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EDITORIAL: A year ago this month, the village of Los Ranchos scored a kind of coup in hiring Juan Vigil as its administrator. For just $55,000 in salary, the village brought on board a man with years of expertise and experience dealing with state, local and federal bureaucracies, including more than a dozen years as Bernalillo County manager. Les Houston, who worked with Vigil as a fellow lobbyist, called him the "best administrator I've ever known."
The salary was a steal, considering Vigil had made $110,000 when he retired from the county in 2003.
But it wasn't really a financial step down; Vigil could collect 80 percent of his former salary in retirement while working to help the village near his own North Valley domicile.
Originally hired as an interim manager, Vigil agreed to stay on indefinitely after no one applied for the job when it was advertised last July, according to Mayor Larry Abraham.
Then, in August, Vigil negotiated a new contract for Los Ranchos with Bernalillo County for law enforcement services, saving the village $19,000 a year in administrative fees. "It was great watching Juan work his magic" during the deal-making, Abraham said at the time.
Tonight, village trustees will meet to consider Los Ranchos' $6.5 million budget for 2005-06.
Many department budgets reflect an increase in funding, but none so much as the Executive Legislative department, which shows an increase from $151,212 to $208,470. This includes $94,462 in wages and benefits for the village administrator, Juan Vigil.
Two park and maintenance employees, along with the village's contract attorney, were eliminated from Los Ranchos' budget during a mid-year adjustment in January— "due to a lack of work," in Vigil's words.
One of the laid-off employees has countered, however, that there is always work to be done.
The village's road maintenance employee and animal control officer have been asked to step in and fill the void.
It would be hard to argue that Vigil isn't worthy of another salary increase (at the mid-year budget review he was bumped up to $68,000).
But residents may justifiably wonder if this increase isn't coming at the expense of services.
It's a question trustees might ask tonight.
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