Parting wisdom
3 leaving Sandoval County commission
Outgoing commissioners offer advice to the new representatives
Sandoval County commissioners ending their terms in office offered some parting advice to their replacements: Listen, learn and work together.
Nora Scherzinger in District 2, Glenn Walters in District 4 and Darryl Madalena in District 5 attended their final commission meeting on Dec. 8.
Their respective successors — Jay Block, Dave Heil and F. Kenneth Eichwald — were sworn into office on Friday.
The Observer caught up with the three departing commissioners last week to discuss their proudest moments in office, future plans and what advice they’d pass on to the new commissioners.
Walters, of Rio Rancho, said commissioners should try to always read the information that’s presented to them and to go out visit the county’s many facilities.
“More than talking, you’re listening to what is going on,” he said. “When you go visit different locations, you find out what the county really does.”
Walters is most proud of the fact that in his eight years in office, the commission never raised taxes to pay operational dollars, he said.
“Even with that, we increased the services we provided at the same time,” he said. “We’ve done that in a variety of ways by leveraging dollars and allocating funds where the core services are.”
He was a bit vague about what he plans to do next.
“I have lots of opportunities,” Walters said. “I will view all of the opportunities and I will discern where my heart is … I will not be a stranger to Sandoval County.”
Madalena, who chaired the commission multiple times during his years with the board, said the most important thing he could recommend to his successors is to work together.
“Being in power is one thing; how to control it is another thing,” he said. “There will be times when you will not agree on a lot of things, but you have to control your emotions.”
There are going to many issues this year, one of which will be how to fund the county’s hospitals, he said.
Voters last month rejected continuation of a 4.25 mill levy to fund operations at Presbyterian Rust Medical Center and UNM Sandoval Regional Medical Center.
“We as a commission haven’t raised taxes in nearly 20 years,” Madalena said. “But with the mill levy not passing, where’s the money going to come from? So working together is going to be a big key.”
Madalena, of Jemez Pueblo, said he’s proudest of the fact that he was able to grow up on the commission, winning election almost straight out of college.
“Just going from a 25-year-old kid to a 34-year-old adult is a big transition,” he said. “Maturity is a big accomplishment.”
For now, parenthood is foremost on Madalena’s agenda, with the addition of a baby boy, Micca, added to the family four months ago. But he’s also got eyes on running for office again in two years.
“Who’s to say I can’t run for office again,” Madalena said. “But being a family man and looking into other possibilities of upcoming interviews are what’s next for me.”
Scherzinger, who was vice chair the past two years, said the best advice she could give new commissioners is to listen carefully, and do what’s best for the county.
Among the challenges facing the commissioners, she said, are the diversity of cultures and people from rural/urban areas and serving a county the size of Sandoval County.
Sherzinger said she was most proud to have worked with the county staff and the commission’s adoption of a responsible balanced budget.
“The commitment I felt from the staff of the county was a rare one, which I directly attribute the strong leadership of County Manager Phil Rios,” she said.
Scherzinger, who was voted to the board of the domestic violence shelter, Haven House, plans to devote as much of her time possible supporting the shelter and staff now, she said.