The Las Cruces City Council voted unanimously to remove select and policy review committees from the city Municipal Code, which included a panel that a New Mexico watchdog described as a secret policymaking body.
Background
The vote occurred following a May 28 letter from New Mexico Foundation for Open Government, which highlighted a committee that under past administrations allegedly violated Municipal Code and the Open Meetings Act.
According to the city, all select committees and policy review committees were placed on hold in 2024 with the stated intent of ultimately repealing the ordinances that created them.
The council first discussed eliminating the ordinance at its June 1 meeting after receiving the letter from NMFOG Executive Director Christine Barber.
Repealed Committees
The vote repealed two sections in the city code that established the formation of two select committees and five Policy Review Committees in 2020, including the Public Safety Select Committee, which NMFOG said discussed policy matters such as ordinances that concerned domestic violence and civilian police oversight.
The repealed committees include:
- Public Safety and Finance Select Committees
- Economic Development, Health, Housing, Quality of Life and Transportation, Sustainability and Infrastructure Policy Review Committees
Mayor Eric Enriquez stated that the decision was something the council agreed upon from the beginning, and that they would use work sessions as a tool to discuss items in an open manner.
District 4 Councilor Johana Bencomo supported eliminating the committees, stating that the conversations in the select committee for finance were not kept private and always came to the council eventually.
Original reporting: Las Cruces Sun News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
