A huge pay rise proposed in Legislature for the next batch of public regulation commissioners received a nod of approval from at least some of the current commissioners on Tuesday.
“They better be some hot shots,” Las Cruces Commissioner Stephen Fischmann said of the next group of commissioners.
Fischmann said he meant business.
“Well, I hope they hire some hot shots,” he said. “And I hope that they are future-oriented.”
The plan to increase commissioners’ salaries by 56 percent coincides with the dissolution of the existing five-person elected commission and the creation of a three-person governor-appointed body next year. 2020 New Mexico voters roughly approved the change
Commissioners’ salaries could rise to $140,000 from $90,000 a year if the Legislature approves the plan during the 30-day session that began Tuesday.
Two current commissioners said they thought it was a smart suggestion, even if they wouldn’t be the recipients. The first legislative move to increase the salaries of some statewide civil servants saw commissioners receive a pay rise from $90,000 a year to $115,000. But Sen. Steve Neville, R-Farmington, called for an increase to $140,000, the largest increase of any proposed.
And while it wasn’t certain on Tuesday whether the plan would launch on July 1, which would benefit the current commission, or on January 1, 2023, Neville said his intentions were clear.
“It was not my intention to make a change for the current people,” he said of the existing commissioners. Neville said he would follow the bill as it went through the session.
Commissioners have long argued that their work is hard and technical. It’s part science, part law, part public policy, and part common sense.
It dissects complicated cases of electricity price hikes, mergers of utility companies, coal-fired power plant shutdowns, and renewable energy from sun and wind.
Neville said he would like to see professionals selected for the commission, such as lawyers, engineers and accountants.
Over the years, critics have found that some commissioners were underqualified for the complexity of the position. And about 10 years ago, a couple of commissioners were convicted of crimes. One used his state gas card fraudulently and was fined for lying on his campaign finance documents.
Commission chairman Joseph Maestas of Santa Fe said the salary structure for civil servants is outdated.
“I support it even if it doesn’t do me any good,” Maestas said of the raise. “And if you want to attract the best and brightest, you have to offer fair and equitable compensation.”
Maestas, a civil engineer, is running for state inspector. Again, this position is mentioned in the legislation for a salary increase from $85,000 per year to $115,000.
Other increases would go to the governor, from $110,000 to $150,000; the Attorney General from $95,000 to $125,000; the Commissioner of Public Lands from $90,000 to $125,000; and the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State and Treasurer from $85,000 to $115,000.
Northwest New Mexico Commissioner Theresa Becenti-Aguilar said commissioners and others were recommended for raises a few years ago. Then-Gov. Susana Martinez vetoed the 10 percent increase.
“And beyond that, I really have no further comment,” Becenti-Aguilar said.
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