Sunland Park gets a new mayor
Javier Perea talking with reporters after being appointed mayor. (Screen shot from KFOX-TV’s website)
The selection of 24-year-old Javier Perea came after others couldn’t ask the council to appoint them because police blocked the entrance when the meeting room filled to capacity.
The Sunland Park City Council chose Javier Perea, a 24-year-old graduate of New Mexico State University, to be its new mayor on Wednesday.
From the Las Cruces Sun-News:
“Perea, a Sunland Park resident, showed up at the meeting with résumés in hand and made a pitch to city councilors during the introductory public comment period. He cited his experience in business, work in broadcasting at KRWG-TV and a degree from New Mexico State University as credentials. And he pledged to change the city government’s direction, starting with its hiring practices.
“…Perea said he worked as a jewelry salesman at Helzberg Diamonds in the Sunland Park Mall up until late January, when he quit because he was considering a job at the University of Texas at El Paso. He said he’d thought about running for a city council position down the road. But, when the turmoil erupted in Sunland Park and the mayor’s position became vacant, he decided to put his name in the hat.”
The 3-2 vote to appoint Perea – with one abstention – came after the council voted 4-2 against appointing Gerardo Hernandez, the man who lost to the indicted Daniel Salinas in the March 6 election. Salinas forfeited the seat because his conditions of release from jail kept him from being sworn in.
Perea’s appointment wasn’t without an open-meetings controversy. From the Sun-News:
“Two other men who had hoped to be considered for mayor didn’t make it into the meeting hall because police blocked entrance after it had reached capacity.”
And from KFOX-TV in El Paso:
“Others, including Jesse Grajeda, said they never got the chance to make their bids to City Council because they were stuck outside.
“‘What about our résumés?’ Grajeda said. ‘What about our information? That wasn’t taken into consideration and it’s just unjust.’”
The two other people who wanted to be considered for the job should have been there early. That’s why they didn’t get the worm. For GFA– I wonder if they even have the funds to hold another election.
WOW! Amidst all this controversy and mayhem the City Council drops another bomb on the still smoking debris of Sunland Park and makes a rush decision like this. I understand that these folks are under an enormous amount of pressure and are looking to pass this burden onto someone else’s shoulders but someone should have put the brakes on before slamming into this wall. Surely there will be appeals over this and it’s not as if they had no choice but to accept this single candidate. They could have made an annoucement to the crowd for any others wanting to be considered to make themselve known to the police and had them escorted to the Council. At the least they could have made the appointment temporary or conditional giving them time to organize and allow all applicants the opportunity to submit resumes for consideration. Then if they decided afterwards to keep Perea in the postition it would be a lawful decision without so much controversy and drama, also giving the people of Sunland Park some reassurance that the Council members are making informed, intelligent decisions. If his appointment prevails and he ends up remaining as Mayor, I do not envy him but who knows this young man could be the one to bring Sunland Park out of it’s Dark Ages and into a Renaissance, only time will tell. Greatness come from the most unexpected places at the most unexpected times.
Since not “all persons so desiring shall be permitted to attend,” the meeting is in violation of the Open Meetings Act (10-15-1). And action taken in violation of the OMA–such as appointing the new mayor–is invalid (10-15-3). Not a good beginning to cleaning up the corruption by once again choosing to violate the laws of the state of New Mexico.
Yes qofdisks, that is also what we thought of Block Jr.
Talk about starting fresh, 24 years old! That is too young to have a history of corruption. At least he has a degree. What an opportunity for the young man. Sunland Park is filled with new hope but, what a profound unknown.
The Sunland Park Council should have appointed an interim mayor and took the time necessary for a new election. This would have given the citizens the right to choose who they wanted for mayor. It seems Sunland Park politicians don’t understand the democratic process, much less vetting and background checks. As for Mr. Perea, time will tell, but I doubt he will survive as mayor. Yes, it is an embarrassment.
What an embarrassment for NM citizens, this place is even worse than Santa Fe or Espanola, and we don’t need more inept, incompetent, corrupt cities in this state.
You must be logged in to post a comment.