Welfare queen mentality combined with rah-rah palaver reveals mayor’s conceit and ignorance
If you are going to brag, it shouldn't be about getting a welfare check from the government.
Kathleen Sloan
Kathleen Sloan has been a local-government reporter for 17 years, covering counties and cities in three states—New Mexico, Iowa and Florida. She has also covered the arts for various publications in Virginia, New Mexico and Iowa. Sloan worked for the Truth or Consequences Herald newspaper from 2006 to 2013; it closed December 2019. She returned to T or C in 2019 and founded the online newspaper, the Sierra County Sun, with Diana Tittle taking the helm as editor during the last year and a half of operation. The Sun closed December 2021, concurrent with Sloan retiring. SierraCountySun.org is still an open website, with hundreds of past articles still available. Sloan is now a board member of the not-for-profit organization, the Sierra County Public-Interest Journalism Project, which supported the Sun and is currently sponsoring the Sierra County Citizen, another free and open website. Sloan is volunteering as a citizen journalist, covering the T or C beat. She can be reached at kathleen.sloan@gmail.com or 575-297-4146.
New court case against city: nepo baby vs. whistleblower
An employee pointed out his boss, the mayor's son, O.J. Hechler, was hired as a felon who was still on probation, in violation of city policy. He was fired shortly afterward.
Rough start for Sierra County Arroyo Flood Control District Directors
Can this board set the mission and policies that will stick? They have 10 months as temporary appointees. Or will their work be wiped out, swept away by successors, since each of their five seats will be on the November 2025 ballot?
City Manager Gary Whitehead is exercising oversight over capital projects
Whitehead is saving the people a lot of money by critically evaluating capital projects and just in time. Over the past 10 years capital projects have burgeoned from less than $2 million a year to $73 million this year due to long neglect of city infrastructure.
T or C Infrastructure Capital Improvements Plan–process and projects list pared down for greater impact
Next year's ICIP process will be better, since new City Manager Gary Whitehead is making city doings a thousand times more transparent. This year's process was the same kabuki theater.
New Mexico Copper Corporation will still use a lot of water
270 jobs for maybe 20 years if copper prices don't fall in exchange for a polluted site for 100 or more years that will repel tourists and recreation seekers? Sounds like a trade-off a desperate third-world country would make.
Solar farm has not been operating for two years
The usual passivity from T or C city commissioners when the electric department director reported the solar farm hasn't operated for two years. We're just hearing about it now? Cancel the stupid contract for nonperformance while you can!
County Commission passes .50 mill levy for Sierra County Arroyo Flood Control District
How many voters understood they were raising taxes when they approved the new flood control taxing district on the November 2024 ballot? How many voters understood there was already a 1.50 mill levy for flood control?
Biggest budget T or C has ever had—60 percent is capital projects
Sixty years of neglect of city infrastructure on top of yearly operations makes for a swollen budget. New City Manager Gary Whitehead and staff have a very good handle on the issues and on the finances, which shows in the budget document.
Riverbend gets “new water appropriation” of 96 acre feet a year for commercial use
Riverbend's glacial slow-walk as a legal strategy paid off, scrapping off all but one protestant. It has cornered the market on commercial hot springs, maybe to the detriment of the whole system, with the city and Office of the State Engineer looking away.
T or C being sued for damages related to Shaquille Ferguson Jr.’s death
The reverberations of this child's death are still rippling outward, with accountability for child abuse and neglect extending from the father to the city, city police and CYFD.
T or C audit for fiscal year 2024, some thoughts
It was a banner year for gross receipts tax revenues, which nicely fattened the bottom line. Lean years behind and ahead though.