Estancia Mayor Not Concerned About Recall Petition and Denies Firing Fire Chief

Estancia Mayor Runnel Riley denied terminating Estancia Fire Chief Chris Wolonsky, claiming he instead asked Wolonsky to step down from his position as chief during a telephone interview.

“I didn’t terminate Chris,” Riley said in a phone interview. “I just asked him to step down from being chief.”

According to Riley, the meeting in which he made the request was recorded and included a witness. He said Wolonsky “thinks he’s fired,” but that he is not.

“All he’s got to do is go see the interim chief, and I’m sure he’ll find a spot in the fire department for him,” Riley said.

Appointment of interim chief

Riley confirmed that he has named Lester Gary as interim fire chief.

When asked why he selected Gary, Riley described him as “super qualified,” claiming that Gary holds numerous certifications and serves on multiple fire-related boards in New Mexico.

Riley declined to provide specific reasons for asking Wolonsky to step down, stating that the matter has not yet been discussed in executive session with the Board of Trustees.

“We haven’t discussed it in the executive session, so no, I wouldn’t feel right saying anything yet,” he said. Riley did not explain why he removed Wolonsky from his position prior to going into executive session with the Board of Trustees.

Wolonsky previously told the Dispatch he believed the action was retaliatory. Riley said he does not understand that characterization.

“I have no idea,” Riley said when asked what Wolonsky might believe was retaliatory. “I had nothing against Chris, not one thing. [As a] Matter of fact, I like him real well [sic].”

Process for removing department heads

Riley outlined his understanding of the process for dismissing municipal employees under state law.

“If the mayor dismisses an employee, he has to bring it before the council at the next regular council meeting,” Riley said. He added that the council can override such a decision.

He also acknowledged that Estancia’s ordinances describe the fire chief as an appointed employee who serves at the pleasure of the mayor, but said any removal would ultimately need to go before the Board of Trustees.

Riley said he did not consult the town attorney before asking Wolonsky to step down.

“I called the New Mexico Municipal League,” Riley said, adding that he believed he received sufficient guidance.

Economic development priorities

Beyond the personnel dispute, Riley said his broader goal as mayor is to “bring life back to Estancia.”

He cited the absence of a local bank, grocery store, and pharmacy as priorities for economic development, noting the town’s aging population.

“We have an aging population,” Riley said. “Many of them don’t like to drive anymore. I want to make life as easy as possible for the citizens of Estancia.”

Riley said he regularly consults with someone who he described as having a long history in economic development. Initially, Riley refused to name the person who gave him advice on economic development, but reconsidered when he was asked whether voters had a right to know who influenced government decisions. Riley identified his advisor as Vanessa Gutierrez, who Riley said works as a real estate agent in Tajique. (Vanessa Chavez-Gutierrez served on the Torrance County Board of County Commissioners circa 2011, but it is not clear whether she and the person identified by Riley as Vanessa Gutierrez are the same individuals.)

The New Mexico State Personnel Office provides classification descriptions that include the education requirements the state believes are necessary for someone to be a qualified economic development coordinator. The SPO determined that the following education and experience is necessary for an individual to be a fully qualified economic development coordinator:

A Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Economics, Economic Development, Business Administration, Finance, Public Administration, Historic Preservation, Communications/Journalism, Community Development, Urban Design, and/or Urban and Regional Planning from an accredited college or university and eight (8) years of professional-level experience with a light strategic impact performing a combination of economic development, community development or economic development finance.

New Mexico State Personnel Office, Classification Description: Economic Development Program Coordinator (Jan. 16, 2018) (link to PDF).

Riley said changes to the state’s capital outlay process will require municipalities to adjust how they fund projects. He said capital outlay funds are now directed toward repairing existing projects rather than funding new ones, and that other funding avenues, such as water board programs, are more closely monitored.

He indicated that attracting new businesses may require financial incentives and possibly zoning changes, though any changes would need approval from the town council.

“It’s all got to go through the council,” Riley said.

He also emphasized the need for physical improvements in town, describing boarded-up buildings along Main Street as a deterrent to potential investors or residents.

“When somebody drives through Estancia, you see a bunch of boarded-up buildings,” Riley said. “You kind of think, ‘Well, this town’s dying.’ That ain’t someplace I want to move to.”

Riley said the properties are largely abandoned buildings left behind by former owners rather than speculative investments.

Infrastructure and audit challenges

Riley said the town has been awarded funding for a new well and for sewer system improvements. He said the projects are moving through the required state review processes before funds can be drawn.

He acknowledged that the town’s budget filings have been delayed in recent years due to audit issues.

“In the last two years, the budget hasn’t been filed because we were unauditable,” Riley said. “We’re trying to get that fixed.”

Recall petition

Riley confirmed he is aware of a recall petition circulating against him, but was confident it would not affect him. Since the February 12, 2026, interview of Riley, a second petition has been circulated asking Riley to “resign honorably,” according to an anonymous source.

“To get a recall election through the Secretary of State, you have to have two-thirds of the voters, and they have to be verified as registered voters,” Riley said. He described the process as lengthy and uncertain.

“There’s no guarantee that they’ll win the recall,” he said. “It’s a long, drawn-out process.”

Also speaking on the condition of anonymity, another supporter of the petition to recall Riley explained that their position was due to Riley’s absence from his duties. “Everybody's like, ‘Well, we can't get a hold of him. We don't know what's going on.’ And he spends, like, the majority of his time in office in the hospital.” This individual also noted that Riley, on his crowdfunding page for medical expenses, said he was not cleared to work.

The situation regarding the fire chief and the recall petition remains ongoing.