Assessor's appointment decision postponed

Curry County will do without an official assessor for at least a while longer.

After the abrupt and as-of-yet unexplained resignation of former Assessor Randa Jesko last month, county commissioners met Tuesday with four candidates to replace her on an interim basis. After discussing, commissioners decided to give themselves until at least their next meeting to make an appointment.

“I want to make sure that I make the best informed decision that I can,” said Commission Chair Robert Thornton.

The appointed assessor will fill the role until the end of 2024, when the winner of the November election will take office. Candace London, the deputy assessor who held the elected position prior to Jesko, is overseeing the office at the moment, but term limits prevent her from actually being appointed interim assessor.

Background

County officials remain tight-lipped about circumstances surrounding Jesko’s departure.

Jesko, who was elected to office in 2022 after running unopposed, resigned Oct. 15 without giving a public reason.

Records obtained last month under New Mexico’s Inspection of Public Records Act showed Jesco’s resignation was preceded by an investigation into personnel policy violation allegations, a process that cost the county more than $14,000.

Those records show an investigation was opened in mid-July and a finalized report was issued to the county by Holcomb Law Office in Albuquerque on Sept. 19.

County officials declined to say whether the investigation concluded anyone violated personnel policy.

On Nov. 3, attorney Daniel Macke of Albuquerque-based Macke Law & Policy declined to release further information requested under the state sunshine laws, saying that “findings, summary and investigation, including transcripts” in the investigation are exempt.

Macke also declined to release emails about the investigation requested by The News.

“There are no emails prior to or after the investigation to the Commission from the County Manager or vice versa related to the investigative report,” Macke said in an email. “There was one communication made to the Commission and to myself regarding the resignation of Ms. Jesko, which refers to the investigation, and other personnel matters, but which is likewise exempt as an attorney-client privileged communication.”

Jesko could not be reached for comment.

Candidates

The interim assessor candidates -- Sam Kelley, Ben McDaniel, Julie Brooks and Rodney Daron Roach -- offer a variety of public and private sector experiences.

Kelley, an appraiser who has worked for the Curry County Assessor’s Office for 12 years, pointed to the length of his experience.

“I know the office in and out,” he said.

Six employees of the Assessor’s Office, including London, wrote a letter of support for Kelley’s candidacy.

McDaniel, a former two-term Curry County commissioner, touted his own experience in government as well as in the private sector, where he said he has mostly worked in business management.

“I think it’s good in a sense to have somebody with experience with county government and with the commission,” McDaniel said. “I think that lends to a real opportunity to different county departments working better together. … At the same time, I would still be kind of a fresh presence in that office and not totally ingrained.”

Brooks comes from a lengthy career in the real estate industry, where she worked as an escrow officer and title agent, among other positions. Most of that time was at Landmark Title in Clovis, which Brooks said “provided me with a deep understanding of our community, real estate, all kinds of taxes, manufactured homes and the nightmares that come with it, parcel splits, etc.”

Brooks described herself as “customer-oriented” and said she built strong relationships with clients over many years.

Roach, who is preparing to retire as a Curry County sheriff’s deputy, spent years working in law enforcement at both the sheriff’s office and the Clovis Police Department. He also worked for a stint as director of building safety for the city of Clovis.

Roach said he would like to address complaints he’s heard in the community about issues with the assessor’s office.

“I feel that I could really make a difference,” he said. “I feel I could make things better.”