Timothy Krebs

LOCAL COLUMN The New Mexico State Capitol is shown in this file photo. . Once again, our state Legislature is taking up the question of whether New Mexico should pay its legislators a salary. It bears repeating: New Mexico is the only state in the nation that does not pay its legislators a salary. Instead, legislators receive a per diem; essentially a reimbursement for travel and daily expenses while in session or on official business. This is not a radical or controversial proposal.

City Councilors Renée Grout and Louie Sanchez are proposing to change Albuquerque’s current strong mayor-council system to a council-manager system. This would be a mistake, mainly because it would harm our local democracy. In council-manager systems, voters elect the city council and a mayor, who serves as a member of the council. The mayor is expected to provide policy leadership and preside at council meetings. And like all councilors, the mayor can introduce and vote on legislation.

Skip to main content Intended for healthcare professionals Skip to main content Get full access to this article View all access and purchase options for this article. References Abbe O. G., Herrnson P. S. 2003. “Campaign Professionalism in State Legislative Elections.” State Politics & Policy Quarterly 3 (3): 223–45. Barber M., Bolton A., Thrower S. 2019. “Legislative Constraints on Executive Unilateralism in Separation of Powers Systems.” Legislative Studies Quarterly 44 (3): 515–48.