Mayor rejects county offer

Socorro Mayor Ravi Bhasker told Socorro County Manager Andy Lotrich that there was no room for negotiation regarding the City’s request for the county to fund salaries for three EMS firefighter positions.

At Tuesday’s city meeting during public comment, Lotrich presented a proposal to the Mayor and council that included the county providing two staff positions for unincorporated areas, forming an EMS committee to discuss service details, exploring legislative changes for reimbursement, finding alternatives for the hospital non-emergency transport and requesting assistance from the village of Magdalena.

“Let’s work together to do it cooperatively, to get us where we need to be,” Lotrich said, “It doesn’t matter to me whether you’re in the city or in the county. Everybody is in the county of Socorro; everybody should have the same access to the health care services that we provide, and the county wants to be able to support you.”

Mayor Bhasker said he would not negotiate on his request that the county pay for three positions after the City has been footing the bill for 30 years.

“I’ll simplify this for you,” Bhasker said, “I compare this to somebody who’s living in my house rent-free, and he wants to have a committee meeting at the dinner table to see how I can help make it possible for them to continue living in my house without paying anything as simple as this. We need three. We’ll stop serving the county if we don’t get them and no strings attached.”

Bhasker said the city has a long history of giving the county free services and they need to pay their share.

“You’ve got $22 million in reserve that you’re making a million off of every year on interest. So I don’t understand this,” Bhasker said, “I think we made a very appropriate, reasonable request.”

Bhasker said if the county had to develop its own ambulance system, it would cost them two million dollars.

“We’re spending 1,400,000 right now on our ambulance and fire. We’re leaving the city unattended when we do go out to the Lemitar or go to the rest stop. We’re asking you for beginning three firefighters, and it’s not if you’re strapped for money because I know what your finances are, and I just find that almost insulting,” Bhasker said.

Lotrich said the city is also sitting on approximately 6 to 7 million dollars they are earning on.

“We have both been able to put money away for reserves, but all that money is actually allocated to other bills. It’s just until that bill comes; we keep it in reserve to then earn on it,” Lotrich said, “This isn’t about the county coming to you and saying we want something for free. It’s saying right now we know that two of those positions are directly for the unincorporated area of Socorro County. The other position is specifically to deal with Magdalena. Magdalena is outside of my jurisdiction. I cannot negotiate for him. I can’t do anything; you have the ability to have that conversation with them, and I support you 100% in having that conversation.”

Lawrence Baca, city of Socorro fire chief, said he was concerned that, more often than not, they are leaving the City of Socorro without services because they are outside of city limits attending to county needs.

“ The law says we’re supposed to be able to respond to 911 calls, but when we have two units out in Veguita, one on a transfer that takes all the personnel out of town, I’m afraid something’s going to happen to where we’re going to get sued,” Baca said.

Baca confirmed that adding three to his staff wouldn’t fix the problem, but it would help.

Bhasker told Lotrich they could continue the discussion and put it on the agenda along with an action item for the next city meeting.