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LAS CRUCES - It didn't take long Monday for Councilor Gill Sorg, or the rest of the Las Cruces City Council, to digest the justification of reorganizing city administration.
"I like this," Sorg said. "I like this much better."
He seemed to sum up what the rest of the council felt, as it voted 6-0 on Monday to approve a reorganization of city administration. No longer will City Manager Robert Garza have as many as 13 city department heads answer directly to him about all issues affecting city government.
Instead, only Police Chief Richard Williams, Fire Chief Travis Brown, Utilities Director Jorge Garcia, interim Assistant City Manager and chief operating officer Brian Denmark, and Janice Jones, Garza's executive assistant will report directly to him. Also, a to-be-named city attorney and assistant city manager who will also serve as the city's chief administrative officer, will report to Garza.
"This could very well improve city government's responsiveness to our customers, our residents," Garza said. "... Let me also emphasize that this change is not going to increase positions or costs. The position for a second assistant city manager will come from the Financial Services budget, where the former financial services director served, and that will mean
The position previously held by former Financial Services Director Mark Sutter will instead be converted into an assistant city manager. The person hired for that position will be responsible for the internal workings of city government. A budget earmark of slightly more than $101,000 will be allocated to pay for that job.
Denmark, who is serving as interim assistant city manager and chief operating officer, currently has oversight of the Public Works, Facilities, Community Development and Public Services departments. The chief administrative officer, who has yet to be hired, will have authority of the city's Finance, Information Technology, Public Information, and Human Resources departments.
A new city attorney should also be hired by the end of April. The salary for that position will be slightly more than $104,000.
Steve Ramirez can be reached at (575) 541-5452
Chain of command
• Instead of 13 city department heads answering directly to City Manager Robert Garza only seven people will now do so.
• Two assistant city managers, the chiefs of police and fire, the city utilities director, the city attorney, and Garza's executive assistant will report directly to him.
• The change will not increase the number of people in city administration nor increase the city's budget.
