County manager's contract, pay raise up for vote at meeting

PORTALES -- Roosevelt County Manager Amber Hamilton’s contract extension and pay raise is up for another vote at the county’s next commission meeting, on Monday.

Hamilton on Nov. 22 was given a $15,000 per year raise making her annual salary $112,000. She also received a two-year contract extension. Commissioners approved the pay raise by a 4-1 vote and the contract extension by a 3-2 vote.

District 4 Commissioner Tina Dixon voted against both measures.

“I had no idea we were even going to discuss it [Hamilton’s contract and pay],” Dixon said. “We had not conducted an evaluation on her in well over a year and her contract was not due to expire until June 2023.”

Dixon said she didn’t see the need to “rush into such a contract. I also didn’t feel there was adequate public notice or transparency,” Dixon said.

District 2 Commissioner Rodney Savage joined Dixon in opposing the contract extension.

Hamilton’s contract discussion was not on the agenda for the Nov. 22 meeting, prompting The Eastern New Mexico News to file a public records request asking for documentation that allowed the commissioners’ actions. The attorney general’s compliance guide for the state’s Open Meetings Act states, “Except for emergency matters, a public body shall take action only on items appearing on the agenda.”

In response to the newspaper’s questions, County Attorney Michael Garcia wrote:

“Though Roosevelt County has handled such contracts in a similar fashion over the years, because of the apparent objections noted in your article [of Nov. 23], and to put to rest any concerns, this matter will be placed on the December 5, 2022 agenda.”