Mountainair council raises police reserve pay to $25 an hour after officer resigns over stipend dispute

The Mountainair Town Council overhauled the town's reserve police officer pay structure, approved new lighting and sirens for a fire brush truck, funded backhoe tires and a water leak detection system for Public Works, and adopted a new policy intended to protect town employees from abusive public interactions during its regular meeting on September 15, 2026, at the Gayle A. Jones Council Chambers.

The council opened with an extended moment of silence for two Mountainair residents killed in a head-on crash on US Highway 60 in Abo Canyon, just west of town, on September 10, 2026. The Torrance County Sheriff's Office reported that a vehicle crossed the center line and struck another head-on; the drivers, ages 51 and 36, were both identified by authorities only as local residents, with their names withheld (KOB 4).

Reserve officer's departure prompts new pay policy and council oversight requirement

The evening's most substantial item was a revised Police Department policy on reserve officer stipend compensation, prompted by the resignation of the department's newly sworn reserve officer over a pay dispute.

Mayor Nieto told the council that when the reserve officer program was approved, the stipend structure appeared reasonable to everyone involved, including the prospective reserve officer, Shayna McCurdy. Nieto stated that, after being sworn in, McCurdy calculated that the stipend worked out to roughly $15.63 an hour, or $125 for an eight-hour shift, and told Nieto she did not consider it adequate compensation. When Nieto asked what she would consider fair, McCurdy proposed $25 to $28 an hour. Nieto agreed to $25 an hour, the rate reflected in the policy revision before the council. He said McCurdy later asked for $35.50 an hour, the rate paid to a full-time officer, Jasmine Jaramillo. Nieto said the town could not add another $10.50 an hour on top of the proposed $25 rate and still responsibly manage its budget, particularly after the council tabled a separate request to increase the town's contribution to police department PERA (New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association) benefits over budget concerns at a prior meeting. He noted that reserve officers who work fewer than 20 hours a week are not eligible to draw PERA benefits regardless of the stipend rate, which he said also factored into McCurdy’s eventual decision to resign.

Nieto also apologized to the council for what he described as an oversight: McCurdy’s appointment as a reserve officer was never formally brought before the council for approval before she was sworn in. "That was an oversight on my part, and I take full responsibility for it," he told council members.

The revised policy requires that any future reserve officer candidate be recommended by the police chief and mayor but subject to council approval before entering active service, and specifies that no reserve appointee may be sworn in, commissioned, or assigned duties until required state certification, screening, and onboarding are complete.

Under the revised policy, the reserve stipend rises to $25 an hour, bringing a four-hour patrol shift to $100 and an eight-hour shift to $200. The policy also aligns reserve officer pay dates with the town's regular payroll schedule, replacing a previous mid-month and end-of-month schedule. Town Clerk Martinez noted that, unlike many volunteer reserve programs elsewhere, Mountainair requires its reserve officers to complete state police academy certification, which she said helps justify the higher rate.

Nieto said Police Chief Paul Lucero, who was not present to introduce the item, has another potential reserve officer candidate, whom Nieto believed may be a retired officer from Bosque Farms. Any future candidate would come before the council for approval under the new policy. The council voted 3-0 (Council member Dustin Kayser was not present) to approve the revised policy.

Fire department outfits new brush truck, Public Works replaces backhoe tires and locating equipment

The council voted 3-0 to approve $11,919.50 in emergency vehicle lighting, sirens, and wiring for Brush Truck 2, a new addition to the Mountainair Volunteer Fire Department fleet. Assistant Fire Chief Carrie Archuleta told the council the cost reflects new wiring and labor throughout the vehicle, funded through the department's dedicated fire fund.

Public Works Supervisor Carl Archuleta asked the council to approve $2,561.70 to T.A. Tires to replace worn tires on the department's backhoe, which he said are bald enough to cause the machine to get stuck while backfilling water line repairs. The council voted 3-0 to approve the expenditure, which exceeded the town's standard $2,500 discretionary spending threshold by $61.70. Nieto suggested the council may want to revisit raising that threshold to $3,000 given rising equipment costs, a discussion for a future meeting.

The council also voted 3-0 to approve spending $13,185.50 in capital outlay funds on an RD7200/TX5 Radiodetection utility locating kit and water leak detector from Green Equipment Company, pending approval from the state Capital Outlay program. Archuleta told the council the department's existing signal locator, after being serviced, still gives too wide a signal to accurately mark underground utility lines, creating what he described as violations when utility crews follow inaccurate markings near property lines. Nieto said the town would pursue the purchase through operating water funds if the state capital outlay request is denied.

New policy on abusive interactions with town staff

The council voted 3-0 to adopt a Civil Conduct and Workplace Interaction Policy, brought forward by Town Clerk Mary Martinez in response to what she described as an increase in abusive behavior directed at town employees by some members of the public.

Martinez told the council that town staff, while committed to public service, deserve to be treated with basic respect and should not be expected to absorb sustained verbal abuse. She described one instance in which a resident's repeated, hostile phone calls to a town employee over a request outside the clerk's authority escalated to the point that the employee contacted the state government for support.

The proposed policy was not available online, but Martinez stated that the policy would allow a town employee to end an in-person or telephone interaction when a member of the public continues abusive or disruptive behavior after being warned, makes threats, creates a safety concern, or otherwise substantially interferes with town operations. It requires the town to provide a reasonable alternative means, such as written communication, for a resident to continue conducting legitimate town business, including submitting payments, applications or public records requests, after such an interaction ends.

Nieto emphasized that the policy preserves residents' rights under the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act, N.M. Stat. Ann. § 14-2-1 (1978), stating that a records requester cannot be denied access because the requester has criticized the town or disagreed with staff, and that the policy bars town employees from retaliating against anyone for filing complaints, making records requests, contacting elected officials or questioning town decisions. Any action under the policy must be based on an individual's conduct, not their identity or viewpoint, he said.

Martinez said she also plans to post signage at Town Hall notifying residents that the town welcomes questions, concerns and disagreements but will not tolerate threats, intimidation or harassment of staff.

A Ghost Bike Memorial, Pumps, and Wastewater Treatment

In closing comments, Nieto thanked Public Works Supervisor Carl Archuleta and Alpha Southwest for completing installation of new booster pumps at Chavez Memorial Park, a capital outlay-funded project the council had previously approved.

Nieto also gave a brief update on the town's long-planned wastewater treatment plant, telling the council the project remains in progress, though he did not provide a specific timeline update. The Mountainair Dispatch reported in April 2026 that the town had finalized plans for a roughly $11 million automated treatment facility, funded largely through a Water Trust Board grant and low-interest loan package, with residents expected to see sewer rates rise by an estimated $4 to $5 a month once the project is complete.

Nieto also updated the council on a proposed “ghost bike” roadside memorial for Gayle Jones, proposed by a Christian motorcycle club. A ghost bike memorial, Nieto explained after the meeting, is a non-functional motorcycle painted white, as seen in Belen. The group originally proposed placing the memorial at the intersection of US Highway 60 and NM Highway 55, but Nieto said the town is considering other locations because planned highway improvements and a possible future land sale may affect that land. Public Works Supervisor Archuleta suggested placing the memorial in the highway median once that project is complete, but Nieto noted that timeline extends to approximately 2029, likely too long a wait. Nieto said the town is still evaluating alternative sites, including near the fire department, and wanted the public to know the request has not been forgotten.