Mayor says he does not intend to pursue commission seat if election results hold
GRANTS, N.M. – Following Tuesday's primary election, Grants Mayor Erik Garcia says he does not intend to pursue a seat on the Cibola County Commission and instead entered the race to draw attention to what he believes is an unresolved issue involving the City of Grants Charter.
Garcia won the Republican primary for County Commission District 3, but told the Cibola Citizen that he never intended to hold both offices simultaneously.
'The charter says you cannot hold dual roles,' Garcia said during an interview on Tuesday morning.
According to Garcia, his candidacy was intended as a public demonstration of the city's ongoing debate surrounding dual office holding and the interpretation of the Grants City Charter.
The issue emerged earlier this year when questions were raised regarding whether former Grants City Councilor Dolores Vallejos could continue serving on the council while also holding the elected post of Cibola County Assessor with Cibola County government.
Garcia said he believed the city charter clearly prohibits holding two public positions that create a conflict under the charter's language.
'If I were done being mayor and wanted that seat, I would resign as mayor,' Garcia said. 'You have to pick one or the other. That's the rule.'
Garcia said he entered the commission race because he believed city officials were considering allowing the matter to be decided by voters rather than enforcing the charter's existing language.
'I wanted people to understand that we have a charter, and that it matters,' Garcia said.
Garcia confirmed he contacted Democratic candidate Marty Vigil following the election and indicated he does not expect to seek the commission position.
Vigil confirmed to the Cibola Citizen that Garcia contacted him about the commission seat.
Vigil said he appreciated the conversation and is preparing for the possibility of serving on the commission if he ultimately wins the seat.
'The campaign was a great experience,' Vigil said. 'I'm already putting together a list of concerns and issues residents brought to me during the campaign.'
Vigil said he intends to continue working with county officials on those concerns regardless of the final outcome.
The final certification of election results remains pending through the canvassing process.