As summer winds down and kids return to school, vacations are over, Labor Day is now in the rearview mirror and it’s time to look forward and once again focus our attention on the severe dysfunction and mismanagement that continues to plague our Town of Edgewood government. Let us look back to the meetings of July 28th and August 11th for insight.
When we last reported in July, the Town Commission had just completed the long and arduous process of executing a new Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), with Santa Fe County to resume the Fire and EMS services provided by the County to the citizens of Edgewood. You’ll recall that this episode started when the Town government quit making payments to the County for those services, which in turn prompted the County to file suit against the Town for back payments in an amount over two million dollars. The Town government offered excuses, but never did provide a logical explanation for why they stopped making payments to the County. They simply quit without explanation.
About the same time the Town was finishing work on the new JPA with the County, they were also completing work on the new Fiscal Year 2027 budget. To understand what transpired at the July 28, 2026 meeting here is the link to the meeting video, with counter numbers to help you locate pertinent portions of the meeting so you don’t have to watch the entire video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AzTDqsl0FU
Counter number 37:10 to 56:48 Finance Manager (now Town Treasurer) Amber Sanchez presented the Financial Report for the month to date. Topics included the following:
- Edgewood’s Finance Department is finalizing some items to send to the Town’s auditor, so the overdue 2024 Audit can be completed for submittal to the State Auditor. Only then can the Town begin work on the long overdue 2025 Audit.
- By not having the 2025 Audit completed the Town can only expect a conditional approval of their Fiscal Year 2027 Budget from the State.
- The State requires the Town to be current with their audits to receive grant funding approval.
- The Town cannot convert its Wells Fargo bank account into a government account until the past due audits are completed.
- The Town has failed to file timely Public Employee Retirement Account (PERA) reports to the State. The late filings have incurred penalties. In addition, PERA has not been deducted accurately from employee paychecks. PERA increases rates each year; however, the Town has not updated their annual PERA Resolution to reflect PERA’s changes since 2023. Thus, misinformation has been submitted to the company hired to provide payroll services for the Town, resulting in overcharges to the employees. The Town is now looking into hiring a firm to conduct an audit of PERA, to identify corrections needed and also identify reimbursements to be made to affected staff.
- The Town was notified as of this date, July 28, 2026, that they are past due on their payment to the federal government. The total is $279,420.65, which includes a penalty of $24,720.48. According to Ms. Sanchez, “We do not have a budget for this amount.”
- Less than one month into the new Fiscal Year 2027 and the current budget is already insufficient for the Town’s needs. The Road, Maintenance, Wastewater, and Police Departments all need more money.
- $33,600 was budgeted for the Town’s water bills for the year. Based on the EPCOR bill for the month of July, the annual estimate ($67,584) is more than double what was budgeted. This does not include water billings from Entranosa. Another example of a shortfall in the budget.
- When Edgewood leased the Old Town Office on Rte. 66 to the State Police, the Town agreed to build a security fence around the property. The estimated cost is $53,000. The Building Maintenance and Repairs Budget is $54,000. Per the lease, the Town also contracted to do additional improvements, which may put this budget in a negative balance.
- The Town also failed to budget any money for the Animal Control Officers which should have been incorporated in the Police Department budget.
- The Town owes $217, 018 to the New Mexico Self Insurers’ Fund but there are no funds budgeted for this item in the Commission-approved FY27 Budget. This Fund provides Workers’ Compensation, general and auto liability and other coverages to its members.
Ms. Sanchez concluded her remarks by stating the new Fiscal Year 2027 budget as adopted by the Town less than a month before, “is not feasible”.
Commissioner Murillo stated that he was “completely unaware” that the department heads had not been involved in the budget preparation. He then asked Town Manager Hamilton who was involved in preparing the budget. He was told that the previous Clerk/Treasurer, Misty Witt and Commissioner Devon Taylor were the two people responsible for the budget as it exists. Mr. Hamilton states, “Rather than really think through it, we allowed ourselves as a Town to be under the gun to create a balanced budget and cut everywhere we could and I don’t think we put the effort into this budget that we should have.”
