Aug. 2 closed session could yield selection

Six people have applied for the vacant McKinley County Manager job, officials confirmed this week. The job, which in the past has paid upwards of $90,000, was last held by Bill Lee. Lee vacated the job in May to return to the Gallup-McKinley County Chamber of Commerce as chief executive officer. Lee also won the McKinley County Board of Commissioners District 3 seat, vacated by Tony Tanner.

McKinley County Attorney Doug Decker said a closed session meeting that the McKinley County Board of Commissioners could move the matter further along.

“If there is a closed session at the next meeting, then the job of county manager will probably be...

Official: Complaints coming in about ‘hangers on’

There have been intoxicated people hanging around the Gallup Express bus stop on Aztec Avenue near Camille’s Sidewalk Café, and downtown property owners don’t like it. Moreover, bus riders who frequently take the bus downtown believe safety is important.

This was the topic of a July 21 meeting between the Business Improvement District and Tommy Mims, the executive director at Gallup Express, which operates under the auspices of the Gallup Community Pantry. Mims and BID agreed to meet at a later date to iron out either a relocated bus stop or increased safety measures.

“We don’t have a problem moving the actual bus...

The Gallup City Council unanimously passed a resolution July 26 related to budget adjustments for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2016. The action took place at the regular city meeting and was not met with opposition.

City Finance Director Patricia Holland introduced the matter to council members, prefacing the information by saying the finance department reviews budget changes and submits changes to council for approval.

“This is a relative routine matter,” she said.

According to Holland, the New Mexico Department of Finance and Administration requires the city council to pass resolutions for budget increases, decreases, and transfers between funds. Areas that were reviewed by...

At the invitation of Senator Tom Udall, members of the UNM-Gallup American Indian Business Association attended a July 20 Town Hall meeting to discuss the introduction of the Senator’s CREATE Act. This recent legislation will help New Mexico artists and others working in cultural education and tourism to access resources and gain support for their businesses. Some key provisions of the CREATE Act include:

Support by the Small Business Administration in assisting artists and entrepreneurs in obtaining financial support

Provision of incubators and grant programs that support the arts industry from key governmental units such as the Economic Development Administration and Rural...