up at Tuesday’s forum at the Albert J. Lyon Event Center and what they revealed about their qualifications and grasp of the challenges facing the bodies they seek to lead. Part 2 covers the candidates running for Village of Williamsburg trustee and City of Truth or Consequences commissioner.
This three-part series reports on which candidates showed up at Tuesday’s forum at the Albert J. Lyon Event Center and what they revealed about their qualifications and grasp of the challenges facing the bodies they seek to lead. Part 1 covers the candidates running to serve on the board of education of the Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools.
Truth or Consequences City Manager Bruce Swingle asked the commissioners for time to assess whether the city’s electric meter replacement project completed last year for more than 4,000 customers has resulted in increased electric utility revenues and other promised benefits.
City commission takes no immediate action on smart water meters Read More »
The Sun’s search for explanations for discrepancies between state and federal reports of local vaccination numbers and rates calls into question the comparability and reliability of both sets of COVID-19 data.
How reliable is vaccination data for Sierra County? Read More »
By delaying the appointment until they see the election results, the remaining Truth or Consequences commissioners have given themselves a larger array of options for preserving their majority voice.
City Commission will wait until after municipal election to fill Aragon’s seat Read More »
The independent, nonpartisan New Mexico Citizens Redistricting Committee has received accolades across the political spectrum for an outreach effort that has allowed the public to participate in the vetting and creation of maps that redraw the boundaries of legislative and Congressional districts. The question remains: Will state legislators pay the committee’s recommendations any mind?
Pueblo map seeks to spread power, but Republicans fear loss of New Mexico House seat Read More »
The staff and city commission of the City of Truth or Consequences are relying on the upcoming presentation by a smart meter vendor to help them decide whether to buy and install smart water meters at the properties of the city’s 3,500 water utility customers.
With early voting set to begin tomorrow for a regular local election to be held on Nov. 2, this piece, which originally ran in the Sun in October 2019, has been updated and re-posted to facilitate consideration of alternative voting systems that might result over time in the election of a group of commissioners who more closely reflect the social and political diversity of the city.
Analysis: T or C’s voting system for city commissioners preserves status quo leadership Read More »
Truth or Consequences water rates went up 5.4 percent in September, an automatic yearly increase tied to the Consumer Price Index. How do the new rates stack up with those charged by comparably sized rural cities?
T or C’s water rate increase is over 5 percent Read More »
At last week’s meeting of the Truth or Consequences City Commission, City Manager Bruce Swingle displayed his continuing determination to improve T or C’s governance while simultaneously dealing with a cash crisis and failing infrastructure. In one fell swoop, Swingle won the commission’s unanimous approval of overhauls of the city’s antiquated personnel and procurement policies, an upgraded risk control program and contract extensions or renewals for crucial services provided by independent contractors.
Swingle puts key pieces of city governance in place Read More »
The answer, in the experience of one Sierra Countian, appears to be nobody in government, even though all state agencies and departments have been authorized by the New Mexico Department of Health to “take all appropriate steps to ensure compliance.”
Who enforces the mask mandate in New Mexico? Read More »
This is the second and final part in a series examining the refusal by the Truth or Consequences City Commission twice in the past two years to hold referendums on citizens’ proposed smart meter legislation. As filing suit in district court is the only recourse available to petitioners denied their proposed legislation’s day at the ballot box, Part 2 examines pertinent case law precedents that may support or rebut the city’s rationale.
News analysis: Legal precedents for citizens seeking relief from denied elections Read More »
Truth or Consequences City Commissioner Randall Aragon broke a well-kept secret in announcing his resignation from the commission at the body’s regular meeting yesterday. The timing of his departure for a new job in Texas means his successor will be appointed by his fellow commissioners, not elected by the T or C voters.
Presented with more than $6.4 million in infrastructure needs, the Sierra County Commission this week selected the five capital improvement projects they believed will be of the greatest benefit and explained their rationales for their top choices for funding by the state legislature.
The vast majority of Sierra Vista Hospital’s staff are willingly complying with new state and federal COVID-19 vaccination and testing orders. The requirements are not a source of attrition or hiring problems—as believed by mistaken hospital board members.
Vaccine mandate’s negative affect on hospital exaggerated Read More »
Whether the owners of the Copper Flat Mine near Hillsboro can transfer the rights to leased water the mine MUST have to reopen and operate will be determined at a protest hearing to be held by the New Mexico Office of the State Engineer next September.
News analysis: Go/no go determination for Copper Flat Mine finally in sight? Read More »
The Truth or Consequences City Commission refuses to listen to reasoned arguments about why its $50 monthly charge for opting out of smart meter installation is unfair.
Twice in the last two years the Truth or Consequences City Commission has refused to hold a referendum on citizens’ proposed smart meter legislation. Part 1 of a two-part series recaps these events and lays out the commissioners’ and city staff’s reasons for dismissing officially verified special election petitions. As filing suit in district court is the only recourse available to petitioners denied their proposed legislation’s day at the ballot box, Part 2 will examine pertinent case-law precedents that seem to support or rebut the city’s rationale.
News analysis: Has T or C flouted state election laws—again? Read More »
New Mexico’s new cannabis industry pits growers against communities, both needing a precious commodity: water.
The City of Truth or Consequences must find up to $2.5 million in new revenues or expenditure cuts in order to end its longstanding practice of using funds meant to cover maintenance, repair and replacement of utilities infrastructure for general operations. But the city commissioners cut short a recent budget workshop aimed at helping them determine what sources of new income should be pursued and what expenditures should be cut.