Clovis District 1 commission seat to open up

CLOVIS — The Clovis city commission will have a new District 1 commissioner later this year, as Leo Lovett has accepted a promotion that will eventually take him from Clovis.

Lovett, who was elected to the open District 1 seat in March 2020, has been promoted to US Bank’s rural relationship manager for the Rural Business Bankers of New Mexico. The job will require a move to Las Cruces by the end of 2021, and Lovett anticipates he’ll turn his commission resignation in three to four months from now.

“There’s no timetable and no real rush to get out to Clovis,” Lovett said. “I want to make sure there’s a good transition, not only for the Clovis branch, but for the city commission.”

When Lovett does resign, the city commission will have 30 days from the date of the vacancy to select a new commissioner from registered voters who live in District 1. The person selected would serve at least through March, and the remaining two years of the term would be on the March 1, 2022 municipal election ballot.

There should be little difficulty finding candidates. Lovett was elected from a field of seven people who ran for the spot in 2020.