New Mexico cabinet staffers receive large raises
(The Center Square) – New Mexico Environment Secretary James Kenney has given two of his top staff members large raises three months after publicly calling on the state legislature to “fully fund” his department. The raises have come under criticism as the state still suffers from an economic slowdown related to COVID-19 restrictions and oil and gas policies.
According to recent media reports, the largest raise went to Justin Garoutte, who was promoted from special assistant to director of strategic initiatives.
As a special assistant to Kenney, Garoutte was responsible for scheduling meetings for the cabinet secretary and other senior leaders. In that role, he was making $26.44 an hour. In his new position, he will make $41.82 an hour, a 58%. That equates to $87,000 per year, some $32,000 more than he was previously making.
Kait O’Brien, a spokeswoman for the Environment Department, told the Santa Fe New Mexican that Garoutte is a “highly motivated and valuable member of the team,” and was “over-qualified” in his previous role.
Garoutte was promoted to his new job earlier this year when the role became vacant and was the only applicant for the position, which the state did not advertise for. O’Brien called it an “internal promotion.”
In making his decision, Kenney at the time wrote in an email to staffers that “Justin will lead our science, innovation, collaboration and compliance cross-cutting portfolios.”
According to media reports, the two staff members who Kenney indicated would report to Garoutte have both tendered their resignations.
In February, Kenney sent out a tweet saying that his department’s employees “can’t sustain current workloads with our existing budget,” and included a gif of actor Tom Cruise in the movie “Jerry McGuire” yelling “show me the money” into a phone.
Kenney himself recently received an 8% raise, boosting his salary from $156,000 to $168,840, making him the highest paid cabinet secretary in the state. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham’s office said the raise is temporary and reflects Kenney’s efforts in leading the state’s efforts to stem the coronavirus pandemic.
“I can’t think of anything more pathetic than radical environmentalists handing themselves massive raises while New Mexico’s families suffer under the worst unemployment rate in 30 years,” said Larry Behrens, wester states director for Power the Future, an industry trade group that supports oil and gas workers.
New Mexico’s unemployment rate of 8.3% is the third highest in the nation and the highest it has been since 1991.
Also in Kenney’s office, Maddy Hayden was promoted from public information officer to communications director. Her pay went from $35 an hour to $41.82 an hour, a nearly 20% increase. She now oversees a staff of four.
“I guess leaders in this administration feel if you’re going to continue to attack New Mexico’s energy workers, it helps to have a five-person media relations office,” Behrens said.
Eight members of Lujan Grisham’s staff received pay increases ranging from $7,500 to $18,000.
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