Fresh off their justified refusal to move forward on an oil and gas ordinance, the Sandoval County Commission will be voting on Thursday evening at their meeting on big salary increases for certain government personnel. A little digging by the Rio Grande Foundation discovered that the proposed p$ay hikes will put affected Sandoval County salaries far above those of neighboring (and much larger) Bernalillo County. You can read the details on the salary hikes here.
For starters, it is worth noting that Bernalillo County has 676,773 while Sandoval County has 142,507 residents. Bernalillo County also has a great transparency website that you can find all this info which is listed below without benefits.
A Bernalillo County Commissioner earns: $29,569/year. If adopted, Sandoval County Commissioners will earn: $37,405/year.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manny Gonzales makes $68,308/year. If adopted, Sandoval County’s incoming Sheriff Jesse James Casaus will make: $86,410/year.
Finally, Bernalillo County Sheriff Linda Stover makes $65,501. If adopted, Sandoval County’s Clerk will make $82,859/year.
It is hard to believe that these officials in a county with a much smaller population should make significantly more money than similar officials in a neighboring (more liberal) county. If you agree, you can reach the Commission here.
Update: Bernalillo County Commission recently voted to increase pay to levels similar to those being considered in Sandoval County.
