RR Councilor Bob Tyler joins municipal league board; sets meet 'n' greet

RIO RANCHO — Rio Rancho Governing Body member Bob Tyler was approved by the council Aug. 14 to serve on a board overseeing municipalities statewide.

Tyler, who is up for re-election in March, also recently announced a meet ‘n’ greet with constituents Sept. 6, the last of the six council members to host one this year.

The councilman spoke on both topics before and after Aug. 14’s council meeting.

Board appointmentFollowing the meeting, Tyler said he is excited to serve on the board of directors for The New Mexico Municipal League. The organization, among other things, fosters “improvement and efficiency” in municipal government, hosts events and seminars on the topic, and acts as an advisor to other branches of state government on municipal issues, according to agenda materials posted on the city’s website.

“Working with the league is something that’s really important and imperative to all the communities and cities within the state,” Tyler said.

Tyler added that he is going to “get my feet wet” and explore the league’s projects before deciding what his priorities will be, but he is interested in policy and public safety, owing to his law enforcement career.

“That way, I can really take on all the things I’ve learned from the past and what I’ve learned from municipal government and try to tie those two together,” Tyler said.

Tyler’s appointment to serve on the board of directors for The New Mexico Municipal League came at the recommendation of Rio Rancho Mayor Gregg Hull, who is the organization’s president-elect.

Though Tyler’s appointment was not discussed at the governing body meeting because it was placed on the consent calendar, Hull said he reached out to all six council members to see if they were interested in serving with the league prior to making his recommendation. Only Tyler and District 1 Councilor Deborah Dapson responded, and Hull chose Tyler for his seniority on the governing body. He was elected in March 2018, while Dapson was elected in April 2024.

Hull added that all the governing body members are qualified to serve with the League.

“I see them all as very honest, straightforward and community-minded,” Hull said. “You saw very engaged councilors tonight on all of these topics that were extremely important. That being said, I draw back and go to seniority.”

Meet ‘n’ greetTyler’s meet ‘n’ greet will be held at The BLOCK, 7805 Enchanted Hills Blvd. NE, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Tyler, who chose to conduct the gathering in September following summer personal commitments, said his goal is to “meet as many folks as possible,” whether they are new to Rio Rancho or not.

“I want to ... make sure they have an avenue to work with city government,” Tyler said. “I’m always welcoming and open to new ideas.”

Acknowledging previous meet ‘n’ greets this year included two governing body members pairing up, Tyler said it’s not something he thought a lot about when it came time to grip ‘n’ grin with the public.

“Do I enjoy working with my peers on the council? They are great, and I look forward to any opportunity to work with them. (A paired event) just didn’t work out,” Tyler said.

He added that he hopes if he were to run and win re-election to a third term in March 2026, he could be matched with another governing body member at a meet ‘n’ greet.

Tyler added he does not want his potential election plans to “overshadow” the upcoming event since, “It’s not about me; it’s about them.”