By Roger Lanse

Assistant Town Manager James Marshall, in a Jan. 24, 2019 press release, explained the ongoing feud between the Town and Santa Fe’s Secretary of State regarding the town’s March 5 municipal election.

The release stated, “Silver City is the only municipality in New Mexico that has two-year terms for our Mayor and Town Council. The two-year terms make annual elections a requirement to maintain staggering of the terms for the Council. The Town has conducted annual elections since 1878. The State of New Mexico has now made an objection to elections in March of odd-numbered years and the two-year staggering of terms.

“In the 2018 legislative session HB 98 was passed and signed into law by our Governor that consolidates most elections in the month of November. Due to differences in interpretation of this new bill, the State does not believe that Silver City is allowed annual elections. There is currently litigation pending before the Sixth Judicial District Court brought by the Secretary of State against the Town of Silver City and its officials to prohibit the Town from conducting the upcoming municipal election for March 5, 2019. The District Court has issued an order directing the Town Clerk to take no further actions which the Clerk would be required to do in furtherance of said election until the litigation has been resolved. As a consequence, the Town Clerk will be taking no further actions with regard to the March 5, 2019 election until such time as the District Court changes such order or the litigation is resolved. The Town is facing some deadlines for the March 5, 2019 election that may not be met due to this pending litigation, resulting in the potential cancellation of the election this year.”