EDITORIAL: Socorro Co-op Continues To Play By Own Rules

by John Severance, Editor

Monday night was further proof that the Socorro Electric Co-op board makes up its own rules as it goes along.
Roberts Rules of Order?
Apparently, the co-op has never heard of it. Well, it might have heard of it but it certainly does not abide by it.
First off, how can an accountant call for an executive session?
Well, that’s what happened Monday night when co-op accountant Kathy Torres called for it to discuss a complaint against trustee Charlie Wagner.
I can understand if the new attorney Dennis Francis had requested it, but an accountant?
Last week’s meeting also went into executive session to discuss the co-op’s attorney situation.
The co-op never called the meeting back into regular session and the media and members standing outside only knew it was over when trustee Harold Baca walked out of the building.
In most other meetings, the board makes a motion to go back into regular session. Then the chairman of the board is supposed to announce what was discussed in executive session.
After last week’s meeting, Wagner walked out and told the media that a motion had passed to hire an attorney.
That, however, was not Wagner’s duty. That should have been the duty of the president of the board.
During Monday night’s meeting, trustee president Paul Bustamante then told Wagner that he would face disciplinary action for telling the newspapers about what was discussed in executive session.
I’m thinking Wagner was just helping out the trustee president.
One other issue is troublesome.
Three new trustees – Donald Wolberg, Priscilla Mauldin and Luis Aguilar – have been treated unfairly. None of them were notified of a special meeting last week to discuss the attorney situation. And none of them were allowed to attend the last two times the board went into executive session. They were standing outside in the freezing cold with the other members and media in attendance.
One would think the board would show some common courtesy.
While on the subject of new trustees, why does it take so LONG for them to take office? They were elected back in October. The board may be wise to look into this policy but I am sure they won’t.
I could go on and on and on.
But it’s not going to matter.
The board makes up its own rules, does not follow its own bylaws and is not accountable to anybody or anything.
And that’s too bad.

Smart guy
Richard Lopez is a really smart guy. And the Socorro Electric Cooperative is very lucky to have him as an employee.
Lopez is the engineering and operations manager for the co-op and he is the one who keeps the business running on all cylinders.
Lopez is smart, though, because he totally stays out of all the turmoil that surrounds the co-op board and he is the one responsible for everybody having electricity in this area.
If the co-op had 11 people like Lopez on its board, the community would be a much happier place.

Sad loss
The Mountain Mail lost a member of its family on Dec. 24 when Dale Smith died unexpectedly because of complications rising from pneumonia.
Dale worked for the newspaper for six years as a driver. He was a great guy and our condolences go out to his family.

EDITORIAL: Socorro Co-op Continues To Play By Own Rules