Portales city manager to be paid $105,000

Portales’ new city manager will be paid $105,000 annually with plans for three consecutive one-year terms, according to his employment agreement.

Christopher Moyer, hired by the Portales City Council during an Aug. 3 meeting, will also receive a city-issued laptop, cell phone and personal use of a city vehicle, the contract shows.

He will receive three weeks’ paid vacation annually plus one day of “sick leave” per month.

The Eastern New Mexico News obtained a copy of the employment agreement through an Inspection of Public Records request.

Moyer’s resume, also obtained by The News through a public records request, shows he is a “management specialist” with “comprehensive experience supervising teams in the delivery and execution of plans/procedures.”

He retired from the Air Force in 2021 as an aircraft maintenance director, supervising and leading 300-plus active and civilian personnel from 18 different career fields in the maintenance and repair of 10 aircraft valued at $1.3 billion, according to his resume.

Moyer, 48, succeeds Sarah Austin who was fired by the Council in April without explanation. He was one of 37 applicants for the job.