近距离内射合集

LAS CRUCES 鈥� New Mexico鈥檚 State Auditor and a state legislator called on Do帽a Ana County to reform its leadership culture after the state ordered the county to appoint a fiscal agent to handle state funds.

The county has indicated it would appeal the decision, but it was not clear what avenue of appeal was available. The county manager鈥檚 office has not responded to previous queries on the issue and did not comment for this story.

At the commissioners鈥� last public meeting on June 23, County Chairman Manny Sanchez said the county was addressing dozens of findings, spanning multiple departments and government operations, in a recently released . The audit report includes responses from the county indicating corrective actions were already underway.

鈥淲e accepted the audit findings; I believe we generally took the high road 鈥� and said we would take them as opportunities to improve, because that is our responsibility to members of the public,鈥� Sanchez said.

He then criticized State Auditor Joseph Maestas from the dais over an email from Maestas鈥� reelection campaign that highlighted the county among other investigations around the state.

The email, evidently distributed to the campaign鈥檚 distribution list on June 17 and subsequently obtained by the Journal, calls attention to four investigations undertaken by the Office of the State Auditor during Maestas鈥� first four-year term. Elected in 2022, Maestas, a Democrat, is seeking a second term in the Nov. 3 election.

鈥淚n just the past few months, (Maestas鈥�) office has uncovered systemic fraud, waste and abuse,鈥� the email states, and proceeds to list examples such as the mishandling of disaster relief funds in Mora County; in the village of Cuba; and a forensic audit recently launched at New Mexico Highlands University.

The email also credits the office for finding 鈥渨idespread dysfunction across many divisions within Do帽a Ana County,鈥� a characterization Sanchez disputed while suggesting it was inappropriate in a solicitation for campaign donations.

Sanchez said Maestas鈥� characterization of the audit findings when he presented the report to the commission was overly negative.

鈥淣one of the audit findings noted any type of misappropriation or fraud,鈥� Sanchez said. 鈥淚t almost feels like he is using his office as a way to personally benefit his campaign. 鈥� You shouldn鈥檛 be asking for campaign funds for doing your job.鈥�

Maestas fired back in a campaign statement that said, 鈥淐ommunicating a record of public service and asking for campaign contributions is a longstanding and lawful practice followed by elected officials across the political spectrum. 鈥� My message to Chair Sanchez: Get the County鈥檚 house in order or step down.鈥�

Call for accountability

On Thursday, state Rep. Sarah Silva, a Las Cruces Democrat whose district straddles Do帽a Ana and Otero counties, issued addressing the county鈥檚 response to the special audit as well as its handling of controversial incentives for a massive AI-training data center under construction in Santa Teresa.

A member of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee, Silva applauded the Department of Finance and Administration鈥檚 scrutiny of the county while acknowledging that the county was addressing the special audit findings.

鈥淚 honestly don鈥檛 believe the county commission is holding the county manager accountable,鈥� Silva said in her video message. 鈥淭o be clear, this is a leadership problem. County staffers show up every day and work hard. Their leaders need to take all of this more seriously as they engage in high-stakes economic development and work to improve the quality of life for residents.鈥�

She pointed to Chaparral, an unincorporated community that straddles two county governments, as an example of what鈥檚 at stake. Silva highlighted the community鈥檚 struggles to access routine public services and economic development, in part because of the split governance. She said the disorder at Do帽a Ana County isn鈥檛 helping matters.

鈥淭hat community is desperate for leaders who will step up,鈥� Silva continued. 鈥淭hat starts with a competent, people-focused county government. County leaders have made some efforts to address the audit and other problems, but not nearly enough.鈥�

Silva told the Journal she had spoken with county staff, Sanchez and at least one other commissioner prior to making her statement. She also clarified that she was not calling for County Manager Scott Andrews to be dismissed, but asserted a need for greater communication and coherence between the manager鈥檚 office and department heads, based on her conversations.

Sanchez declined to respond to Silva鈥檚 comments.

Silva opined that the commission鈥檚 oversight of the county manager, the only county employee who reports to the board, had grown overly deferential.

Andrews started on the job in 2024, succeeding Fernando Macias, who was county manager from 2018 to 2024 and had previously held the job from 1997 to 2000. The special audit鈥檚 scope addressed issues dating from Macias鈥� tenure as well as Andrews鈥�. Macias is the current district attorney for Do帽a Ana County.

鈥淚t is the county commission that can give feedback, critique and course-correct the county manager, and I think that they are out of practice in doing that,鈥� Silva said.

Algernon 顿鈥橝尘尘补蝉蝉补 is the Journal鈥檚 southern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at adammassa@abqjournal.com.