Counter number 1:25:10 Road Department Manager Josh Jantz asks the Commission to consider abolishing an open position in the Road Department and use the funding allocated for it to give his other employees a raise. Another example of a discussion that should have taken place during the budget workshops when the FY2027 budget was being formulated, not on the fly after budget approval without considering other factors affecting the entire Town budget, like an unexpected IRS payment of over $200,000.
Counter number 1:39:05 Mr. Mike Garcia, the Wastewater Treatment Plant operator, requested additional funds to maintain operations at the Wastewater plant. Like Mr. Jantz at the Road Department, the budget for the Wastewater plant had been cut in half leaving Mr. Garcia without funds to maintain critical systems that cannot be shut down. He requested $23,000 to repair the sewer plant’s overhead crane which has been out of service for several months. The inoperable crane, which is used to remove and replace critical membranes that filter the waste has resulted in the degradation and imminent failure of the membranes. In another first for the Town of Edgewood, Mr. Garcia tells the Commission that if they refuse to provide funds to fix the crane, he will resign his position. That has never happened before in the entire history of the Town. Town Manager Hamilton states the current budget for this line item is $2,000. The cost will significantly exceed the available budget. The Commission approves the budget increase without identifying where the funds will be transferred from. Remember, the Town owes the NM Self Insurers’ fund over $200,000 and money needs to be identified to pay the Animal Control Officers.
Counter number 1:46:14 Town Manager Hamilton discussed the lease the Town has with the State Police for the former Town office on Old 66. He stated the Town receives $3,000 per month in lease payments. The security fence that the State Police contracted with the Town for in the lease agreement is estimated to cost $60,000, much more than expected. When the Manager asked what the Commission wanted to do, the Commission decided to kick the can down the road and voted to table the matter to the next meeting.
In summary, the meeting held on July 28, 2026 was a depressing revelation of a Town government that has lost its way. What started out to be the next step away from the financial confusion surrounding the Santa Fe County Fire/EMS debacle in which the citizens of Edgewood very nearly lost the best and only fire protection available to them, turned instead into more of the same bumbling and fumbling that caused the JPA to fail in the first place.
Instead of having a mess on their hands regarding Fire Department protection the Town’s problems have grown exponentially to include every department in the Town government. The Road Department, the Wastewater Department, the Police Department, all vital to the well being of our citizens and businesses and each of them had seen their budgets cut to the bone by a reckless and irresponsible budget process that did not utilize the talents and expertise of their own department heads and employees.
At the same time, Town Manager Kelly Hamilton criticizes Reboot Edgewood for reporting out the mess that has been made of the Town finances under the irresponsible, ineffective, and careless Commission/Manager form of government. It’s a form of government by committee where no one is in charge and no one is responsible for anything. Don’t kill the messenger, Mr. Hamilton.
Let us also not forget the ranting and raving by Commissioner Stephen Murillo. When he railed about the public trying to sabotage the Town’s current efforts to gain a long range solution for Edgewood’s water future, one had to laugh. Commissioner Murillo’s name appears prominently on the petition that was circulated back in 2020 to change the Town’s form of government right in the midst of an effort by the Bassett administration to take control of that very same water future and guarantee Edgewood’s long term control of its water resources. Where was Murillo way back then?
Commissioner Murillo’s equally astounding lack of understanding of how the municipal budget process works is only topped by the complete ignorance of that same process by every other member of the current Town government. He had no idea who formulated the budget that he and his fellow commissioners voted for? Edgewood can now honestly call itself the largest kakistocracy in the State of New Mexico. Look it up!
Now we will look at the Town Commission meeting of August 11, 2026 and see if things got any better for our beleaguered government and the poor people of Edgewood. Here is the link to the meeting so you can see it for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8Fy-8S14hM&t=3585s.
The meeting on August 11th certainly did not contain the sort of bombshell financial report delivered by Ms. Sanchez at the July meeting; however, it did have some cringe-worthy moments which should alarm anyone interested in good government.
Counter number 26:10 Commissioner Taylor asks Mary Conant to step up to the podium and explain the work she has been doing in the Town office in an attempt to help the Town get a handle on their various financial problems.
