LOCAL

State personnel board approves historic site job cuts

Historians and professionals in tourism urged that site managers be retained for each historic site, especially those in Lincoln County heavily visited by tourists

Dianne L Stallings
Ruidoso News


Despite a heavy turnout in favor of retaining site managers and individual staffs at the Fort Stanton and Lincoln state historical sites, and dozens of letter from volunteers, historians and tourism officials, members of the State Personnel Board voted in Santa Fe last week to allow 11 jobs to be eliminated by the Department of Cultural Affairs and for 13 new "critical" employees to be hired.
"It has been a major battle to make people understand that while belt tightening is sometimes necessary, we need to be equitable about it and this was not," historian, author and fort advocate Lynda Sanchez said about the department's request.  "Firing 11 and hiring 13 does not save much money, nor does it make economic sense."
Sanchez noted that the chairman of the personnel board said she had never seen so many letters and interest in a given subject or issue.
Another large contingent is expected today during the 1:30 p.m. presentation in Ruidoso by Cultural Affairs Secretary Veronica Gonzales to the State Legislative Finance Committee outlining the long-term financial plan for state museums and monuments. She is scheduled to go over the Fiscal Year 2017 budget and staffing levels, funding from foundations, maintenance and exhibit issues, and plans to reduce costs and increase revenues. The committee is meeting at Eastern New Mexico University-Ruidoso, 721 Mechem Drive.
Rebecca Latham, Tourism Department Secretary, is scheduled at 9:30 a.m. today, to review tourism initiatives.
Lincoln-Fort Stanton advocates noted that it's ironic the governor and cabinet secretary are touting the multi-billion dollar benefits of tourism to New Mexico while cutting back at two historic sites that receive some of the highest visitation of museums and sites in the state, the settlement of Lincoln, which is the site of the Lincoln County War,, and Fort Stanton, established in 1855, later a federal tuberculosis hospital and detention camp for German sailors.
About 14 speakers testified at the personnel board meeting, all but one in support of the historic sites and the request for a postponement of the decision to move forward with a reduction in force, Sanchez said. Some of the testimony cited in a summary of the meeting included, "You don't reward success with failure," supporter Mike Pitel, who served 22 years in the state tourism department, said, "You don't reward successes with a reduction in force."
Sherry Robinson spoke about a National Park Service plan that didn’t work when her husband was site manager for the Bureau of Land Management's portion of El Malpais and the service combined El Morro and El Malpais, "because you can’t be in two places at once. The historic sites are delicate. Somebody has to be there, paying attention every day."
Others warned of losing support from volunteers, who operate museum gift shops and participate in special events.
But Cultural Affairs officials, facing a $2 million deficit, say they are trying to maintain the viability of the 16 museums and historic sites they oversee. Besides layoffs, the department is reducing overtime, freezing all noncritical contracts, cutting back hours at some state-run museums and historic sites, and leaving vacant positions open.
"Unfortunately, the mismanagement continues to plague our state government,"Sanchez said. "You would think they would learn that during the good times, you save for the bad economic downturns. Preparation and planning, not spend and spend, and then cut to the bone whe you are desperate."

According to a published report by "The New Mexican, based on a reviewed budget, "the plan to hire 13 new people would cost $789,000 and raise the deficit to $2.4 million after accounting for layoffs."
As of July 23, no official word had been received at the various historic sites about the results of the vote or the plan for the future, Sanchez said. The layoffs are supposed to occur on Aug. 13.
According to messages from supporters, an advocacy group for New Mexico's historic sites is forming.

A volunteers wearing the soldier's uniform of the fort era discusses the mechanisms of a cannon with a visitor to the annual Fort Stanton Live event. Historic sites in Lincoln County depend on the support and participation of volunteers.