Board of County Commissioners v. Chavez

2008 NMCA 028, 178 P.3d 828, 143 N.M. 543
CourtNew Mexico Court of Appeals
DecidedDecember 3, 2007
DocketNo. 26,800
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 2008 NMCA 028 (Board of County Commissioners v. Chavez) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New Mexico Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Board of County Commissioners v. Chavez, 2008 NMCA 028, 178 P.3d 828, 143 N.M. 543 (N.M. Ct. App. 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

VIGIL, Judge.

{1} This case requires us to decide whether a Joint Powers Agreement (the JPA) between the County of Bernalillo (the County) and the City of Albuquerque (the City) for the operation of the Metropolitan Detention Center (the MDC) was properly terminated by the City. The district court determined that it was, granting the City’s motion for summary judgment. The County appeals, making two arguments: (1) that the district court erred in ruling that Mayor Martin Chavez (the Mayor) of the City had the power to unilaterally terminate the JPA; and (2) that the JPA may only be terminated by a party and the Mayor is not a party to the JPA. Although we rely on reasons different from those articulated by the district court, we hold that the City properly terminated the JPA, and therefore affirm.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

{2} In 2002, the City and the County entered into the JPA for the operation of the MDC. The JPA provided for the creation of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Government Commission (the ABCGC) to govern all MDC policy matters and budget differences. The ABCGC is comprised of the Mayor, one City Councillor, two County Commissioners, the City’s Chief Administrative Officer, the County Manager, the County Comptroller, and the Director of Council Services. Paragraph 4 of the JPA is entitled “Term and Termination,” and in pertinent part states:

4. Term and Termination. This Agreement shall commence on the date last entered below and may be terminated by either the County or the City giving the other entity notice of at least twelve months in advance of the end of the fiscal year in which the Agreement is to be terminated. In the event of termination of this Agreement, distribution of the properties owned by either the County or the City shall be determined by agreement of the parties.
In the event that voters fail to adopt a charter for a single urban government pursuant to Article X, Section 11 of the Constitution of the State of New Mexico the management of the MDC shall be transferred from the City to the County within a reasonable time as determined by the ABCGC and all other' provisions of this Agreement shall remain in full force and effect.

{3} On April 18, 2005, the Mayor gave notice to the County that the City was terminating the JPA effective June 30, 2006. The notice was addressed to the County Manager, and a copy was sent to the President of the City Council and four ABCGC members. The notice reads:

April 18, 2005
Thaddeus Lucero, [County Manager of Bernalillo County and his Address]
SUBJECT: Notice of Termination of Joint Powers Agreement for the Metropolitan Detention Center
HAND DELIVERED
Dear Mr. Lucero:
Pursuant to Paragraph 4 of the Joint Powers Agreement [b]etween the County of Bernalillo and the City of Albuquerque for the Joint Metropolitan Detention Center (the Agreement), the City of Albuquerque hereby gives notice of its intent to terminate the Agreement. The termination provision of the Agreement provides that notice be given “at least twelve months in advance of the end of the fiscal [year] in which the Agreement is to be terminated.” As such, the termination will become effective June 30, 2006.
The City will continue to operate the Metropolitan Detention Center until that date unless the Albuquerque Bernalillo County Government Commission determines that the transition of operations to the County should occur earlier.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
[signature]
Martin J. Chavez
cc: [President of Albuquerque City Council Four Members of ABCGC]

{4} On February 1, 2006, the County filed a complaint for declaratory judgment, requesting the district court render judgment that the Mayor did not have unilateral authority to terminate the JPA absent approval and authorization from the Albuquerque City Council and, therefore, the Mayor’s letter of April 18, 2005, had no legal effect. The complaint asserted, “To date, Defendant Albuquerque City Council has not weighed in on the issue at controversy.”

{5} On February 10, 2006, the County filed a motion for summary judgment, arguing that there were no genuine issues of material fact, and that, as a matter of law, under State law, the City Charter, and the JPA, the City Council, not the Mayor, has the authority to enter into a JPA, approve amendments and modifications to it, and terminate it. In support of its motion for summary judgment, the County attached the affidavit of County Manager Thaddeus Lucero. The affidavit states that by letter dated April 18, 2005, addressed and received by Mr. Lucero, the Mayor informed the County that the City was giving notice of its intent to terminate the JPA. The affidavit adds that between July 1, 2004, and the date of filing of the complaint (February 1, 2006), “the City Council took no action to terminate the JPA, and further, has taken no action to authorize the termination of the JPA.”

{6} On February 22, 2006, the City Council met and approved Resolution 06-32 (R-06-32). R-06-32 in its entirety states:

RESOLUTION
REGARDING THE TRANSFER OF THE OPERATION AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE METROPOLITAN DETENTION CENTER FROM THE CITY TO THE COUNTY OF BERNALILLO.
WHEREAS, the [MDC], which is owned by [the County], is currently operated by [the City] pursuant to [the JPA] between the two governing bodies; and
WHEREAS, the [ABCGC], which governs all MDC policy matters in accordance with the JPA, directed the City and County to enter into a contract with Voorhis/Robertson Justice Services, Inc. (“Consultant”) to conduct an operational, financial and legal analysis for the ownership and operation of the MDC; and
WHEREAS, the Consultant analyzed four management options and made recommendations to the ABCGC for future management of the MDC; and
WHEREAS, the Consultant recommended, among other things, that the owner and manager of the MDC should be the same, and stated that the County is the likely manager of the MDC; and
WHEREAS, the ABCGC received the Consultant’s recommendations at its meeting on November 1, 2005 and recommended to the City Council and the Board of County Commissioners that each governing body entertain a resolution to transfer the operation and administration of the MDC to the County; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners adopted Resolution No. 91-2005 on November 8, 2005[,] which stated that a transition team will be established immediately to begin the transition of the MDC operation and management from [the City] to [the County]; and

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2008 NMCA 028, 178 P.3d 828, 143 N.M. 543, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/board-of-county-commissioners-v-chavez-nmctapp-2007.