County taps Lotrich as new county manager

With four Socorro County commissioners present, the board voted unanimously to offer the Socorro County manager position to Andrew Lotrich at their meeting last week.

Commissioner Glenn Duggins was not in attendance for the vote.

“We had some very good applicants,” Ray Martinez, commissioner, said. “It’s hard to choose somebody for this hard position and I want to thank everyone who applied, especially from our area.”

County Attorney Adren Nance said the selection would be the start of the hiring process.

Budget

After a public hearing on the fiscal year budget of 2024 to 2025, a budget that included a 5% COLA (cost of living adjustment), for employees, a new deputy manager position and fair wages for the Sheriff’s department was approved at the meeting.

Sammie Vega Finch, interim county manager presented three budgets at the commissioners’ request, one with a 3% COLA, 4% COLA and 5% COLA. The latter included the raises for the Sheriff’s department and new deputy manager position.

Vega Finch said with the 5% COLA budget the county would be about $400,000 in the black, “which is the most revenue left over in a budget we’ve experienced to date, at least within the time I’ve been here. Your revenues are coming in well and I’m projecting them to come in strong for at least the next three years… it looks like for the next three years we can sustain everything.”

Sheriff Lee Armijo was asked by the board what he thought about the fair wage proposed in the budget for the sheriff department. Armijo said his heart felt better when Vega Finch was able to figure out a raise for his department without cutting a position.

“This absolutely makes me very happy and I’m sure it will make the guys very happy, it’s not all about making 30 dollars an hour, it’s more about showing that we care and we are doing everything we can,” Armijo said.

Emergency Services

Jason Everett, on behalf of the Socorro Fire Chief’s Association, gave a presentation to the commission on the challenges emergency services are facing in Socorro County, along with a proposal to address it.

He spoke about the high call volume, recruitment and retention challenges, the extensive service area, interfacility transfers, dispatch issues, PTSD, funding and lack of volunteers and paramedics in the rural areas.

Everett said paramedics are essential in rural areas like ours, “The bottom line is people are dying in our county, who could otherwise be saved, there is no question about it,”

He proposed a partnership between Socorro County commissioners and City of Socorro council to create a working group of stakeholders to commission a study to collect and analyze data that could provide guidance on improving the current emergency services.

“We can do more and if we get creative and work together, I’m convinced that we could come up with a plan that is reasonable to fund and save lives.” Everette said.

Commissioner Joe Gonzales agreed it needed to get better and said he would continue to discuss it with Everett.

In other business, the following agenda items were approved:

• A lease of the Veguita Senior Center to the City of Socorro for one year, beginning July 1.

• The RISE Grant of about $315,000 for 2025.

• A $3,000 donation to CASA, court appointed child advocacy, pending administrative ability.

• The proclamation of May as motorcycle awareness month.

• The Owl Bar Liquor License for outdoor patio.

•An acknowledgement of the Chinhene Nde Nation of New Mexico