The Town of Edgewood approved a new joint powers agreement on Friday to maintain Santa Fe County fire and emergency medical services in the town. The county approved the agreement just an hour before the Edgewood special meeting.
Edgewood resident and former mayor Robert Stearley told KSFR that he was "elated" that the town commission approved the joint powers agreement.
'I’ve read and studied it and I’m very happy with it,” Stearley said. Stearley was mayor in 2005 when the original JPA was enacted.
The new JPA comes after Edgewood opted in April to leave the 2005 agreement due to a disagreement about its financial requirements. Edgewood didn’t pay the county for services for two years and the county eventually sued. After several contentious town commission meetings, Edgewood commissioners agreed to come back to the bargaining table. The 2005 JPA will expire on June 30 and the new will take effect the following day, July 1.
The agreement passed on a 4-1 vote. Commissioner Stephen Murrillo cast the sole “no” vote.
“This is not a payment for services rendered," Murrillo said during the commission meeting. "Rather, this is long term debt in disguise. This survives even if the county ends services. I don't see how that's going to be useful to our town, or to our citizens.”
Most community members who attended the meeting were in favor of the new agreement and pushed back against Murrillo’s critiques. Jason Smith, an Edgewood resident and retired firefighter, said the safety of residents is more important than a potential financial burden.
“So let's put money aside and let's talk about lives, because that's what these gentlemen do," Smith said, referencing to the firefighters gathered at the meeting. "They don't care about anything else, other than making sure you see tomorrow. That's what the county provides.”
Per the new deal, Edgewood must pay $50,000 to the county within the next 60 days and then $10,000 monthly until the total of $2.2 million is paid. Edgewood must create a GRT Fire Services Fund to maintain the payments and the state Department of Finance and Administration needs to approve the deal before it can officially take effect.
