Wust loses county job, blames politics

Firing comes after failed bid for commissioner seat

Phaedra Haywood | The New Mexican

7/2/2008 - 7/3/08

Almost two weeks after losing his bid to become a Santa Fe County commissioner, Stephen Wust was fired from his job as county natural resources director.

Wust said he was told about his termination by Growth Management Director James Lujan.

"First he said, 'We've eliminated the position,'" Wust said. "Then he said, 'It's just not working out.' Then he said, 'You just don't seem happy.'"

The letter he received later in the day from County Manager Roman Abeyta wasn't much more informative, according to Wust, who said the letter simply stated that because Wust was an at-will employee, the county did not need cause to let him go.

Wust said he suspects his firing might have been connected to his election bid and cited a recent piece Abeyta wrote saying government employees should quit their jobs before running for office.

The piece, "10 Commandments for Success in Local Government," was published in the June issue of Public Management magazine. In it, Abeyta opines: "I think that if an employee is serious about running for office, that employee shouldn't just take a leave of absence. That person should quit working for the local government as soon as the decision to run is made."

Wust said he didn't quit his job when he decided to run for office, but he did follow the county's policy by taking 30 days off before the primary election in June.

Abeyta didn't return phone calls seeking comment.

County Commissioner Mike Anaya said when Abyeta called to let him know Wust was being terminated, the county manager said, "Things weren't getting done."

Anaya said he personally liked Wust, but was frustrated at Wust's failure to give concise staff opinions when facing questions from commissioners on different sides of an issue. "He would never be specific," Anaya said of Wust. "He would tell them what they wanted to hear. ... That is one of the things I didn't particularly like."

County spokesman Stephen Ulibarri said Wust's position was eliminated because the county wants to create a new position, that of utilities manager, and wants that person to have had experience running a public utility.

Wust, who had worked at the county for five years, lost his bid for county commissioner in District 5 to Liz Stefanics.

Stefanics garnered more than 50 percent of the votes in the race that featured four candidates total. Wust received about 5 percent of the votes.

Stefanics, director of the State Health Policy Commission, said she vetted her own candidacy through the state Department of Finance and the federal Department of Justice before announcing she would run. She said she doesn't have a problem with government employees running for office as long as they follow policy on leave and related issues. "I think the more people who run for office, the better," Stefanics said.

Contact Phaedra Haywood at 986-3068 or phaywood@sfnewmexican.com.