Commission approves $25K raise for county manager

At a sparsely attended, lateafternoon special meeting last Thursday (Dec. 28), the Taos County Commission delivered three year’s worth of raises to County Manager Brent Jaramillo.

Jaramillo, who is also a Questa village councilor, took over the top county post in March 2019 after Leonardo Cordova resigned.

The commission, three members of which subsequently left office on Saturday (Dec. 31), also offered Jaramillo the choice between the use of a county vehicle or a $6,000 vehicle allowance on top of his new salary, which now amounts to $130,073.97 annually. The raise doesn’t capture the income Jaramillo would have gained had he been given the same annual percentage raise each previous year, but catches him up to the pay scale he would have achieved through annual pay hikes.

Jaramillo’s performance evaluations had been delayed due to the pandemic, according to outgoing District 1 Commissioner Jim Fambro, who noted that the county manager’s original $105,000 contract stipulated that he undergo an evaluation each year. Fambro added that Jaramillo’s new salary is on par with that of county managers in other New Mexico counties the size of Taos.

“We went back and averaged the consumer price index for the three years he was due an increase and did not get one,” Fambro said, noting that the county utilized the same consumer price index figure to calculate other county employees’ raises in 2022. “That would come to a little over a 5.5 percent increase.”

Fambro noted that “there’s other things on Jaramillo’s [new] contract: He must be on call 365 days a year, 24/7, with exceptions for medical leave” and other leave. “That’s why we have [Deputy County Manager] Jason [Jaramillo] and other staff.”

With the exception of District 5 Commissioner Candyce O’Donnell, who did not attend the special meeting, the commission approved Jaramillo’s new contract. The commission recognized that Jaramillo never demanded a raise during his three years as manager before adjourning the meeting.

“That’s it for us today,” said District 3 Commissioner Darlene Vigil.

“That’s it for our eight years,” Fambro replied.

“Congratulations Mr. Jaramillo; thank you for your hard work,” Vigil added before the late-night meeting drew to a close.

“Thank you for the faith you have within me, and I won’t let you guys down,” Jaramillo said.

COURTESY PHOTO Brent Jaramillo took on the role of Taos County Manager in March, 2019. He received his first raise last month as part of his first-ever contract renegotiation.