August 5, 2008
Rio Rancho Journal
Jimenez Is Mayor's Pick
By Rosalie Rayburn, Journal Staff WriterIt's official — James Jimenez is the mayor's pick for the top job at Rio Rancho City Hall.
City councilors will hold a special meeting on Wednesday to consider Mayor Thomas Swisstack's recommendation to appoint Gov. Bill Richardson's former chief of staff to be Rio Rancho's city manager, city spokesman Peter Wells said Monday, in a news release.
Jimenez would bring to the city a wealth of knowledge of municipal and state government and experience in finance, Swisstack said.
"James has a good reputation for being fair and equitable and he is well respected statewide," Swisstack said in a phone interview on Monday.
The news release followed weeks of rumors that Jimenez was headed back to a job he formerly held in Rio Rancho.
Swisstack has consistently told the Journal the rumors were "just rumors." But on Monday, Jimenez and Swisstack acknowledged they have had several conversations in recent weeks about the possibility of Jimenez becoming city manager.
"I'm just excited about the opportunity of working close to the hometown I've lived in since 1987," Jimenez said in a phone interview on Monday.
Jimenez was Rio Rancho's finance director from 1995 to 1999 when he became city administrator. He left that position to become secretary of the New Mexico Department of Finance in 2003.
Richardson appointed Jimenez as his chief of staff in 2006. The Governor's Office issued a news release last week saying Jimenez had resigned as chief of staff and planned to take another, unspecified, job.
Rio Rancho's current city manager, Jim Payne, resigned on July 21 and will leave his position on Sept. 30.
Swisstack said he hopes city councilors will approve his recommendation. He would like to see Jimenez take over at City Hall on Oct. 1.
Swisstack worked with Jimenez during his first stint as Rio Rancho's mayor in the mid-1990s.
He said Jimenez has the financial and administrative experience that can help Rio Rancho tackle the challenges of providing services and infrastructure to its growing population.
Jimenez said he shares Swisstack's enthusiasm and plans to attend the special City Council meeting on Wednesday .
"City government is a lot of fun — you can work with people to affect their lives," Jimenez said.
The biggest challenges Rio Rancho faces are providing job opportunities, tax revenues, services, and infrastructure such as roads and water and sewer lines, he said