Council Appoints Willett At Heated Meeting
"You Go to Hell": Mayor King and Former Mayor Turner trade insults at tense Council session. With AUDIO
At a contentious Monday night meeting marked by personal attacks, the Village Council voted 2-0 to appoint Matt Willett to fill the remaining two years of the trustee seat vacated by Tabitha Foster —but only after his business partner recused himself at the request of Mayor-elect Dusty Wiley.
The build-up to the Monday night meeting was intense.
During the election campaign and in the aftermath of Dusty Wiley’s victory, some of his supporters focused on keeping the open trustee position unfilled until Wiley could make a recommendation to a new Council in January.
Facebook became a place for sparring, with aggressive posts and biting comments. Someone even anonymously sent Alamogordo media an email with various claims, and that “press presence is being URGENTLY requested” for the meeting—more details in this footnote.1
Opposition to the Council appointing a trustee at this time mounted on social media leading up to the special meeting. See our pre-meeting report Changing of the Guard for more of the story.
Monday’s proceedings got off to a rocky start with technical glitches. The Facebook livestream, the principal way most people follow council meetings, lacked audio. Roughly 20 followers commented that they had no sound.
Also frustrated by communications issues was Trustee Keith Hamilton.
Hamilton, who attended remotely from his annual Missouri hunting trip, had audio problems from the start: neither Microsoft Teams nor the Village’s Facebook livestream transmitted audio. As King began the meeting, Hamilton texted the Reader asking to be patched through on speakerphone.
Doing It Right
First up to speak was Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley, who returned early from vacation. He was not confrontational.
He asked the trustees to ensure the appointment is legally sound, so there are no lingering questions about whether it was done properly. Nor did he argue that they should wait to allow him to choose someone.
“First of all, I think that Matt Willett would make a good trustee. So I wanted to make that up front. But I do have concerns about the way it’s done and make sure it gets processed the correct way.”
At the end of his remarks, Wiley requested that Trustee Jim Maynard, one of Willett’s business partners at Cloudcroft Brewing Company, recuse himself and leave the room during the discussion and vote.
Listen to Wiley’s entire public remarks with our audio clip at the end of this article. Teams recordings are not available to the public, and the Village Facebook livestream had no audio.
Public Airing
All the public speakers who followed Wiley praised Willett as a solid addition to the Council. But some wanted the Council to pass on Willett so the new mayor could make the appointment recommendation.
Most prominent among those insisting no action be taken was former mayor Craig Turner’s wife, Phyllis.
She read comments “directed to the village attorney who is not here tonight because his role is to guide the council on the legal and ethical boundaries that apply to municipal appointments.”
She also stated that “it should have been on the agenda for the last 12 weeks. And that’s good because that was a law that’s been violated, but the law does not say that it has to be voted in. It just says it has to be on the agenda to consider.”
(Listen to Turner’s public remarks at the end of this article.)
Trustee Talk
After remarks by less than a dozen citizens, it was the trustees’ turn.
Hamilton, through the phone, started off hot:
“What you’re doing now is ignoring the will of the village of Cloudcroft.”
“The entire village of Cloudcroft is being ignored so that your business partner can be appointed to the council, so that any future developments that you guys will be part of will be approved.”
“Secondly, Mr. Willett, you talked about integrity. Integrity would be to wait and put your name in the hat in the ring with the rest of the folks that are interested in being on village council rather than this last-minute farce which is occurring. And regarding integrity, you were the mayor’s biggest supporter. You were basically his campaign manager, and you will continue to be his biggest supporter. And I’d like to hear from you what you think about Mr. Maynard’s integrity. Integrity is everything. Reputation is everything. That’s what you take with you to your grave, is your reputation. And integrity. There exists none in this current situation. None. And yet, you support that.”
Willett stood at the podium and held the smartphone up to address Hamilton:
“I wouldn’t be here with this kind of support if I didn’t have integrity. What I also said is that I did not agree with the way that the campaign was being run or the question that was asked at the meet-the-candidates. It was a very pointed question trying to goad these guys into agreeing to something that they didn’t know the outcome of what was happening between Turner and the Mayor Elect.”
“So that was a backroom deal that was made. Whether you want to believe it or not, you might be too naive to believe.”
“The man that I’m supporting— I support every mayor that’s been in this position, from Turner to Venable to King to everybody that’s been in this position. So my job as a citizen is to support the mayor and the council.”
“And as far as my dealings with Mr. Maynard, we have a business together. We don’t agree on about half the things that go on in our business. You can ask him how much we argue on things.”
“I think Danny (Hardwick) accused me of being a mole for Mr. Maynard. Get outta here. I’ve been here for the last 40 freaking years doing my thing and supporting the council. So if you think I don’t have integrity, then you need to take a better look at it.”
When the discussion turned to Mayor Tim King and former mayor Craig Turner, the tensions of the election campaign gave way to personal insults.
King said, “Let me speak to the term integrity. I’ll put my integrity up against anybody in this room. I’ve worked my ass off for almost a year because people quit. They quit on this village like cowards. They quit. They slinked away.”
