Roswell Daily Record
Vol. 123, No. 44 75¢ Daily / $1.25 Sunday
THE VOICE OF THE PECOS VALLEY
February 19, 2014
New Mexico Senate approves $6B budget
SANTA FE (AP) — The state Senate unanimously approved a proposed $6.2 billion budget on Tuesday that would provide at least a 3 percent pay raise next year for New Mexico government workers and educators. The budget is the main assignment for lawmakers in the 30-day session, which ends on Thursday. The bill now heads to the House, which deadlocked earlier this month on a separate plan for financing the
state government. The measure provides for a $293 million, or 5 percent, increase in spending on public schools, colleges and government programs — from prisons to health care — in the fiscal year starting July 1. Democrats and Republican Gov. Susana Martinez have been at odds over spending on the governor’s education initiatives, including merit pay. However, the Senatepassed bill made conces-
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sions to the administration. “While the gover nor remains concerned about the overall spending growth in this budget and its adverse impact on the state’s reserves, this budget does represent a compromise that properly acknowledges the importance of investing in education reforms and key job creation efforts, as well as efforts to expand New Mexico’s health care workforce in rural areas,” said Enrique Knell, a
spokesman for Martinez. The budget plan allocates nearly $21 million for a broad range of programs to help recruit and retain teachers, assist struggling students and schools, and focus on dropout prevention and preparing students for college and careers. The Public Education Department would have flexibility to distribute the money based on proposals submitted by local school districts, including possible
WEDNESDAY
pay incentives. Public schools account for the largest share of state spending — about $2.7 billion, or a 6.6 percent increase over current spending. Most of the money will be distributed to schools through a funding formula that aims to equalize educational opportunities across the state. The governor had asked lawmakers to provide a $55 million increase for targeted school improvement ini-
The Senate-passed budget provides for a $38 million increase in programs administered by the Public Education Department, including $5 million for a new teacher evaluation system that has been heavily
City receives 21 applications for planning director JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
Mark Wilson Photo
tiatives that would be allocated by her administration rather than funneling the money through the funding for mula, which leaves spending decisions to local districts.
The city received nearly two dozen applications to fill the position vacated when its planning director left last month, City Manager Larry Fry said Tuesday. Planning Director Michael Vickers’ last day was Jan. 17. He accepted a position with a contracting and construction company in Lubbock. Since advertising the position, 21 applicants from out of the area and locally have applied. “I think it’s a very solid number we can work from,” Fry said. “We hope to have it filled in the next few weeks.”
See BUDGET, Page A3
The city had combined Vickers’ duties during his time with the city to include overseeing planning, zoning and support services departments. He worked his combined role as planning director for the past year. Additional personnel were added to other areas to cover duties after the two department head positions were combined, Fry said. The new hire will fill the position, and will be called the planning and support services director.
Since Vickers’ departure, Sarah Juarez in support services and Louis Jaramillo in planning and zoning have picked up
Man shot by police Flynn confirmed as NMED secretary faces 3 charges of aggravated assault Spring has come early to Roswell as a butterfly floats from flower to flower in a garden, Tuesday morning.
JILL MCLAUGHLIN RECORD STAFF WRITER
The man shot by Roswell Police on Thursday is facing aggravated assault charges, according to a police department news release. Police identified the man on Tuesday as Alonzo Perez, 34, and said Perez faces charges of aggravated assault on a peace officer, aggravated assault against a household member, and aggravated assault. According to police, Perez allegedly charged at a woman and her children with a knife. The incident occurred on the 500 block of Redwood Street around 1 a.m. on Feb. 13.
A police officer, seeing that an immediate threat was not only posed to a woman and her children, but also to the officer, used his taser on Perez, but the taser was inef fective, according to police.
Subsequently, the officer shot Perez, who was taken to a local hospital for medical attention and was later flown out of town for further treatment.
