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Finance committee adopts ordinance removing 60‑day deadline to hire deputy city manager
Summary
The Santa Fe Finance Committee voted to adopt an ordinance amending Section 2‑4.6 to remove a 60‑day hiring deadline for a deputy city manager and to align minimum qualifications with the city manager post. Councilor Lee Garcia voted no and explained his reasons on process and timing.
The Santa Fe Finance Committee on June 23 adopted Ordinance (bill 2025‑16) to amend Section 2‑4.6 of the city code by removing a 60‑day deadline for the city manager to appoint a deputy city manager and by aligning the deputy’s minimum qualifications with those required for the city manager.
The change, sponsored by the mayor and taken up by the finance committee, was described by City Attorney Erin McChery as doing “a couple of things. The first is remove the 60 day timeline from the powers and duties of the city manager. It also removes a section that was conflicting with the charter.” The ordinance also removes a requirement that the deputy job description be approved by the governing body and specifies that minimum qualifications for the deputy shall be at least those required for the city manager.
The committee’s vote followed extended discussion about process. City Manager Mark Scott said he did not believe he had violated law when he made an appointment, but acknowledged the sequence was imperfect: “I would never have made the appointment if I thought I was violating the code.” Scott said he had suspended the appointment once the code issue was identified and that the candidate — Andrea Phillips — has since taken another position with the city and is currently filling a different role and being paid for that role, not as deputy city manager.
Councilor Lee Garcia said he supported the substantive change but opposed the timing and the optics of changing rules after an appointment had been made. In explaining his “no” vote he said the governing body “went through this already with the previous city manager’s appointment” and that the city should have addressed the code change before the appointment process.
The motion to adopt the ordinance passed on a roll call vote with Councilor Lindell and Councilor Romero Worth voting yes and Councilor Lee Garcia voting no. Committee members Cassatt and Faulconer were excused.
The adopted language brings the city code into alignment with the charter on duties that were already shifted to the mayor and clarifies minimum qualifications for the deputy position. The city manager and city attorney said other obsolete code provisions remain and will be addressed in future cleanups.
