The Las Cruces City Council has voted to remove certain committees after an investigation from the New Mexico Foundation for Open Government alleged they broke state law.
The unanimous vote does away with the select committees that became the center of some controversy earlier this year.
In May, The New Mexico Foundation for Open Government sent a letter to former city councilors and city staff saying that they completed an investigation into the Public Safety Select Committee and alleged that the committee violated state law by holding policy-making decisions at what they called “secret meetings.”
After the letter was sent, multiple members of the city council including the mayor called for the committees to be disbanded and voted to do so at Monday's council meeting.
Councilor Johana Bencomo, who served on the city council during the time these committees were most active and was a vocal opponent of them, said that she was glad this action was taken.
“There is historical evidence if you will of my criticism for this public select committee that often shut out fellow councilors and members of the public and so I am glad we are having this,” Bencomo said.
Mayor Eric Enriquez said that he and the council worked to have discussions during work sessions instead of in those committees.
“We all agreed that let's use the work session as a tool so that we can be open and discuss the items we need to move forward,” Mayor Enriquez said.
The city also voted to approve a general obligation bond question that will head to voters this November. The question asks if the city can issue GO bonds up to $26 million to renovate the city library.
Multiple councilors and the mayor called the project “long overdue.”
Election day is November 3rd.
