Rio Rancho municipal election changes ordinance fails

RIO RANCHO — An ordinance that would have extended terms for Rio Rancho’s elected officials and done away with local spring elections failed in a vote Thursday by the Rio Rancho Governing Body.

The six-member body voted 3-3 against Ordinance 13, which called for holding municipal elections in November of odd-numbered years as opposed to March of even-numbered years. The measure would also not have required photo identification during municipal elections, in contrast to what the city charter provides now. The ordinance came at the recommendation of city staff, who cited low voter turnout and the high cost of holding elections in the spring as reasons to cancel March elections.

A tie vote means a motion fails, according to the body’s rules of procedure. District 1 Councilor Deborah Dapson, District 4 Councilor Paul Wymer and District 5 Councilor Karissa Culbreath voted in favor of the ordinance, while District 2 Councilor Jeremy Lenentine, District 3 Councilor Bob Tyler and District 6 Councilor Nicole List voted against it. Mayor Gregg Hull would have broken a tie, according to procedure, but since he is likely to run for governor and has not commented on a potential re-election campaign as mayor, he recused himself from discussion and vote on the ordinance.

Cheers and applause were heard from residents, who moments before spoke out against the ordinance. Many of them questioned the ordinance’s provision of doing away with photo identification for municipal elections, while others questioned the council’s attempt to extend their own terms and the apparent conflict of interest that presented.

Rio Rancho resident Tanya Watkins told the council she believes the ordinance violates her constitutional rights and listed numerous concerns, including the lack of autonomous elections and no requirement for voter ID. Watkins also cites rules of procedure, which states that each councilor and the mayor must vote for or against all measures before the governing body unless there is a conflict of interest or excuse themselves.

“This means you put the interest of the voters before your own,” Watkins said. “Anything veering from representation is self-serving and the epitome of malfeasance and corruption.”

Beth Dowling, chair of the Republican Party of Sandoval County, asked the council to vote against the ordinance and “maintain our self-governing and autonomy.”

She implored the council not to toss the voter ID requirement.

“There is no cost higher than doing what you planned to do,” Dowling said.

Councilors did not discuss the ordinance during the meeting. They also did not comment following the vote, but Hull issued a sharply worded statement on the ordinance late Thursday.

Hull, a Republican, said he was pleased with the council’s vote and blamed the Legislature and Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, a Democrat, for placing the city of Rio Rancho “in the impossible position to decide between the safety and security of our elections or to protect the hard-earned dollars of our taxpayers.”

“Local elections should be free from government overreach, and I am thrilled that we are preserving voter intent by securing voter ID and safeguarding our right to operate our city elections,” Hull wrote.