Roosevelt commissioners offer 'olive branch' on payment and not-payment of fees

Roosevelt County Commissioners voted at a special meeting Monday to offer a figurative “olive branch” to the Portales city government regarding the payment and non-payment of fees between the two governments.

Commissioners voted 4-1 to engage in “mutual in-kind” services immediately.

Commissioner Rodney Savage voted against the measure.

“We are all one community,” Commissioner Dennis Lopez said of the Roosevelt County/Portales relationship.

In the action, commissioners voted to continue paying Portales for dispatch services until the end of fiscal year 2024 at which time dispatch services would be rolled into the “mutual in-kind” services.

One of the points of discussion on the matter is an outstanding bill owed by Portales for over $449,000 for charges related to holding Portales detainees in the Roosevelt County Detention Center.

After the session, Commission Chair Tina Dixon said the bill has been “voided.”

Dixon and Lopez were in favor of quashing the bill.

Savage was not.

The meeting was spurred by, according to Dixon, a meeting “the other day” between Dixon, Commissioner Roy Lee Criswell and Hamilton with Portales City Manager Sarah Austin and others from Portales government.

“We’ve been at a standstill. There’s been animosity and discontent. We need to stop the fighting,” Dixon said of the contention between the two governments.

Dixon spoke in favor of a multi-year “mutual in-kind” agreement.

After Monday’s session, Dixon explained that a “mutual in-kind” agreement did not involve money.

“Both entities agree to do services for services, no money,” Dixon said.

Dixon wanted the agreement to be for more than one year.

“You really can’t measure success in a year’s time. A year to year basis isn’t going to work for me,” Lopez said.

Lopez noted in-kind work between Roosevelt County and Portales has been going on “forever.”

“In-kind service is what we’ve done for years. We need to move on,” Lopez said.

The services the governments are involved in together are dispatch, Fire/EMS, animal control and detention.

Commissioner Rodney Savage said of the issues between the two governments, “This needs to be fixed.”

Commissioners expected the matter to be brought before Portales City Council at that board’s regular session Tuesday night.

“Get this dadgum thing resolved. Shake hands and sing ‘Kumbaya,’” Dixon said.