GRANTS, N.M. — The political conflict surrounding the Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation (CCEDF) is no longer confined to contentious boardroom meetings.
Now it’s heading to court.
On May 8, CCEDF Board President Robert E. Castillo filed a civil complaint and request for a restraining order against City of Grants Mayor Erik Garcia, stemming from a verbal altercation that allegedly occurred at the Continental Divide Electric Cooperative's (CDEC) annual meeting on April 26.
A temporary restraining order (TRO) was granted the same day, May 8, and a virtual hearing has been scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on May 21 before Special Master Simone M. Siler.
But that court date collides with another highstakes moment: the next CCEDF board meeting is scheduled for that morning at 9 a.m. in the boardroom at 1015 E. Roosevelt Ave. in Grants. This meeting is expected to include votes on amended bylaws that could determine the future of both the Foundation’s leadership and funding.
Mayor Garcia, a voting member of the board, has been one of the most vocal critics of Castillo’s leadership. The mayor has raised repeated concerns about mismanagement, lack of transparency, and potential conflicts of interest.
CCEDF’s Board President Castillo is also the CEO of the Continental Divide Electric Cooperative, which itself is facing separate scrutiny.
The Alleged Verbal Assault
In his handwritten Civil Complaint and Complaint for Civil Injunction against Mayor Garcia, Castillo wrote: “Saturday, April 26, 2025 / City mayor verbally assaulted me, waving his finger in front of my nose while saying ‘I am going to get you’” Two pages later in the complaint, Castillo left a handwritten note: “This incident was NOT caused by me.”
Both Castillo and Garcia were contacted and given the chance to respond to the Citizen about this lawsuit before publication of this article. The newspaper did not hear back from Castillo.
In a statement to the Cibola Citizen, Garcia did not mince words: “Recently, a Temporary Restraining Order was filed against me by Robert E. Castillo, President of the Cibola Economic Foundation. I want to make it clear to the public that this action is not only exaggerated but appears to be a politically motivated effort to silence me during a critical time for our community.
“We are currently in the process of reviewing and voting on bylaws that could lead to changes in leadership within the Foundation—including the possible removal of Mr. Castillo. I have been vocal about the need for accountability and transparency in the way the Foundation operates, and I believe this complaint is a tactic to prevent me from voting and participating in that process.”
Garcia also acknowledged that the alleged altercation occurred publicly: “The alleged incident occurred publicly at the Cibola Electric Co-op’s annual meeting. Mr. Castillo made an unprofessional and antagonizing gesture by blowing a kiss at me in front of numerous witnesses. In response, I gave him the finger and said, ‘I’m going to get you’—a statement that was clearly political in nature. It referred to exposing mismanagement, not threatening physical harm.”
In his May 8 complaint, Castillo alleges Garcia verbally assaulted him at the CDEC meeting by waving a finger in his face and saying, 'I'm going to get you.' He requested the court prohibit Garcia from contacting him or coming within 100 yards of him or the CDEC building at 1821 Cliff Lear Avenue.
While Garcia is the named defendant, the implications for the City of Grants, Continental Divide Electric Cooperative, and Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation are serious.
As mayor, Garcia is not only a voting member of the CCEDF board, but the City of Grants provides about $40,000 in taxpayer funding to CCEDF annually for the privilege of sending members to those meetings; the Grants City Council voted to send Mayor Garcia to the CCEDF meetings as their delegate.
From Governance Dispute to Courtroom Conflicts
The restraining order intensifies an already fraught situation at CCEDF.
The Foundation’s April 23 board meeting erupted into arguments over spending, failure to file taxes, and allegations of procedural manipulation. The meeting ended in chaos, with only a conditional vote to adopt new bylaws pending legal review—and questions lingering about the validity of board member votes.
The TRO now raises serious uncertainty about whether Mayor Garcia can even attend the May 21 board meeting in person. The Cibola Citizen contacted the 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to clarify the order’s scope but was informed that, because this is a civil matter, the office cannot provide legal interpretation or guidance.
Castillo’s complaint cites his workplace as the CDEC building—the same location listed as off-limits to Garcia under the terms of the TRO. Whether this includes CCEDF business held at a different property remains unclear.
In communications to the Cibola Citizen, CDEC Member Services Manager Macario Juarez initially called the matter 'a personal one between Mr. Castillo and Mr. Garcia.' However, the civil complaint submitted by Castillo uses his CDEC email address, lists the CDEC building as the location to keep Mayor Garcia away from, and references an incident at the Cooperative’s own annual meeting.
CDEC has not issued a formal statement addressing whether it supports or distances itself from Castillo’s legal filing.
The Cibola Citizen contacted every member of the CDEC Board of Trustees for comment but received no responses prior to press time.
A Tense Timeline Ahead
The article will publish on the morning of May 21, 2025, will be the morning of the next Cibola Communities Economic Development Foundation meeting. CCEDF will meet at 9:30 a.m. The board meeting is expected to include a vote on revised bylaws, which could reshape leadership and governance at the Foundation— including Castillo’s own role as president. Garcia was expected to vote in favor of changing the bylaws, while Castillo has expressed hesitation of changing the bylaws.
Marking official court proceedings, Castillo v. Garcia is scheduled to begin before Special Master Simone M. Seiler at 1:30 p.m., according to court documents obtained by the Cibola Citizen from the 13th Judicial District Court.
Later that afternoon, at 4 p.m., the Grants City Council is scheduled to have their regular meeting.
For Continental Divide Electric Cooperative, the coming date of July 1 will bring an end to their agreement to sell power to the City of Gallup, a roughly $9 million contract that CDEC claims will have no negative impact on the company.
Whether this restraining order is upheld or dismissed, its filing has escalated a governance crisis into a legal one—one that now threatens to limit participation in the very public meetings that could resolve or prolong the dysfunction.
With city, village, and county taxpayer dollars on the line, the Cibola Citizen will continue following this developing story.
Editor’s Note: All individuals and entities named in this article were contacted prior to publication. Public court documents referenced in this article were obtained directly from the 13th Judicial District Court in Grants, New Mexico.