Herrera

The dirt is piling on.

Yesterday, the Rio Grande Sun published the much-sought-after resignation letter of former New Mexico Elections Bureau Director AJ Salazar, who had accused his boss, Secretary of State Mary Herrera, of running a “crooked organization.” (Herrera’s office had refused to release the letter despite it being a public record.)

This afternoon, SFR received an anonymous letter accusing Salazar of stealing from an elderly client, along with a copy of a complaint the client filed against Salazar with the Disciplinary Board of the Supreme Court of New Mexico, which investigates complaints against attorneys.

The letter and complaint are posted after the jump.

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This week, City Finance Director David Millican announced his resignation. Since Millican says an article in the New Mexican on his resignation “didn’t quite get the quote right,” we thought we’d let him offer some parting thoughts in his own words (edited a little, for clarity).

Without further ado, here’s David Millican on Santa Fe, the economy and the city’s plans to restructure itself:

When I got here in 2008, the real important issues then were getting oriented to the city, installing a new financial system and starting to work on finance department strategic planning, teamwork and customer service issues.

That shortly gave way to three big projects: dealing with the downturn and trying to come up with budget solutions that would minimize the impact on services, the community and on employees. The second one was the preservation of the College of Santa Fe, and the third one was getting a set of water rates passed that resulted in the city getting its first-ever AAA bond rating. Those all took a lot of time. Continue reading »

Over at the Santa Fe Review, science writer George Johnson has no kind words for the Santa Fe New Mexican’s continued (mis)handling of a story that’s gotten national attention: That is, the claims of this city’s vocal and surprisingly influential anti-wi-fi lobby.

In two stories today, Tom Sharpe, in his usual style, digs up some good detail. For instance, that wi-fi foe Bill Bruno—last seen ranting and waving a copy of GQ at a City Council meeting—”sometimes wears a silver-coating nylon veil to protect his brain from wireless signals.”

But, as Johnson writes, Sharpe and his editors have completely ignored their responsibility to the truth.

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David Millican

Farewell: David Millican, whom SFR interviewed just last month, is reportedly stepping down from his post as Finance Director for the city of Santa Fe. From today’s New Mexican*:

[Millican] said his decision to leave is partly based on results of a peer review by top administrators preparing to restructure the city organization.

Not sure what that means, exactly, but SFR put a call in to Millican this morning.

Free Stuff: Santa Fe County reported last night that it has received “336 recycle bins from the Aluminum Company of America Recycle bin grant through the New Mexico Recycling Coalition.” Complicated syntax aside, YOU, yes you, can get a free bin! More after the jump. Continue reading »

The parent company of Los Alamos National Bank, Trinity Capital Corp., just put out a press release restating its fourth-quarter and annual 2009 earnings. The upshot for shareholders is that the bank’s net income declined by $1.7 million to approximately $3.2 million, comparing its previously stated financials to the amended ones.

Last month, SFR interviewed LANB Chairman and CEO Bill Enloe about the bank’s health and its dealings with regulators.