Five takeaways from outgoing Bernalillo County manager's final state of the county speech

Cathy Cook, Albuquerque Journal, N.M.
·3 min read

Jun. 30—Bernalillo County Manager Julie Morgas Baca gave her final state of the county speech last week.

Morgas Baca is retiring Sunday after serving as county manager since 2015. She previously worked for the county from 2004 to 2011.

"My nine years as county manager have been truly the pinnacle of my career," Morgas Baca said Tuesday night. She recognized the county staff, calling them the county's "most critical resource."

County commissioners had high praise for the outgoing manager with an official acknowledgement of her service , which was met with a standing ovation from a packed commission chamber.

The presentation highlighted Morgas Baca's accessibility and leadership.

Commissioner Steven Michael Quezada said Morgas Baca taught him that sometimes leadership means being a listener more than a speaker.

Commissioner Walt Benson said Morgas Baca always had answers for how to get something done and was always willing to meet with constituents and help them solve problems.

Five takeaways

1. More behavioral health services. The CARES Campus, Bernalillo County's detox facility, has expanded with a new wing to serve young adults. Bernalillo County and the University of New Mexico Hospital also celebrated opening a Behavioral Health Crisis Center in June after two years of construction. The county committed $20 million toward the facility, with a matching $20 million commitment from UNMH.

"Our most recent achievement, as everybody knows, is finally the inauguration of the crisis triage center on the UNM Hospital campus, a beacon of hope for individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, offering an alternative to jail and also the emergency rooms," Morgas Baca said.

2. The Tiny Home Village is at 100% capacity. The 30-unit Tiny Home Village is a transitional housing program built in 2021 that struggled to reach full occupancy, according to previous news coverage. After the village was fully staffed, an application fee was cut and the requirement that residents be sober for 30 days before moving in was removed, the number of resident applications increased, according to previous coverage. Bernalillo County announced that the Tiny Home Village reached full capacity last week.

3. A new fire station is on the way. The first new county fire station in 25 years, Fire Station 66 at the corner of Atrisco Vista and Central, is under construction and should open in December, and the county just completed the joint fire and public safety training academy on Broadway and Rio Bravo, Morgas Baca said. Bernalillo County Fire and Rescue will also staff the new fire station on Sandia Pueblo under a five-year agreement, according to previous coverage.

4. The county has a solid financial foundation. The fiscal year 2025 budget is balanced, and the county has healthy reserves while maintaining a solid debt profile, Morgas Baca said. Reserves are crucial because they can be used to help pay for large expenses such as lawsuit settlements, she said. The county has also maintained a AAA bond rating.

5. The executive team is fully staffed. Morgas Baca is leaving the county with a fully staffed executive team to support the next county manager and an established team to negotiate with county employee unions. The final two contracts with union employees have been ratified and were approved by the Bernalillo County Commission Tuesday.