Counter number 34:55, Commissioner Devon Taylor makes an odd statement of sorts that seems to acknowledge the fact that the effort by people like Reboot Edgewood has lit a fire under the Town’s staff to locate and fix all of the financial problems that have been revealed.
Counter number 37:40 Town Treasurer Amber Sanchez presents the Financial Report covering the following:
- The audit prep firm (redw) is working on five items that need to be completed before the Town’s Audit Firm has everything it needs to begin the official audit for FY24. Submittal of the final items to the Audit firm is expected to occur in two weeks.
- Treasurer Sanchez was recently made aware that she had been enforcing Procurement Ordinance 2022-001 since she was hired by the Town. That ordinance was rescinded by the Town Commission on September 24, 2024, in favor of following the New Mexico State Procurement Code instead.
- To improve internal controls, accountability and work flow, Ms. Sanchez proposes to establish an accounts receivable position; thereby separating the functions of accounts receivable from accounts payable.
Counter number 49:30 Town Manager Kelly Hamilton details a new problem that has been identified regarding the Joint Powers Agreement with Santa Fe County regarding Fire/EMS services.
Counter number 1:23:38 Town Manager Hamilton seeks approval from the Commission for a new Finance Specialist position. He tells the Commission that the Town has appropriated $304,054.00 for salaries in the Finance Department. Adding the proposed Finance Specialist I position, would bring the total amount spent on salaries in the department to $275,160. Treasurer Sanchez joins the conversation and explains how and why she needs the additional help.
In summary, the Town Commission meeting held on August 11, 2026 did not contain as much bad news as did the one on July 28, 2026. Still, there are reasons to be concerned. The Commission is actively seeking help from anyone in the public to help them figure out the financial mess that they themselves created. One has to wonder why we as taxpayers pay these high salaries to the employees in the Finance Department and then are called on to volunteer our time to sort out their mess.
Our Commission/Manager Town government seems caught up in a maddening loop where they try to fix things that are broken and break things that are working. For nearly twenty years different mayoral administrations faithfully paid the bill to keep the Santa Fe County Fire Department services up and running for the citizens of Edgewood. Within a year of taking over operations, the Commission/Manager form of government dropped the ball and came within a matter of days of losing that service altogether and endangering the lives and livelihoods of every citizen that calls Edgewood home.
When the Commission attempted to fix that debacle, they somehow or another ruined the Town’s budget to the point that it created an enormous budget deficit which may never be fixed. The Town’s Police, Roads, and Wastewater Departments all suddenly found their budgets cut in half to try and fill the hole created by years of reckless spending and incompetent oversight by multiple Commissions and Managers.
Then, when citizens watching this ongoing comedy of errors decide that enough of this foolishness is enough, they attack those citizens who propose a solution that will fix both the short term and long term problems that have plagued Edgewood’s government over the past 25 odd years and clear the slate for a newer and better future for every person who calls Edgewood home!
POSTSCRIPT:
At the Town’s regularly scheduled Commission meeting on September 8, 2026 found at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ChX-uDY2uk&t=31s
Treasurer Amber Sanchez told the Commission there was a new estimate for the amount of money possibly owed to the IRS. You’ll recall that at the meeting on July 28th, she had given the Commission an estimate for the back taxes and penalties owed of $279,420. Her new estimate as delivered on September 8th was now, $900,000.
At the Town Commission meeting held on September 22nd, Ms. Sanchez revised that figure downward to a more modest $296,000. A smaller number to be sure, but still way too much for our overburdened taxpayers to be stuck with.
We’re not making this up folks, everything is available to watch on YouTube as noted above.
The bottom line is our local government went on a spending spree nearly five years ago following the change in form of government. Right now, at this time they retain that philosophy as they unveil costly new ideas and programs that promise to keep the Town insolvent for the foreseeable future; for example: the potential purchase of Wildlife West, possible acquisition of 30 Church St. property for a Welcome and Event Center, or a proposed water pipeline project… We must do better!
Join with us and, DISINCORPORATE EDGEWOOD, NOW!
Sign the Disincorporation Petition at this link: