NEWS
Albuquerque city clerk selected as director of Legislature's administrative arm
Ethan Watson expected to take over next month as Legislative Council Service director
Published
Modified
SANTA FE 鈥� A bipartisan group of top-ranking New Mexico lawmakers on Friday selected Albuquerque City Clerk Ethan Watson as the next director of the Legislature鈥檚 administrative arm.
Watson, who has served as Albuquerque鈥檚 city clerk since 2020, beat out three other finalists to lead the Legislative Council Service.
The decision was announced after nearly four hours of closed-door interviews and deliberations Friday.
The other finalists were State Personnel Director Dylan Lange, current LCS employee Randall Cherry and K. Virginia Aldrich of Montana.
Watson is expected to take over the agency鈥檚 reins next month from Ra煤l Burciaga, a former LCS director who has been temporarily leading the agency on contract since Shawna Casebier stepped down from the post in July.
Including Casebier, only five individuals have held the Legislative Council Service director job on a permanent basis since 1951, according to the Santa Fe New Mexican.
鈥淚鈥檓 excited to bring my knowledge and experience to the New Mexico Legislature and work together with members and LCS staff in this capacity,鈥� Watson said in a statement. 鈥淚 look forward to the days ahead as we gear up to make next year鈥檚 session a successful one.鈥�
The Legislative Council Service director is in charge of Roundhouse security and maintenance, along with leading a team of bill drafters and economists. Staffers with the legislative agency can conduct research for lawmakers, but they are prohibited from taking sides in favor of or against legislation.
In addition, the director鈥檚 responsibilities have expanded in recent years, as each legislator is now allowed to hire a district aide to help them with constituent services. Those aides are considered legislative employees.
During his six years as Albuquerque city clerk, Watson has advocated for changes to New Mexico鈥檚 public records law amid a proliferation of records requests from data mining companies, social media influencers and other groups.
While recent legislative attempts to overhaul the state鈥檚 Inspection of Public Records Act have been unsuccessful, lawmakers approved the creation of a task force to study the issue in advance of next year鈥檚 60-day session.
Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tem Mimi Stewart, D-Albuquerque, said Watson鈥檚 recent job experience means he鈥檚 no stranger to complex administrative duties with a governmental institution.
鈥淚'm confident in his ability to lead LCS staff with the same integrity and professionalism New Mexicans have come to expect from this institution,鈥� Stewart said in a statement.
The Legislative Council Service's current operating budget is roughly $12 million, a figure that does not include legislative session expenses or money for Capitol repairs.
The terms of Watson鈥檚 salary as the next Legislative Council Service director were not immediately disclosed Friday. At the time of her departure, Casebier was making $208,000 per year, according to the state's Sunshine Portal.
Dan Boyd covers state government and politics for the Journal in Santa Fe. Follow him on X at @DanBoydNM or reach him via email at dboyd@abqjournal.com.