From the audience, Craig Turner said, “I quit on the trustees.”
King said, “You did not get a vote.”
Turner: “You go to hell. I didn’t quit on anybody.”
Hear for yourself with our audio clips at the end of the article.
Library Director Sandra Barr implored everyone to “Stop. This is a formal venue. Let’s have some decorum.”
The conversation wrapped up, followed by committee and departmental reports. Then, the moment of truth: discussion and action on the appointment of Matt Willett to the village council as trustee.
Trustee Hamilton, who had previously opposed the timing of the appointment, seconded the motion—preventing the agenda item from dying on the table. Hamilton and McCoy then voted to approve Willett, who was immediately sworn in and joined the Council as it moved on to other business.
On Willett’s appointment, Wiley told the Reader, “I’m happy. I’ll need somebody that has experience, knows the area, has been in all the different commissions and committees.”
After the meeting, incoming Mayor Dusty Wiley’s first move was to shake hands and thank Maynard for recusing himself, stating, “I didn’t want it to be tainted.”
Hear their full discussion and read the transcript at the end of the article.
After electing Willett, the following item was the hiring of Trustee McCoy as a library aide. Trustee Hamilton questioned whether McCoy could legally serve as a trustee and an employee. McCoy said she had consulted with legal authorities, and as long as she recused herself from any vote on library issues, it was not a problem. She said she had no plans to step down. Trustee Maynard moved that she be approved, contingent upon review by the Village attorney, Zach Cook. The motion passed unanimously.
Wiley Takes the Wheel in January
The Reader spoke with Wiley over the phone on Tuesday morning about the aftermath of the meeting, the transition between mayors, and more.
“I think it’s gonna be OK. After the meeting, Tim and I spoke for about 2 hours in that building after everybody was gone. We had some conversations, some things we agreed on, and disagreed on other things. That’s gonna happen.”
“I did get a text from Matt Willett. And he said he wants it to be a smooth process, and he’ll help with that transition as well. So, we’ll see how that goes. I think that’ll work out well.”
“The number one priority is gonna be the budget. Maybe other people don’t realize that, but you have to have the budget fixed because you have to have a budget to move forward, so you get the staff that you need to be in office to do the things that need to be done.”
“And then after that, it’s gonna be the wastewater plant and water for the village to grow. And I know developers want to see the village grow, you can’t grow until we have water. So you gotta fix those problems.”
Wiley is already trying to get a handle on the numbers.
“I’ve already requested, in writing, for the current approved certified budget that the state has for the village, or what the village has for the state. If not, what budget they’re working off of.”
“And then I also spoke with Tim King about that last night and asked for a copy of it. I have not received it yet, so he’s aware that I want it. So I can start looking at what (the budget) is at.”
“I know there’s a lot of things that need to be done, because the budget hadn’t been done for X-amount of years.”
“Some of the grants are 10% matches or whatever they may be. You have to have that money to continue with those grants. So until I see the budget and see what adjustments need to be made once I’m in office, if there have to be any made…I can’t do a whole lot until I see it.”
As for Monday night’s heated arguments, Wiley says, “The mayor should have handled the meeting a little bit better. He should not have lost his composure. Hopefully, I never do that.”
Wiley’s Public Remarks
Play audio clip.
Phyllis Turner’s Public Remarks
Play audio clip.
“Got to Hell”
Play audio clip.
After the meeting, Wiley-Maynard talk
Transcript:
Cloudcroft Reader
How do you feel about the way the discussions went tonight?
Trustee Jim Maynard
You know, this is what democracy is all about.
Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley
I just want to say thank you, Jim. I didn’t want anything tainting on Matt being appointed. I like Matt. I think he’ll make a great trustee.
Trustee Jim Maynard
By (me) leaving the room, doing it by the rules that Phyllis went over, to make it crystal clear we have a good guy on here.
Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley
I agree.
Trustee Jim Maynard
He’s going to have the most experience in town.
Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley
Exactly.
Trustee Jim Maynard
You got a win.
Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley
I know.
I didn’t want to be tainted...anyone coming back and saying this and that. I wanted it to be a clean cut. That’s why I wanted it to be clean. That’s why I wanted you to step out. I knew that Hamilton liked him. Hamilton had talked with him. He liked him. I knew he probably would vote for him.
Trustee Jim Maynard
He’s a good kid, qualified candidate, and I can’t just sit here and do nothing.
Cloudcroft Reader
Any other comments on tonight?
Mayor Elect Dusty Wiley
Well, other than the mayor and the former mayor, lost their cool for a minute.
Smells Phishy: Anonymous ‘Concerned Citizens’ Email
Sunday, the day before the special meeting, a “confidential” and anonymously authored e-mail was dropped into the inbox of the 2nd Life Media (https://2ndlifemediaalamogordo.town.news/g/alamogordo-nm/n/349670/cloudcroft-reader-reports-willett-appointed-cloudcroft-village-trustee)outlet in Alamogordo, for “Immediate Use by News Desks / Reporters Covering Cloudcroft.”
