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1-21-2026 6:31pm
Alamogordo at a Crossroads: The Prolonged City Manager Search, the Withdrawals of External Finalists, Ongoing Political Games
Chris Edwards
Editor
Alamogordo stands at a pivotal moment. After a decade of disruptive turnover in the City Manager’s office—seven managers or acting managers in ten years—the city continues to suffer delayed infrastructure projects, rising water rates, stagnant economic development efforts, declining staff morale, and eroding public trust. The election of Mayor Sharon McDonald out of a race of 5 sent a clear message the voters want to be heard and they want transparency expanded with the efforts former Mayor Susan Payne began.
The current national search for a permanent City Manager, with a salary range of $150000–$175,000, was meant to break this cycle
Instead, recent Commission actions have deepened concerns that entrenched political interests are once again placing factional control above the community’s need for stability and competent leadership.
The Current State of the Search
Following resume screening in early January 2026, in the second search after one earlier this year was tainted resulting in an ethics investigation, three finalists emerged. During the original search process this fall, that was allegedly tainted resulting in an ethics investigation, Dr. Hernandez, via the points rating system, scored higher than any other candidate. According to obtained information during that process “that was despite Commissioners Rardin, Burnett and Guthrie scoring her much lower than she deserved.”
Tuesday, January 20, 2026 a special closed executive session was held , to discuss “limited personnel matters.” By that meeting, two of the three external finalists—Dana Schoening (Tuttle, Oklahoma) and Jerry Flannery (formerly Commerce City, Colorado)—had withdrawn from consideration, reportedly due to the acceptance of other positions with less political gamesmanship. This left Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez, the current Acting City Manager, as the sole remaining candidate who has already demonstrated the ability to successfully lead Alamogordo.
Despite this reality, a puppeteer orchestrated faction led by Mayor Pro Tem Josh Rardin successfully pushed to continue the national search rather than recommend to go forward with a public vote to potentially appoint Dr. Hernandez as a permanent city manager. No recommendation for her was placed on the public agenda for the upcoming January 27 meeting. The decision prolongs instability at a time when continuity is most needed.
Who Is Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez?
Education: Ph.D. with focus on education, government, and public administration.
Experience: Assistant City Manager since 2020; multiple periods as Acting/Interim City Manager (2023 and current term since September 2024), totaling over 20 months leading the organization. Her role as acting city manager exceeds the tenure of several past city managers this past decade. She has managed the full $80–95 million all-funds budget and ~330 employees through repeated leadership transitions and political turbulence.
Major Accomplishments:
• Implemented performance-based budgeting, increasing fiscal transparency
• Strengthened contract and procurement oversight to reduce risk and waste
• Secured multiple infrastructure grants critical to water, roads, and facilities
• Recruited and hired nine new department directors, stabilizing leadership across city operations
• Addressed long-standing self-insurance liabilities
• Maintained essential services and operational continuity despite frequent managerial turnover and external political pressures.
Strong support of military leadership and contacts mutual respect for military influence and collaborations. Served as assistant city leader when the prestigious Military Altus Award was announced to City Leadership for Alamogordo for its Military partnership.
Dr. Hernandez’s tenure has emphasized professional management, workforce development, ethical governance, connections to the military and reform—often in the face of resistance from entrenched networks and political gamesmanship led by the Rardin faction and political insiders.
The Withdrawn Finalists: Experience, Strengths, and Limitations
Dana Schoening (City Administrator, Tuttle, Oklahoma)
Education: Undergraduate, University of Wisconsin–Green Bay; AICP-certified planner (2005); Certified Public Manager (2021).
Experience: Leading a fast-growing bedroom community of only 8,300 residents with a ~$19.5M budget focused primarily on planning, development, and code enforcement.
Strengths: Solid background in managing small towb municipal growth in smaller communities near larger metro areas.
Limitations: Significant scale gap and significant learning curve being from out of state. Tuttle has limited enterprise operations compared to Alamogordo’s complex utilities, airport, zoo, landfill, and public safety responsibilities. Adaptation to New Mexico’s unique revenue structure (heavy reliance on Gross Receipts Tax), statutory requirements, grant compliance, tribal consultation protocols, and bilingual/cultural engagement needs would require substantial time—time Alamogordo cannot afford given its history of short-tenured managers. No experience in military relationships and federal government collaborations shown in job history.
Jerry Flannery (Former City Manager, Commerce City, CO; Former CEO, Highlands Ranch Community Association)
Education: B.S. in Geography and Urban Planning, Arizona State University.
Experience: Managed Commerce City (~70,000 residents, budgets >$100M) during rapid growth; later oversaw large-scale community association operations similar to Mesa Verde a planned unit community.
