近距离内射合集

SANTA FE 鈥� As Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham nears the final months of her tenure as New Mexico鈥檚 chief executive, she has doled out another round of hefty salary increases for top Governor鈥檚 Office staffers.

The pay raises for more than 20 employees 鈥� approved last month 鈥� range from less than 1% to more than 16% in at least one instance, according to state personnel data.

In any case, most of the approved pay raises are far larger than the 1% salary increases most state workers will receive in July, after being included in a $11.1 billion budget bill signed by the governor last month. 

A Lujan Grisham spokesman said Monday the governor feels it鈥檚 important to reward the commitment of staffers who work under 鈥渋ntense demands鈥� and are constantly on call. 

With Lujan Grisham set to leave office at the end of this year and New Mexico鈥檚 next governor likely to appoint their own inner circle, some staffers are also starting to leave for new jobs, the governor鈥檚 spokesman, Michael Coleman, said.

鈥淪alary increases help to retain experienced employees who must assume an even greater workload as other staffers leave,鈥� Coleman told the Journal.

鈥淕ov. Lujan Grisham intends to finish strong, and retaining experienced staff through the end of her term ensures continuity and the ability to deliver on her priorities for New Mexico,鈥� he added.

However, the salary increases could rankle some rank-and-file state employees who are facing rising costs for gasoline and many basic grocery items.

Megan Green, the president of the Communications Workers of America Local 7076 union, expressed frustration about the pay raises, saying most rank-and-file state workers cannot ask for merit-based salary hikes.

鈥淲e have to go every year and beg for a raise that almost never meets the increase in the cost of living,鈥� Green told the Journal. 

She also cited stubbornly high vacancy rates at many state agencies, while adding an overhaul of the state鈥檚 classified compensation system has not led to more advancement opportunities for state employees.

Among the Governor鈥檚 Office employees who received sizable raises last month are the governor鈥檚 deputy chief of staff, Diego Arencon, and Director of Cabinet Affairs Caroline Buerkle, both of whom saw their salary levels rise from $208,000 to around $225,000 per year 鈥� a roughly 8% increase.

An even larger pay raise was received by Rebecca Roose, the governor's senior infrastructure advisor, whose pay rate increased by more than 15% from $171,600 to $198,199 per year. The pay raises were first reported by The Candle, an online publication covering New Mexico news.

The two-term Democratic governor has now signed off on several rounds of salary increases for top appointees. Similar pay raises were doled out last year and after her reelection campaign in 2022, as well as during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Lujan Grisham herself has not seen her $110,000-per year salary increase since taking office in 2019, since pay levels for statewide elected officials are set in statute. The governor did sign a 2023 bill increasing those salary levels, but the pay hike for the governor will not take effect until next year 鈥� after she leaves office. The state鈥檚 next governor will make $169,714 per year.

Meanwhile, the timing of the latest pay raises stems from the fact the governor and her chief of staff, Daniel Schlegel, meet to evaluate the performance and compensation of Governor鈥檚 Office staffers after the legislative session and bill-signing period conclude, Coleman said. 

While Schlegel himself did not receive a salary increase in the latest round of raises, he did get a pay bump last year.

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.