The Cloudcroft Reader did not receive a copy.
The email was rife with emoji-bullet-points, numbered lists, signpost headers like “STORY OVERVIEW” and “KEY CONCERNS (with statute references),” “plain language summaries,” “QUESTIONS THE PRESS CAN ASK ON CAMERA,” and a media contact email: ConcernedCitizensOfCloudcroft@yahoo.com (http://ConcernedCitizensOfCloudcroft@yahoo.com/).
The email’s concerns addressed Mayor King, Matt Willett, Gail McCoy, Jim Maynard, and Tabitha Foster.
Before Monday night’s meeting, the Reader used the media contact email to request a phone interview, with no reply.
The shadow campaign email—full of pseudo-legalese and namelessly devoid of courage—called for “40 voices for 40 votes” to speak in protest during the public comment period of the meeting—a nod to the 164 votes Wiley won over King’s 124.
Only 13 citizens signed up to speak at the meeting—four in favor of Willett’s appointment. The rest either spoke in opposition to the timing, and clarified they thought Willett was a worthy candidate, or decided not to speak at all.
Here are the entire contents of the so-called ‘press release.’
From: Concerned Citizens Of Cloudcroft <concernedcitizensofcloudcroft@yahoo.com>
Date: November 17, 2025 at 12:01:54 PM MST
To:REDACTED
Subject: Fw: URGENT TONIGHT - Cloudcroft Citizens OUTRAGED at lame-duck mayor attempting “Midnight Appointment”CONFIDENTIAL: For Immediate Use by News Desks / Reporters Covering Cloudcroft
📌 STORY OVERVIEW
The outgoing lame-duck mayor in Cloudcroft is attempting to:
Appoint his strongest campaign supporter, Matt Willett, to a trustee seat, and
Hire sitting Trustee Gail McCoy as a Village employee, back-to-back, in a way that allows her to vote before resigning.
Residents call this a conflict of interest, contrary to multiple New Mexico statutes, and damaging to public trust.
Press presence is being URGENTLY requested.
📌 KEY CONCERNS (with statute references)
1. Trustee Voting + Hiring on Same Agenda
Potential conflicts under the Governmental Conduct Act:
NMSA 10-16-3(A) — prohibits using public office for personal benefit
NMSA 10-16-3(B) — prohibits acting on matters affecting one’s own financial interest
NMSA 10-16-7(B) — prohibits public bodies from entering employment contracts where a public officer has a substantial interest
NMSA 10-3-1(G) — an elected official must vacate office upon accepting duties of municipal employment
Plain-language summary:
A trustee cannot vote as a trustee and then immediately become a hired Village employee on the same agenda.
2. Business Partnership Conflict
Trustee Jim Maynard is business partners with appointee Willett at Cloudcroft Brewing Co.
Relevant statute:
NMSA 10-16-4.2 — requires disclosure of outside interests
Partnership qualifies as a substantial interest → triggers mandatory recusal
3. 12-Week Vacancy Delay
The trustee vacancy occurred on August 27, 2025.
Relevant statute:
NMSA 3-12-1(A) — requires vacancy to be on the next agenda after 15 days and every agenda thereafter until filled
It did not appear for nearly three months.
4. Missing Minutes — Entire Year
Residents report no minutes drafted, approved, or posted for all of 2025.
Relevant statute:
Open Meetings Act (OMA) — requires:
draft minutes within 10 days
approval at the next meeting
posting for public access
Failure to draft and approve minutes = OMA compliance issue
5. Former Trustee’s Statement About Timing Resignation
Residents report former Trustee Tabitha Foster openly stated she purposely resigned the day after the filing deadline to prevent voters from choosing her replacement.
Raises concerns of manipulating the appointment process to circumvent voter participation.
6. All Trustee Candidates Agreed Vacancy Should Wait Until January
At the October debate, all trustee candidates — including McCoy — stated the appointment should wait for the incoming administration.
Tonight’s agenda appears to disregard that commitment.
7. Community Mobilizing
Residents are organizing “40 Voices for 40 Votes”, referencing Mayor-elect Wiley’s 40-vote win, to speak during public comment.
📌 QUESTIONS THE PRESS CAN ASK ON CAMERA
“Why are appointment and hiring back-to-back when state law discourages trustees from voting on matters affecting their own employment?”
“Was the vacancy statute followed when the seat remained unaddressed for 12 weeks?”
“Why has Cloudcroft posted no minutes for an entire year?”
“Did Trustee Maynard disclose his business partnership with Willett?”
“Why was the vacancy not addressed until the outgoing mayor’s final meetings?”
“Is the Village Attorney advising the council about conflict-of-interest obligations tonight?”
📌 MEETING DETAILS
TONIGHT @6pm - 201 Burro Avenue, Cloudcroft, NM 88317 - Cloudcroft Village Council Meeting
(Residents expect conflicts-of-interest discussion during public comment.)
📌 MEDIA CONTACT
Concerned Citizens of Cloudcroft
ConcernedCitizensOfCloudcroft@yahoo.com