IGNACIO – Community members voiced concerns over staff raises, the town manager’s pay rate and overall transparency in one of the most tense Board of Trustees meetings in the last six months.
The town board met last week to finalize expenditures in the draft budget, such as nonprofit funding and staff health care, and to complete other governance tasks. The town plans to finalize its 2020 budget during its Dec. 16 meeting.
However, the board and community members spent much of the Nov. 18 meeting in debate. Topics included concerns about potentially discriminatory comments made by a board member and how to remove the current town manager.
“Most citizens are fairly satisfied with the job this board has been doing,” said Trustee Alison deKay, pointing to the last two elections, in which board members ran unopposed. “This is a small portion of the community, and the narrative that the town is not being transparent or communicating is a false one.”
More than five community members – a large audience for an Ignacio board meeting – disagreed.
For example, Chris May, a former planning commissioner and Ignacio resident, said he had trouble accessing the meeting agenda and suggested the town conduct a citizen-satisfaction survey.
The town posts meeting notices online 24 hours before a meeting in compliance with state law. It also posts agendas in Town Hall and at the post office, said Tuggie Dunton, town clerk.
During the board’s 2020 pay raise discussions, community members expressed concerns about potential age discrimination and objections to the town manager’s pay rate.
Trustee Tom Atencio named two town employees and suggested that the town cap their pay because the employees were close to retirement. Atencio suggested that pay increases should be used to attract new employees.
“I’m not trying to force them out, but they should be cross-training so they can pursue retirement,” Atencio said.
“You’re opening the town up to an age-discrimination lawsuit because of your comments in a public meeting,” said Mandy Brown, an Ignacio planning commission member.
The town board did not pursue Atencio’s suggestion. Board members advised town staff to include 4% merit raises – which are contingent on performance reviews – for all employees in the 2020 budget.
Community members objected to a 4% raise for Mark Garcia, interim town manager, and asked how he could be removed.
“You’re supposed to be working for the town citizens; however, instead of negotiating the best prices, you’re saying that you’re trying to give more?” said Brown, who manages a Facebook group that is often critical of town decisions and the town manager.
Garcia works with towns on a contractual basis, often helping governments get their affairs in order.
The town budgets $80,000, plus about $23,000 in benefits, for the town manager position, according to the 2020 draft budget. Garcia made $100,000 in 2018 and will earn an estimated $115,000 in 2019, but he does not receive a benefits package from the town. He works 25 to 50 hours each week in Ignacio and also works with Ridgway and Monte Vista.
“Is there a process to get the town manager out?” said Trennie Collins, president of the Ignacio Chamber of Commerce and a Durango resident, during the meeting.
The board and staff said the board can remove Garcia. The public can vote to recall board members or wait until three seats, held by deKay, Sandra Maez and Edward Box III, are up for election in 2020.
When Garcia arrived in Ignacio in 2015, the town had less than $250,000 in its general fund balance, and the town was about $300,000 over budget, Garcia said in an interview. A staff member embezzled about $70,000 from the town because it did not have checks and balances in place.
In 2019, the town has an estimated $950,000 in its general fund balance. It has paid off $600,000 in debt, purchased real estate for future economic development projects, created a check-and-balance system, and stabilized staff and board roles.
“I would personally recommend hiring him as the full-time manager at any time,” deKay said, echoing support from several board members.
smullane@durangoherald.com
