Gary Whitehead is selected as city manager
Whitehead starts Monday, his native status and familiarity with the city and its people perhaps giving him a leg up in hitting the ground running.
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.
Pay raise still puts T or C police salaries way below nearby cities and county
Pathetic pay raise for T or C police is not enough to stop the revolving door.
Not even trying to look impartial–elected officials and county manager nominate Sierra County Arroyo Flood Control District directors
Fair and equitable distribution of the new flood control tax? Most likely ranchers will continue to benefit much more than city dwellers.
City manager job will probably go to a local
We so need to correct bad practices that got us into the current utility crises. I say an outsider, with utility management and city planning experience, is the best choice, not more of the same.
Censure attempt based on house of cards
A house divided cannot stand, and the Regional Spaceport District board is divided between build-it-and-they-will-come believers and show-me-your-business-plan realists.
T or C to pay $87,000 in damages to woman hit by car being chased by police
Two and a half years ago Robbie Montgomery was hit by a car being chased by a T or C police officer near Bullocks grocery store.The city will pay her $87,000 in damages.
“Why even have an RR-I zone?”
The city hands out variances like candy, regularly punching holes in the zoning code.
Special election on police building’s financing just got really complicated
The people are bound to be confused by the March 4 special election. That may be the point. Low-information voters may pass higher tax and debt measures without knowing it.
Otto Rigan’s sculptures speak to us in the universal language of forms
A sculptor with a career in creating art for public spaces is making his home here--a new light in the area.
Any qualified, savvy volunteers out there who want to be a flood-control director?
Five "directors" will be appointed to run the new flood-control taxing district that was approved by Sierra Countians Nov. 5. These volunteer directors will serve about a year, until the electorate can choose their representatives during local elections, November 2025.
Will spaceport GRT go to new capital projects?
The uses of the spaceport gross receipts tax keeps growing and expanding, as does the spaceport's need for it. Will local taxes forever subsidize the spaceport? Dona Ana County's especially?
Five city managers in five years—T or C city commission needs to change its selection process
If the city commission doesn't sharply define city problems, it can't seek or hire a city manager with the needed qualities to address them.