Estancia Board of Trustees Approves Road Grant Extensions, Hires Deputy Clerk at Special Meeting
With a critical finance position vacant and more than $1 million in pending infrastructure reimbursements, trustees moved quickly to protect federal road funding and bring a familiar face back to town hall.
ESTANCIA — The Estancia Board of Trustees convened a special meeting at 6:15 PM on Monday, April 27, 2026, approving two resolutions to extend grant-funded road improvement projects and voting to hire a new deputy clerk whose qualifications trustees described as uniquely suited to the town's current financial demands.
Mayor Pro Tem Albert Lovato presided in the absence of Mayor Runnel Riley. Present were Trustee Amy May, Trustee Patrick Sanchez, and Trustee Martin Lucero. It would later be learned that Riley emailed a notice to town clerk Veronica Navarrette on this night, announcing his intention to take a 90-day leave of absence until July 27, 2026.
Road Projects: Nine Grants, Two Extensions Approved
The board's first two agenda items addressed a pair of cooperative agreements funded through the New Mexico Local Government Road Fund (LGRF) for fiscal year 2024. Both grants are tied to active construction work on Loring Avenue in Estancia and were at risk of expiring before work could be completed.
Resolution 2026-014 covers the Loring Avenue drainage improvement project (agreement HW2LP50054). Resolution 2026-015 covers the Loring Avenue road and pavement improvement project (agreement HW2L500558).
Town Clerk Navarrette explained that the extension requests had already been submitted to the state on the town's behalf by the project engineer, anticipating that construction could be delayed by weather, specifically New Mexico's monsoon season.
"These were ones to expire June 2026," Navarrette told the board, noting that with three active road projects — Loring Avenue and Alan Ayers Road among them — the town currently has nine separate grants in play.
Both resolutions passed on unanimous roll-call votes.
Trustee Lucero raised the question of public signage at the construction sites, a suggestion from a prior meeting. Navarrette confirmed that signage was already planned and would meet New Mexico Department of Transportation requirements, including project names and grant identifiers.
"I think that's a good way to just notify the public they're going," Lucero said.
Deputy Clerk Hired to Fill Critical Financial Vacancy
The meeting's most consequential action was the unanimous approval of a hiring committee recommendation to bring Roy Hubbard on as the town's deputy clerk — a position town officials said has left Estancia without adequate staffing for grant compliance and financial management while it has remained vacant.
Town Clerk Navarrette presented the committee's recommendation, noting that three qualified candidates had applied and been interviewed. Hubbard emerged as the top choice for several reasons: he holds a Certified Public Official (CPO) designation, has extensive hands-on experience managing grant-funded projects, is familiar with Casselle (the financial management software used by many New Mexico municipalities), and has previously served as deputy clerk for the Town of Estancia.
"None of the candidates had a CPO, with the exception of Roy, or the heavy grant experience that Mr. Hubbard had, in addition to actual experience with the Town of Estancia," Navarrette said.
Navarrette reported that the town's current balance stands at approximately $4.2 million, with nearly $1.2 million in additional reimbursements from expiring grant contracts still pending. Navarrette said this was money that had not been processed in part because the deputy clerk position has been vacant.
Trustee Lucero asked Hubbard directly whether he felt comfortable returning to the position, given the current staff. Hubbard said he did.
Salary to Be Finalized at Regular Meeting
The board approved Hubbard's hire, with the hourly rate to be finalized at the board's next regular meeting.
Navarrette said the appropriate pay range for a deputy clerk with Hubbard's credentials and licensure is $32 to $37 per hour, with $35 as the midpoint. However, trustees were uncertain whether that range was set by ordinance or by policy, and Mayor Pro Tem Lovato said he wanted to ensure the hire complied with existing town law before finalizing a figure.
"I just want to follow the ordinance as much as possible," Lovato said. "And if we have to change the ordinance, we can change the ordinance."
The discussion prompted Trustee Lucero to raise a broader transparency point.
"A lot of public entities have those transparency pages," Lucero said, suggesting the town consider publishing a public-facing salary schedule — listing positions and pay ranges without individual names — on its website.
The motion to approve Hubbard's hire, contingent on a salary determination at the next meeting, passed unanimously.
The Mountainair Dispatch covers civic affairs, public meetings, and open government in Torrance County, New Mexico. Support independent local journalism.