The mayor and the board of trustees for Otero County are going to need to gather to discuss the employment of a commissioner within the county, likely coming to a final decision and vote at some point next week. The District 2 Commissioner, Susan Flores, has actually held her position for several years, working for the village and coordinating the workers in the area who do community service. The Mayor, Ray Cordova, has had nothing but positive things to say about Flores. Cordova says that Flores has done nothing but exceptional work. He says that she is not only a hard worker but is also a volunteer and does plenty of good for the community. While she has received plenty of praise, there are certain board members who are concerned that her employment could be considered nepotism, especially since her husband is currently a municipal judge.

The meeting with the board members will be about a measure that Cordova recently introduced, allowing Flores to be temporary employed at the start of July up until the end of the year. Under this agreement, she would be earning approximately $10 an hour and would be working a total of 20 hours each week. The village will possibly vote on the measure during a meeting for work session. One of the trustees, Patrick Garcia, spoke up last month and stated that he heard of some of the constituents that were concerned about the whole idea of nepotism due to the fact that Flores’ husband, Tim, is working as a judge in the Tularosa area. Gloria Sainz, yet another trustee, also had the same concerns but could not deny the fact that Flores has performed very well for the village.

In the meantime, Cordova says that Flores will continue to work with but not for the municipal court in the Tularosa area. He also claims that he has not heard about the concerns on Flore’s employment, stating that she has helped with the organization of tons of different projects. One of the projects she recently helped to organize was for playground equipment that was placed on the west area of the village. Flores is also a dedicated volunteer for the Keep Tularosa Beautiful community service program, which is something Cordova appreciates. He has made it clear that Flores works a whole lot of hours, more hours than she gets paid for in the first place because she is often volunteering. At this point in time, Flores has declined to comment on the situation of her employment.