Alamogordo Town News: Let's Get Involved! Encouraging Civic Engagement with your City Commission Representatives.

The Commission / City Manager form of government governs the City of Alamogordo, New Mexico. 

Voters elect a Mayor and six Commissioners who meet twice a month to set forth City policy. The Commission appoints a City Manager to oversee the daily operations of the City. 

Alamogordo was incorporated in 1912. It is a charter city (also called a home rule city), and the charter is included as Part I of the Code of Ordinances. It has a Council-manager government form of government (called Commission/Manager in New Mexico).  There are seven city commissioners, each elected from a district within the city, on staggered 4-year terms

The city manager is considered the chief executive officer of the city and is tasked to enforce and implement the City Council's directives and policy. The mayor is a member of the City Council. As of 2018, Richard Boss holds the position of mayor.

Alamogordo's fiscal year ends on June 30 each year. The sources of City government income and their percentages of the whole were: gross receipts tax (31%), miscellaneous (23%), grants (22%), user fees (19%), and property tax (5%). The annual budget of the City of Alamogordo is around $61 Million a year in revenues verses spending. A copy of the most recent city audit may be found at

https://ci.alamogordo.nm.us/DocumentCenter/View/7271/City-of-Alamogordo-Final-Audit-FY20

The mayor and board of commissioners is elected to craft the budget, lead the vision of the city, lead in business development and the quality of life for Alamogordo's citizens. As citizens we each have an obligation to participate in the process of holding commissioners and the mayor accountable to represent the interest of the citizens, to grow the business climate, to ensure the safety and security of city residents and to ensure there is a school system preparing students for 21st Century job training and and ensuring citizens are prepared for shifting changes in the years to come. The commission is responsible for the cities infrastructure maintenace, the water and sewer system and ensuring the health, safety and welfare of its citizens. Its role is to COLLABORATE with the county government, the state, the governors office and the federally elected representatives and senators. A city government that collaborates with the various branches and levels of government is a government that is most successful in providing for the needs of its citizens.

Commission meetings are open to the public. Public comment drives policy when the public is involved and informed of ordinances which may impact their health, safety or economic risks to their homes, properties or businesses. It is important that citizens keep a check on the commission and its actions or they may be suprised down the road in laws that are created and the long term inpact to them as citizens.

One such ordinance recently exposed as a concern to some citizens is the connectivity to the city sewer systems in roadways and that the homeowner is liable for repairs to any connections when even in the streets. This law has only been on the books for 20 years. For the 88 years prior the city assumed financial responsibilities for sewer connections in the streets. However 20 years ago the ordinance was changed and as such the financial risk for older sewer connection and damages under the roadways are not a burden to the homeowner or property owner. For 88 years prior that was not the case but the commission changed the ordinance and now the homeowner is responsible. This is just one example of how policy or ordinance changes happen, the public doesn't pay attention and then suddenly when an issue happens to their property they realize they are now responsible.

Citizens must watch, listen and participate in public debate, read city ordinances and understand the economic impact that slight changes to city ordinances can have on them as citizens, as homeowners or as business owners...

https://library.municode.com/nm/alamogordo/codes/code_of_ordinances

City Commission meetings have been held virturally but as the state opens back up so will meetings and citizens will be able to attend and to comment in person...

The Commission Meeting will be a VIRTUAL MEETING
with City Commission and City staff participating through video. The link is:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTTgU3xsQBqlyRaME7TaYrQ/live
Richard Boss .......................................................................... Mayor
Nadia Sikes ...............................................Mayor Pro­Tem, District 2
Jason Baldwin .................................................................... District 1
Susan Payne ........................................................................District 3
Josh Rardin ..........................................................................District 4
Sharon McDonald ............................................................... District 5
Dusty Wright ....................................................................... District 6
Brian Cesar .................................................................. City Manager
Petria Bengoechea ........................................................City Attorney
Rachel Hughs .....................................................................City Clerk

Citizens should call their commissioners and email their commissioners public comment and items that are of concern to them that they want placed on the agenda for discussion.

Phone numbers to call commissioners are...

City Commission / City Manager
Richard Boss, Mayor at Large (575-214-0024)
Nadia Sikes, Mayor Pro-Tem/District 2 (575-491-7910)
Jason Baldwin, District 1 (575-921-1093)
Susan Payne, District 3 (575-491-0211)
Joshua Rardin, District 4 (575-434-0720)
Sharon McDonald, District 5 (575-446-9910)
Dustin Wright, District 6 (575-430-3395)
Brian Cesar, City Manager (575-439-4203)

Commission Meetings are held the 2nd and 4th Tuesday of each month (except for
November & December due to holidays) at 6:30 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall. 

As of May 2020, due to Covid-19, Commission meetings are being held via Zoom & live streamed on YouTube at this link https://bit.ly/2XvNcGm

Meetings may continue to be held remotely until State mandates change. For full meeting
schedules, agendas, and deadline dates, visit our meetings webpage at https://bit.ly/2o8eYX8.
Auxiliary Aids for the hearing impaired are available for use in the Commission Chambers upon request.

Please contact the City Clerk’s Office at least 24 hours prior to any scheduled meeting to make
arrangements for use of this equipment. The Alamogordo Commission Chambers is wheelchair
accessible. Other special assistance for disabled attendees must be requested 48 hours in advance by contacting the City Clerk’s Office at 575-439-4100.

Citizen participation is important for government at the city, county, state and national level. Every day we are bombarded with what is happening in Washington via president Biden and the congress. Don't let that distract you from the fact that the government actions that have the most impact on you as a homeowner or business owner in the city of Alamogordo is not what the governor does or what President Biden does. Those regulations and decisions that have the greatest impact on your pocket book, on your ability to conduct business and on your home ownership and property rights are crafted by your local politicians at the city level within Alamogordo and the county level in regards to issues around public health and safety.

Particpate, hold your local elected representatives accountable. Get involved, stay involved!

Live informed, involved and actively participating in what impacts you most!

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