Title
Follow up Discussion and Possible Action on Revising Elected Officials Salaries
Recommended Action
I move that Council direct the County Manager to finalize ordinances for the revised salaries as follows: Councilor salary ______________; County Clerk salary _________; Probate Judge salary ____________; Assessor salary _______; and Municipal Judge salary $118,838.
Body
Background
The salaries for the Los Alamos County’s Elected Officials are stated in the Municipal Code. The Code also states which officials are considered full-time, which is only the Clerk currently. Historically, the State of New Mexico set a cap for the elected officials’ salaries. Most recently in 2022, Los Alamos County adopted Ordinance Nos. 02-330 and 02-331 which set the elected officials’ salaries to the State cap as follows:
Councilors - $12,674
Council Chair - $12,674 + $3,170 = $15,844
Clerk - $73,733
Assessor - $7,922
Sheriff - $7,922
Probate Judge - $4,636
Municipal Judge - $104,604
New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 4, the County Officer Salaries Amendment, was on the ballot in New Mexico as a legislatively referred constitutional amendment on November 5, 2024. The ballot measure was approved which amended the State Constitution to authorize the board of county commissioners to set salaries for county officers. This amendment, essentially, removed the State cap for elected officials’ salaries.
This is a follow up discussion on this topic. On September 9, 2025, Council took the following action:
"A second subsequent motion was made by Councilor Ryti, seconded by Councilor Hermann, that Council request that the County Manager and County Attorney draft an ordinance for salary for the Municipal Court Judge based on the ninety percent (90%) of the Magistrate Court Judge salary and that the ordinance further reflect increases to the Magistrate Court Judge Salary as budget allows in future terms."
In addition to formal action, Council also asked that salaries for the elect...
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