To the winner go the spoils. The budget recently passed by the New Mexico Legislature and signed by Gov. Lujan Grisham included 6% raises for most government workers. In normal times those are generous raises although to be fair for March of 2023 the annual inflation rate was a robust 5.0%.
But, if you are among Gov. Lujan Grisham’s core lieutenants in government you were hardly limited to 6 percent pay raises. Many within the Gov.’s inner circle received double-digit pay increases with some of them in excess of 20 or even 30%. The following handy chart is from the Santa Fe New Mexican.
Obviously we don’t think these big pay hikes are deserved and New Mexicans should be concerned about the Gov. rewarding her innermost circle for their loyalty.
Does the Legislature have any authority over Administration pay?
They could expressly limit funding available to her for pay raises or something like that, but there is so much funding available the Gov. can just dip into any pot of funding she wants at this point.
Good for her don’t hate appreciate
This is corruption to the extreme. In the private sector taxpayers don’t see more than three to four percent pay raises. The taxpayers should have to vote on these raises then they wouldn’t get a dime.
When you compare what they made in October to similar jobs in other states, I think they were warranted. We are going to keep losing good people if we don’t pay them what they are worth. I say good for her!