After Perez was discharged from the hospital, he was incarcerated on a parole violation warrant. Perez faces a $50,000 sure-
The New Mexico State Senate confir med R yan Flynn Tuesday as Secretary of the New Mexico Environment Department. Flynn has acted as secretary-designate for the department since April, after he was selected by Gov. Susana Martinez to fill the vacancy. Flynn served as general counsel and legislative coordinator for NMED prior to the appointment. “I am humbled by the confidence Gov. Martinez has entrusted to me and by the confirmation that the New Mexico State Senate bestowed upon me,” Flynn said. Flynn said his approach has always been to make sound and balanced deci-
sions by considering what was best for the environment in the state. During a visit to Roswell last year, he said he was focused on water and groundwater issues, working with dairies and agriculture, and traveling to communities throughout the state. “I’ve made a very concerted effort with the agricultural community of the state, which includes the animal agriculture industry,” Flynn said during the visit. Martinez said Flynn brought a balanced approach to environmental issues, basing decisions on sound science and input from all parties. “Secretary Flynn has shown himself to be a dependable leader for the New Mexico Environment
See APPLICATIONS, Page A3
AP Photo
New Mexico Environment Secretary Ryan Flynn listens to testimony as a Senate panel considers his confirmation during a legislative hearing in Santa Fe, on Tuesday.
Department,” Martinez said in a release. Flynn’s confir mation was passed by a 30-11 vote. State Sen. Carroll Leavell, R-Jal, said Flynn had proven himself as an outstanding regulator. “Ryan has proven to be fair and even-handed in
his regulation of our oil, gas and dairy industries in Southeastern New Mexico,” Leavell said. “Now that he has been confirmed by the New Mexico Senate, I expect him to continue to encourage a businessfriendly atmosphere for our businesses at the Environment Department.”
Methodist women’s group donates $1, 348 to CASA program See CHARGES, Page A3
RANDAL SEYLER RECORD STAFF WRITER
Randal Seyler Photo
Chaves County CASA Program Executive Director CarrieLeigh Cloutier, center, shows a donation check for $1,348.54 to Moose, the CASA therapy dog on Tuesday at the CASA office, while Onita King, left, and Sherrie Goff, members of Faith and Promise United Methodist Women, look on.
Women from local Methodist churches combined forces to raise $1,348 for CASA. “We’re the first cluster group in the state, and we are an experiment,” said Sherrie Goff, who, along with Onita King, were on hand Tuesday to present the donation check to Chaves County CASA Program Executive Director Carrie-Leigh Cloutier. The cluster group includes women from three Roswell churches —
HIGH 82 LOW 49
TODAY’S FORECAST
• JAMES DICKEY “DICK” WITCHER • LONNIE “LON” W. JOHNSON
First United Methodist, Trinity United Methodist Church and Aldersgate United Methodist — as well as Dexter United Methodist Church. The women from the various churches held a fundraising drive for 6 months, collecting change in jars at churches, banks and local businesses. “I can’t believe the size of this check,” said Cloutier. “I had hit a mid-January slump, where I was wondering how we were going to make it, but then we get a donation like this.”
• GEORGE L. BECHTEL JR. • BARBARA A. CRAWFORD MEYER
TODAY’S OBITUARIES PAGE A8
CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and the agency provides volunteers appointed by the Children’s Court of the 5th Judicial District to ensure the needs of children who may have been neglected or abused are being met.
CASA advocates must investigate facts, recommend a course of action, facilitate the resolution of presenting problems, and monitor progress toward established goals, according to its website, casakids.org. The goal of Chaves
CLASSIFIEDS ..........B8 COMICS .................B7 ENTERTAINMENT ...A10 FINANCIAL ..............B5
County CASA is to provide a powerful voice for every abused child in the court system. To this end, the work of volunteers and staff is organized into a number of specific projects.
Nationally, CASA has grown into a network of more than 59,000 volunteers serving 954 program offices nationwide, according to the website. Since its inception, volunteers have stood with and contended for more than two million kids, making CASA See CASA, Page A3
INDEX GENERAL ...............A2 HOROSCOPES .......A10 LOTTERIES .............A2 OPINION .................A4
SPORTS .................B1
WEATHER ............A10
WORLD ..................A7