By Lynn Janes
The Silver City Town Council held a work session and regular meeting November 18, 2025. Attendance to the meeting included Mayor Ken Ladner, Mayor Pro Tem Guadalupe Cano, Nicholas Prince and Stan Snider. Rudy Bencomo had resigned.
The council started with a work session to discuss the new town manager job description. A committee had drafted a description last year that they will be addressing.
Cano said, "I think this is a really good document, there is a few things I would like to see changed." She referenced a part of the document that says residents include multi-generational families. She wanted it to include transplants with diverse cultural values. "We want to include everyone."
In another area where it says health care professionals and those with substance abuse, behavioral health issues and the unhoused. Cano wanted to read healthcare professionals, comma, those with substance abuse and behavioral health issues, comma, and the unhoused. The way the document reads now, it sounds like all of these people that do these other things don't have substance abuse or behavioral health problems.
Under summary job description, the third sentence where it says, incorporating all guidance from the mayor and council. Cano felt they should take it all out and just leave guidance out because the way it's written now if a council member said they didn't like some employee, and they should be fired. The document implies they will have to do that. She also pointed out another area on the hiring of department heads should say all employees. Prince asked her for some clarification, and she went over it.
Snider didn't have anything to add but wanted to know the salary range. He thought they should keep it at the same rate. "I don't think we want to increase it any. We need to keep funds available for the actual employees."
Prince spoke to employee contract amounts and said recently they had hired in the range of $80,000. This would give them an idea of the offering amount but might need to do some research. He asked if the Municipal League would have any information. Cano said they would need to contact Allison Nichols for that information. Prince asked if someone could reach out to Nichols at the Municipal League and Alfred Sedillo, town clerk, said he could do that and reach out to other municipalities.
Prince wanted to know if the city staff had reviewed the document and if they had any concerns. He asked them to reach out.
Ladner asked Charles Kretek, town attorney, if he had any comments.
Kretek said he did on Cano's request to incorporate all guidance instead of incorporating guidance. Typically, that would be limited to legal guidance. One council member could not request someone be fired. They would have to have a duly called meeting and a vote of the majority for guidance that the manager has to follow. Cano and he disagreed about how that should be handled. He said they needed to have a clause that defined guidance. He gave an example of a previous incident in another municipality. The conversation continued between the two. Snider and Prince joined in on wording and how it would be perceived.
They continued with how the hiring, firing, collective bargaining, etc. would look like between the council and town manager. The conversation defined what legal guidance would mean.
Snider thought the document looked good. Prince had one thing. He wanted to make sure the total number of employees would be updated, and the operation budget will be up to date. Two years ago, when the document had been made the town had 162 employees and an operating budget of $15.5 million. He thought they had gone to $17.6 million.
Ladner said currently the town manager serves as the chair of the solid waste authority, but Snider said he no longer serves as chair and that Nancy Stevens did. He does serve on the Southwest New Mexico Council of Governments and Grant County Regional Dispatch Board.
Cano wanted to go back to the conversation on pay. If they start the new person at the same pay being currently paid to the town manager of 25 years, they should consider starting them a little lower. That way they will have room to move up. Ladner agreed they should seek data from the Municipal League. Snider agreed with Cano.
Prince wanted to talk about timeframes and probationary periods. He suggested they pull that data along with pay scales.
Ladner asked if they wanted to bring the job description to vote at the next meeting and they all agreed that would work and will be sending all their changes to Sedillo. Prince did want the description to be put before the new members that will be taking office on the council in January. Ladner pointed out they would have a new mayor, new council member and new appointed council member. It would be professional and courteous to keep them in the loop.
Ladner compared the university president search, and they will have to be someone who can reach out to the community. "We are not just hiring a manager; we are hiring someone who is able to lead."
Ladner, "I'm not trying to diminish the important role you have with hiring the manager, I hate to use the term, lame duck." He referred to the term for him and Cano. They will have a whole new group of people coming in and he thought they should give them a chance to lead as well. "I don't know if that changes anything you want to say or move forward or not."
Cano said, "I would like to see the changes that I asked for implemented in this document, even if it's not voted upon by us, but by the next council, I'd like them to at least have that opportunity to see those changes. Ladner agreed she had worked hard on the document.
Prince said he and Cano had been part of the council that originally commissioned the group to compile the job description. "There were decisions that were made before we were elected. There were decisions that were made before we were born, making sure then that we're all able to keep up with what those decisions were and recognizing then that this is a sort of effort of continuity that exists." He thought a lot of great leaders had been part of the document, and it will be a great foundation for the new council coming in. He also thought they should not dump too much on them.
Sedillo said he would meet with Cano and Prince to make sure he had all the changes. Snider still wanted to address the salary range. He did then say it could be addressed later, and the new council could be involved. "I think that is appropriate." Prince also agreed it would be appropriate.
Work session ended and the regular meeting started.
Council comments
Both Snider and Prince did not have any comments.
Cano wanted to acknowledge the winners of the awards presented by the Grant County Chamber of Commerce the past Friday. First, they had honored all the volunteer fire fighters, paid firefighters and law enforcement officers that worked on the Trout Fire. Approximately 70 firefighters and law enforcement officers had attended. 'It was a chance for the community to say thank you." They also honored the small business of the year, WSI Electric – two nonprofits Gila Resource Information Project (GRIP) and Silver Regional Sexual Assault Support Services (SASS) – Employee of the year, Sheila Hudman, Santa Clara village administrator – Volunteer of the year, Kathryn McCarroll – Linda K Jones Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement, Mary Alice Murphy, owner, editor and publisher of Grant County Beat – Citizen of the year, Patricia Morales Cano. She congratulated all of the winners.
Cano said, "I just want to address something that happened during the work session. I was referred to as a lame duck by the mayor. Yes, I did lose the election. Yes, my term is over on December 31st, which is still a month and a half away. However, I just want to let the people of District 4 know that I am not a lame duck. I still have a month and a half of service to this community. I plan to use that month and a half of service to the best of my ability, and I was extremely offended to be called a name by the mayor on this day, in the middle of a professional meeting. I found it very inappropriate, and I really thought that we were trying to be civil, and to be being called a name, whether he thinks he's one or not, it wasn't necessary to call me one, and I didn't appreciate it. '
Ladner welcomed Victor Nanez. the newly elected district 4 council member. He had attended the council meeting. Ladner addressed the "lame duck" comment he had made about himself and Cano. He did agree both of them would not be coasting until December 31, 2025, and will continue to work. He said he had worked with Cano for 12 years. Cano corrected him and said it had only been 10 years. Ladner continued that during that time she had been one of the strongest council members and has been passionate about her position and gives 100 percent. He apologized for offending her.
The council approved the minutes from October 28, 2025, meeting.
Public input none currently.
Reports
Jacqui Olea, assistant town manager did not have any reports.
New business
The council approved a public celebration permit for Small Business Saturday and the 35th Annual Lighted Christmas Parade party November 29, 2025. The permit would be for Open Space Brewery. It would be located at 214 West Yankie Street.
The council approved a public celebration permit for a holiday party December 13, 2025. The permit would be for Open Space Brewery. It would be located at 214 West Yankie Street.
The council approved a public celebration permit for Holiday Market December 11, 2025. The permit would be for Little Toad Creek. It would be located at 601 North Bullard Street.
Olea spoke to the next item. The council had three letters provided to them by the labor unions wishing to continue the operation of the local labor management relations board. This would be up to the discretion of the council, but Olea wanted to provide some information. This would be required by December 31, 2025, or or it would nullify the bargaining agreement. The composition of the board would remain the same. The council approved the continuation.
Meeting adjourned
