Monterey Aldermen approved a resolution to establish a city administrator position during a special-called meeting on Monday.
The resolution will be sent to the State Legislature for approval. While many details about the position, including job duties and funding, remain undecided, Alderman Bill Wiggins said he supports the idea of the new managerial role.
“I don’t know how our representatives feel about it, but I’m comfortable with sending the proposition, the resolution to the legislature,” Wiggins said. “I just am. I think it’s a needed position too.”
It remains unclear whether lawmakers will approve the resolution during this year’s session. Even if it is approved, Mayor Alex Garcia emphasized that the measure would not finalize the specifics of the position.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Garcia said. “When it comes back, it still has to be ratified, the way that everyone agrees it’s going to be done.”
Aldermen spent significant time in the work session before the special-called meeting discussing how the position would be funded. Several aldermen said they were hesitant to eliminate the cultural administrator role to make room for a city administrator, while others expressed concern about combining both roles into one position.
Alderman Jamie Phillips pointed to the town’s limited finances, noting last year’s surplus was roughly $30,000.
“That’s why we say we don’t think we can afford it,” Phillips said. “We just don’t see the money there in the budget.”
Alderman Jim Whitaker added that if the town cannot consolidate positions, new revenue may be necessary.
“Everybody’s always jumping around these taxes,” Whitaker said. “I mean, I know nobody wants taxes. But that’s the only way you can have other things in this town.”
The discussion also addressed how a city administrator would interact with Monterey’s Civil Service Board. Several members stressed the importance of keeping hiring and disciplinary authority with the board to maintain accountability, voicing opposition to shifting that power to a new administrator role.
Ultimately, the board voted to send the resolution to the legislature, with Alderman Kevin Peters casting the lone dissenting vote. Peters argued the decision should be left to voters.
“This is a big deal, and it should be voted on by the people, whether they want it or not,” Peters said. “It shouldn’t be a handful of us up here, you know, deciding that.”