Dear editor,
The Las Cruces City Council's failure to follow New Mexico’s Open Meetings Act is a failure to do the job for which the council members were elected. There is absolutely no excuse for not following the NM Open Meetings Act to the letter of the law. None whatsoever. It is not that difficult.
The Act is sacrosanct when it comes to public entities such of the city council. Failure to meet the requirements of the NM Open Meetings Act is, in many times, grounds for recall of elected officials. One wonders if this failure by the council members is grounds for recall.
Several of the members have been on the council for several years. One council member served on the council several years back and was elected as the mayor of Las Cruces for several years. So using the excuse that they did not know or understand the NM Open Meetings Act is not acceptable. Lack of knowledge of the Act is not acceptable under the laws of New Mexico and would not hold up in court. It is the absolute duty of the council members to know, understand and implement the NM Open Meeting Act.
Where was the Las Cruces City Attorney of the time, Linda Samples, while all this gross disregard for the law was going on? Was it not Ms. Samples’ job to keep the council out of legal trouble and to educate the council members on the NM Open Meetings Act and how it should be implemented? She was paid well to perform these duties but it appears that she failed to meet her obligations to the city council and the citizens of Las Cruces.
Will the citizens of Las Cruces have to start questioning every decision made by the Las Cruces City Council? It appears so if the citizens want an open and transparent city council.
Gene Gant
Las Cruces
