Residents, firefighters plead with Santa Fe County to renegotiate Edgewood JPA as July 1 deadline looms

Santa Fe County commissioners heard emotional public testimony on a swiftly escalating dispute over a terminated joint powers agreement (JPA) with the Town of Edgewood that commissioners were told could leave thousands of people without the county'9s current fire and emergency medical services.

County Manager Schaefer framed the dispute as a long-standing contractual arrangement going back to a JPA first implemented in 2005 and described the town'9s recent "new interpretation of the joint powers agreement" and a period in which the town "did not make agreed upon payments for 3 years." Schaefer said the county was willing to continue operating under the historic understanding of the JPA but that any future talks would need to address a clear methodology for calculating contributions, boundary complications and mechanisms to ensure accurate, timely payments.

The meeting'9s public-comment period was dominated by speakers who urged rapid action. "Our community is facing a looming public safety crisis," said Adrien Chavis, a longtime Edgewood resident, warning the dispute threatens uninterrupted fire and EMS protection at a time of high wildfire risk. Utimi Ortiz, president of the Santa Fe County Firefighters Association, said the town "does not truly understand what they're getting into by terminating this JPA" and urged the county to work with Edgewood to renegotiate.

State Sen. Anne Thornton told the board that without a dedicated local fire department and EMS presence Edgewood could be classified as ISO class 10, "the lowest possible rating," and that such a designation would increase insurance rates and worsen response times for roughly 6,600 residents.

Firefighters and union leaders described the historical reliance that Edgewood residents have placed on county stations (including station 70) and warned that building a new municipal service quickly would be difficult. Fire union and station staff stressed that continuity of professional fire service is a public-safety issue, not only a financial or legal one.

Commissioners did not take formal action to change county policy at the meeting. County staff said the town commission retains the legal duty to provide services within its boundaries and that any renegotiation must begin with a request from the town. The county manager also said he had not been authorized to open formal renegotiations but offered a set of predicates the county would require if the town asked to reopen discussions.

Next steps: Commissioners acknowledged the urgency voiced in the room and signaled willingness to meet with town representatives; they also said any negotiating or new JPA would require clarity on methodology for payments and safeguards to ensure compliance. The board urged Edgewood leaders to request talks and indicated the county would engage if such a request is formally made.

(Reporting note: direct quotes in this piece are taken from on-the-record remarks by County Manager Schaefer, public commenters and elected officials during the April meeting.)