Vega-Finch is interim county manager

Socorro County Board of Commissioners named Sammy Vega- Finch, county financial director, to serve as an interim replacement for County Manager Michael Hawkes, for 90 days.

The appointment will come with an increase in pay to be addressed in a personnel action, said Socorro County Attorney Adren Nance.

“Just to be clear for county employees, the finance director during the interim period, if the manager is not available or on site, will fill those shoes,” Nance said.

In a follow up after the meeting, Hawkes told the Chieftain “Mrs. Vega-Finch is highly qualified and is assisting me in transitioning back to work.”

Law Enforcement
in Alamo

During Sheriff Lee Armijo’s department report, commissioners approved his request to move the discussion and direction to staff regarding Alamo Navajo Resource Meeting’s agenda item up.

Armijo said that he has a schedule of patrolling in Alamo, often going himself, and on top of sending two deputies once a week.

“What Alamo needs is they need us to get with the leaders of Alamo, the school board, the chapter, the chapter representatives. The county commission and the sheriff what we need is the backing of the people as well and we need to go talk to the Navajo Nation leaders and absolutely raise hell as to why there is nobody there; I can’t do it as sheriff they will scoot me away,” Armijo said. “It’s going to take an entire community to go out there and say, hey, we need law enforcement out there.”

He said that currently there is only one tribal officer in Alamo and is concerned about the lack of law enforcement and support for deputies there.

Commissioner and Vice-Chairman, Craig Secatero confirmed that there was one officer in the community and has seen the unit periodically around. He did reach out to his council delegates to start having a presence in the community.

“My response is that I’m sorry you feel like that, our most important thing, and their most important thing is public safety,” Secatero said.

Armijo agreed, saying “It would be so much easier for us if we have a Navajo police officer there and I would love to sit down with their leaders.”

Commissioner and Chairman Ray Martinez asked for clarification on the issue, saying that at a DWI meeting he attended he was told different information that the county isn’t up there, and that they aren’t allowed to make arrests.

“We are up there and if people say we don’t do anything when we are up there, I beg to differ because I have the statistics to prove it,” said Armijo.

Martinez requested to put the discussion on the next meeting and invite chapter and school board representatives and anyone else who could come to continue the discussion.
Lauren Billy handles adult and juvenile probation in Alamo. She said she has heard a lot of concerns in the community and has her own concerns.

“I like the idea that you said you are going to get some of the key people to come together to try and address this again,” Billy said. “Even just the presence (of law enforcement) in the community, that makes a difference.”

“I hear it almost daily from people in Alamo that there is no coverage, people are scared to leave their homes and that’s bad,” said Martinez. “I think it’s time that we do something.”

Councilors voted to add the topic to the next meeting agenda with the plan to invite more to participate.

During public comment, a representative from Valley Sanitation, Larry Leyba, said he wanted to give a heads up that their price structure and schedule changes will be on the next agenda. Valentin Anaya announced that “Elevate the Spectrum” is hosting Autism Day at the Round House on Jan. 17 at the east hall.

Athena Gassoum, a Magdalena resident, said she wanted the pack of dangerous dogs on record, in hopes that an MOU between the village and county animal control is created as soon as possible. Linda Mares, of the Socorro Senior Center, requested the donation of the bingo board that not’s being used at the Veguita Senior Center so they could continue to do bingo.

In other business, the annual reorganization included keeping Martinez and Secatero as chairman and vice chair respectively; most business was kept the same. The MOU between the Socorro County DWI program passed. Juneteenth, a federal and state holiday, was voted in to be recognized as a holiday for the county as well.