Strengths: Demonstrated ability to handle large budgets, capital projects, and public-private partnerships.
Limitations: A 2010 housing assistance controversy in Commerce City involving city-provided loans and mortgage adjustments drew significant media scrutiny and public debate over potential conflicts (resolved without formal findings of misconduct, but reputational questions remain). Like Schoening, he would face a steep learning curve on New Mexico-specific fiscal, legal, and intergovernmental dynamics—precisely the kind of transition that has contributed to past managerial turnover. No reported experience in military driven community or with extensive federal influence.
Comparative Analysis: Why Dr. Hernandez was the Superior Choice
In terms of scale and fit, Dr. Hernandez operates at Alamogordo’s exact level: serving a 31,000-resident city with an $80–95M budget and high enterprise complexity (utilities, airport, zoo, landfill, public safety), requiring no adaptation to New Mexico’s distinctive challenges like state-distributed Gross Receipts Tax reliance, statutory nuances, grant-heavy funding, federal land interactions, military partnerships or culturally competent engagement. In contrast, Schoening comes from a much smaller ~$19.5M operation with limited enterprise scope (primarily public works), and no military partnership municipality experience while Flannery’s larger-scale Colorado experience (~70,000+ residents, >$100M budgets) still demands adjustment to New Mexico-specific systems and lacking experience with military municipal engagement — a risk that has contributed to past managerial shortfalls here in Alamogordo.
The external finalists’ withdrawals underscore the real-world difficulties of securing and retaining out-of-state talent amid extended delays, and those that understand the unique challenges of leadership in Alamogordo a military influenced city, yet the Rardin-led faction’s refusal to advance Dr. Hernandez exposes clear hypocrisy: insisting on the need for “broader” or “fresh” perspectives while rejecting the candidate who has already proven exceptional results in Alamogordo’s precise context.
This resistance — echoing the preemptive blocking of Commissioner Warren Robinson’s Mayor Pro Tem bid at the first 2026 commission meeting and efforts to fast-track former Commissioner Al Hernandez (aligned with past insider networks) for the District 5 vacancy over potential grassroots applicants — appears designed to rebuild influence blocs that could sway the City Manager decision and hinder Mayor McDonald’s transparency reforms.
The Path Forward: Stability Over Sabotage
Alamogordo deserves leadership that prioritizes progress over politics. Dr. Hernandez’s record of transparency, fiscal discipline, grant success, and operational stability positions her as the most qualified — and least risky — choice to break the cycle of dysfunction. Prolonging the search risks further delays to water security, infrastructure repairs, military partnerships and public safety initiatives.
Call to Action: Residents must engage now. Email commissioners, speak at the January 27, 2026, regular meeting (6:30 p.m.), apply for District 5 if eligible (deadline February 13), and demand open, transparent processes. File public records requests to illuminate closed-door decisions.
Commissioner Contacts:
• Mayor Sharon McDonald: smcdonald@ci.alamogordo.nm.us
• Mayor Pro Tem Josh Rardin: jrardin@ci.alamogordo.nm.us
• Commissioner Stephen Burnett: sburnett@ci.alamogordo.nm.us
• Commissioner Warren Robinson: wrobinson@ci.alamogordo.nm.us
• Commissioner Baxter Pattillo: bpattillo@ci.alamogordo.nm.us (or check ci.alamogordo.nm.us)
Your voice can help ensure competent, community-focused leadership. The time for insider games is over — Alamogordo’s future depends on it.
Sources & Citations:
• 2nd Life Media / Alamogordo Town News: “Alamogordo Enters 2026 Amid Active City Manager Search” (Jan 1, 2026); “THE QUIET COUP” (Jan 10–12, 2026); “Shadows of Turnover” (Sep 25–26, 2025); District 5 vacancy coverage (Jan 2026).
• City of Alamogordo official website (ci.alamogordo.nm.us): Staff directory (Dr. Hernandez as Acting City Manager); Commission notices (e.g., Jan 20, 2026 closed session); District 5 vacancy Resolution 2026-02 and application process.
• Professional profiles: Dr. Stephanie J. Hernandez LinkedIn; Dana Schoening municipal records/LinkedIn; Jerry Flannery historical municipal archives.
• Local/regional reporting: Alamogordo Town News and Alamogordo Daily News features on turnover history; 2025 MainStreet Excellence Awards; commission meeting summaries (Jan 13–14 & 20, 2026); past controversies (e.g., 2010 Commerce City coverage via Westword and related sources).
Colorado, Oklahoma and Alamogordo Public Records requests.
