Mike Smith
Carlsbad Current-Argus
msmith@currentargus.com

The Eddy County Board of County Commissioners is expected to approve a new compensation plan that will award big pay raises to the county sheriff, the county treasurer and the commissioners. The salary hikes were made by possible by New Mexico Constitutional Amendment 4, which the state’s voters approved in the Nov. 5 general election.

Passage of the amendment transferred the authority for setting salaries for the county’s elected officials from the state Legislature to county commissioners.

Commissioners are scheduled to vote on a resolution setting the new pay rates and adjusting the county budget accordingly at their Dec. 17 meeting. The meeting starts at 8:30 a.m. in Room 211 of the Eddy County Administration Complex at 101 W. Greene St. in Carlsbad.

Under the new salary structure, the sheriff’s annual salary will increase from $78,000 to $153,000; the county treasurer’s pay jumps from $75,000 to $129,000; and commissioners’ pay will increase from $26,000 per year to $44,000.

Interim Eddy County Manager Steve McCutcheon Sr. said the new pay rates were based on increases adopted by San Juan County and Lea County,

Eddy County’s administration “has been monitoring different actions taken by various counties throughout the state of New Mexico regarding their responses to Amendment 4,” McCutcheon wrote in a memorandum to commissioners. He said San Juan and Lea are “the two counties that most closely mirror Eddy County.”

He said the Eddy County salaries represent “an approximate average” of those adopted by San Juan and Lea.

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, Eddy County will honor four officials who are leaving office when their current terms expire Dec. 31.

District 2 County Commissioner Jon Henry, County Treasurer Laurie Pruitt and Sheriff Mark Cage all served two four-year terms and were prevented by term limits from seeking re-election.

District 3 Commissioner Fred Beard served four years on the commission. He decided not to run for a second term.

Mike Smith can be reached at 575-308-8734 or email at msmith@currentargus.com.