Department Heads Make Their Case at Cloudcroft’s Budget Workshop
The Village met Tuesday, April 28, for the first of several planned public budget workshops ahead of the July 1 fiscal year start — and department heads came in with numbers and priorities
Village Clerk Jini Turri was plain about the budget process from the start: the Tuesday meeting was “step one of four” — a chance for department heads to say what they think it will cost to run their operations in FY 2026–27.
Before the governing body looks at revenues, weighs tradeoffs, or agrees to anything.
Trustees Matt Willett, Keith Hamilton, and Danny Hardwick, Mayor Dusty Wiley, Clerk Turri, and Finance Director Sylvia Hall were in attendance.
A mid-year budget review is planned for December.
Public Works & Maintenance
Public Works Supervisor JJ Carrizal went first.
His “priority one”: 152 remaining cellular-read water meters, which would finish a village-wide upgrade already well underway. The second: 62 fire hydrants priced at $215,210, from the maintenance fund.
Carrizal said the cellular meters have earned their keep. Since the upgrade began, residents have been calling in leaks detected through the EyeOn Water app — catching problems that used to go unnoticed until the monthly read cycle.
Public Works asked for $516,855.55 for maintenance, $420,400 for the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP), and $147,869.88 for utilities and office/plant upgrades.
Beyond infrastructure, Carrizal raised two workforce concerns.
With veteran wastewater operator Scott Powell retiring in January, he wants to bring on a new hire at $20 per hour in July — a candidate who already holds a CDL license, sparing the village that expense. He also asked the council to adopt a raise schedule that rewards operators for earning certifications, rather than requiring them to wait until the next budget year.
His argument: the village pays for training, travel, lodging, and testing. The moment an operator levels up, other municipalities may “poach” them.
Trustee Hardwick suggested that the village require employees to sign one-to two-year service agreements after the village funds their training.
Operator Sean O’Connor, currently certified at Water Level 2, is preparing to take his Wastewater Level 1 test. Carrizal said his long-term goal is to have every operator in the department double-certified in both water and wastewater — a standard the village will need to sustain as Powell’s departure leaves the team thin on licensure.
Carrizal also asked the council to consider splitting the Water and Sewer funds, which have historically been lumped together, to clearly see the revenue and expenditures for each.
Turri said moving toward separate water and sewer enterprise funds would follow guidance from the New Mexico Finance Authority (NMFA) and other water/funding authorities that each utility should stand on its own revenues.
Police Department
Police Chief Roger Schoolcraft had a modest ask compared to recent police department budgets. In 2025, the then-council set aside a $608,504 payroll budget for four full-time police officers—a sum that accounted for 34% of the projected General Fund.
His budget request of $293,592 covers himself and Officer Mike Testa, as well as vehicle expenses, training, equipment, ammunition, and body cameras. Schoolcraft said he has no plans to grow the department beyond two officers until a School Resource Officer grant comes through — and he is actively working on that application with school superintendent Jocelyne Gillespie.
If the SRO grant is awarded, a third officer would be assigned to Cloudcroft Schools for nine months of the year, returning to general patrol over the summer.
The department recently received a $96,500 LAPF grant for vehicles, training, and equipment, signed by the mayor two days ago.
Schoolcraft noted that the fleet — three Ford F-150 patrol units, a Chevy Tahoe, and a 2019 Ford Ranger — is in good shape, with no marked unit over 30,000 miles. He rotates through all the vehicles to keep them from sitting.
A Chevy Tahoe currently not in regular use came up as a possible hand-off to Public Works, where Carrizal is still driving a 1994 former police cruiser.
Fire & EMS
Fire Chief Erich Wuersching presented across four separate funds — the Fire Protection Fund, EMS Fund, Ambulance Fund, and Fire Department Fund.
The Cloudcroft Fire Department funds the bulk of its operations through state fire protection allotments, ambulance billing handled by a third-party collections company, and grants. The governing body’s role is to authorize how those funds are spent as a fiscal agent.
Wuersching’s priority capital project is an apparatus bay addition and a Station 1 facelift — new siding and doors. He said the project would be paid from accumulated carryover, not the general fund, and that he expects to have property boundary work cleared by June, with a bid process possible by August.
The department is also awaiting word on an ambulance grant application. Wuersching said results were expected on Wednesday. The EMS Fund is currently running a deficit; Wuersching said it will be covered by the Ambulance Fund.
Water Treatment Plant
Water operator David Hunter requested a notable expenditure to run the treatment plant near Ski Cloudcroft on Highway 82.
He wants a clean, dedicated lab space inside the plant’s office building for water-quality sampling and equipment calibration.
“I’d like a clean environment where all my calibrations can take place — not somewhere really dusty,” Hunter said.
The budget request covers treatment chemicals, lab equipment and reagents, Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system licensing, safety gear, vehicle maintenance for the springs circuit, and overnight shipping costs for state-regulated water samples that must reach laboratories in Albuquerque or Santa Fe within 20 hours.
An electrical project underway at the plant is expected to reduce utility costs once it wraps up. Hunter said he expects to have the full picture on those savings soon.
Wastewater Treatment
A big ask for the WWTP is sludge hauling. Carrizal later told the Reader that the number given to the council at Tuesday’s meeting was incorrect and will be recalculated soon.
The request also covers plant and lift station maintenance, lab chemicals and sampling, SCADA, contract services, and safety equipment.
With Powell leaving in January, O’Connor will carry the primary operator role. Carrizal noted that state rules require a Level 4-certified operator on staff; he currently holds that certification and will continue to meet that requirement while O’Connor works through the levels.
Michael Nivison Public Library
Library Director Sandra Barr brought a budget to Tuesday’s meeting — and a case for a building she calls the “Queen of Cloudcroft.”
The Michael Nivison Public Library occupies the 1913 Trost Building, the Old Red Brick Schoolhouse, listed on the New Mexico State Register of Cultural Properties.
Barr said the building has been neglected through no particular fault — just years of deferred attention — and that the list of things that need fixing is no longer short.
“That building is special, and she suffered from benign neglect. Those windows are rotten. There’s a weak spot in the floor,” she told the council.
Her maintenance request of approximately $22,000 covers rotted window frames in the front foyer, flooring repairs, additional electrical outlets, ceiling work in the entryway, front yard landscaping, and a reconfigured circulation desk.
Her operating requests include part-time staffing for Saturday hours — the library is currently closed Saturdays, which she called “unacceptable” — and a small seasonal hire to help through the summer.
She also asked that proceeds from Friends of the Library donated book sales be routed more directly through the village budget rather than held entirely within the Friends organization.
Turri noted that some library events may qualify for Lodgers’ Tax funding, which could ease the draw on the general fund.
Municipal Court
Judge Mark Tatum — participating by phone — submitted a budget built around 15 hours per week for Court Clerk Rachel Truex.
Mayor Wiley asked: Will 15 hours be enough? ” He noted that when he previously served as the village's Judge, the court had a full-time clerk who stayed busy. Judge Tatum said Truex herself had pushed the request from 10 hours to 15 as a starting point, and that he would come back for more if the citation volume demands it.
What Happens Next
The governing body heads to Mescalero this weekend for a public budget retreat at the Inn of the Mountain Gods, running Friday through Sunday, May 1–3. That is where the harder work begins — matching Tuesday’s requests against revenues, reserve balances, and what the village can realistically fund.
An interim budget must be approved in May and submitted to the state. The final adopted budget takes effect July 1.
Turri said the meeting will be recorded, but not live on YouTube. All sessions are public meetings. The agenda and notice for the May 1–3 workshop are posted at cloudcroftvillage.com.
See you there.
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