City rebukes local school district
CITY OF GRANTS, N.M. – Breaking months of lame duck governance, the City of Grants hired former Special Projects Manager Donald Jaramillo to be city manager. At the city meeting on December 13, all four city councilors voted in favor of elevating Jaramillo to the manager’s position. The vote was made with an addendum to the usual manager’s contract, stating that he cannot be fired without just cause. This action comes almost three whole months after the city council terminated Vanessa Chavez from the position without offering a reason despite significant public opposition to the firing. “Full disclosure, Donald Jaramillo is one of my closest friends, just so you all know that going in,” Mayor Martin “Modey” Hicks told the council before they voted. Hicks then alerted the council to a new paragraph in the city manager’s contract to “protect him without being terminated without cause.”
In a unanimous vote at the special meeting, every single city councilor voted to hire Jaramillo to the manager’s position. There was no discussion or dissent before the council took its action, with the council clapping for Jaramillo after he was confirmed by a vote. “I’m glad they didn’t hold it against you that you’re a good friend of mine,” Hicks said after the vote. “I think we’re all good friends with Don,” Mayor pro Tem Rick Lucero quipped after the mayor’s remark.
Political infighting turned the city council into a stagnant board which prevented necessary work from being accomplished. According to Manager Jaramillo, the Northwestern New Mexico Council of Governments understood the struggles and worked to keep necessary deadlines the city failed to meet, open. The council voted to apply for funding on behalf of the city’s senior citizens center, funding which the city was late on passing thanks to the lame duck governance.
Rebuking the school district. After approving Jaramillo to the manager’s position, the City of Grants then rebuked the Grants-Cibola County School District. With no objections made by any city councilor, Mayor Martin “Modey” Hicks signed a proclamation rebuking the local school district; announcing, “Whereas, all children in the City of Grants should have access to the highest quality education possible;
“And whereas, the City of Grants recognizes the important role an effective education plays in preparing all students in government, made to be successful adults; “And whereas, quality education is important to the economic vitality of the City of Grants, “And whereas, the City of Grants is home to a multiple of high-quality public and non-public schools where parents can choose for their children in addition to the families who educate their children at home, “And whereas, an educational variety not only helps to diversify our economy, but also enhances the vibrancy of our community,
“And whereas the City of Grants – I wish was true – has many high-quality teaching professionals in all types of school settings who are committed to educating our children, “And whereas, School Choice Week is celebrated across the country by millions of students, parents, educators, schools, and organizations to raise awareness of the need of effective educational options.
“Therefore, I Martin W. Joseph Hicks, do recognize January 23 through January 29 as the City of Grants School Choice Week. I call this to attention of all City of Grants Citizens.” Mayor Hicks signed the rebuke of GCCS with a flourish of his pen. “The reason I did that you guys, you see what’s going on all across the country and they’re talking about putting our students back to virtual learning again, our kids are in masks even though the science says they shouldn’t be in masks – cloth masks don’t protect you against nothing, if you’re not wearing an N95, you’re wasting your time. Okay? … The main reason I did this is for parents to stand up for their children’s rights, and to challenge our school board to quit going along with whatever is going on. Get the mask off of our kids and don’t go back to virtual learning, because there is no learning there. The reason I know that is because my wife is a teacher, and I’ve watched it for the last two years, period.”
This proclamation from the city comes as school aged children in the 10-19 demographic lead the surge in COVID-19 cases in Cibola County by significant margins. See COVID-19 on Page A3 for more information.