By Kevin Hendricks, The Paper.
Sandoval County has a new Assessor. Commissioners appointed Edward Olona to the post at their July 22 meeting, filling the vacancy left by Linda Gallegos’ resignation amid a controversy over her collecting two taxpayer-funded salaries at once. Olona was sworn in on the spot.
Commissioner Michael Meek brought the resolution forward, and the board approved it without opposition. Olona will serve through Dec. 31, when the winner of November’s election takes office. He thanked commissioners for the opportunity and said he intends to keep upholding state statute “in keeping with” his tenure guiding the assessor’s office and its staff.
Olona has worked for Sandoval County’s Assessor’s Office since Sept. 20, 2010, most recently as Chief Assessment Officer. He previously worked in the Colfax County Assessor’s Office from 2003 to 2010 and holds appraisal certifications from the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue and the International Association of Assessing Officers. The resolution guarantees he can return to his Chief Assessment Officer role, with seniority and benefits intact, once his term as Assessor ends.
He steps into an office that spent much of the summer under scrutiny: Gallegos resigned effective July 10, five weeks after commissioners voted 4-1 to formally demand she step down over a state law requiring elected officials who go 30-plus days without devoting working hours to their post to be treated as having resigned. Commissioners raised the issue after Gallegos began drawing a reported $155,000 salary in a state Treasurer’s Office job on May 4 while still collecting her $86,626 county paycheck.
Voters will pick a permanent Assessor in November. Democrat Gerred Prairie faces Republican Lawrence Griego, who defeated Deputy Assessor Richard Shanks in the June primary.
BY THE NUMBERS
- $122,063.76 — Olona’s annual salary for the remainder of the term, his current pay plus a 5% temporary-promotion differential
- $103,951.16 — the standard salary set for future assessors taking office after Jan. 1, 2027
- 16 years — Olona’s tenure with Sandoval County
Sandoval County Assessor transition
- Interim Assessor: Edward D. Olona, through Dec. 31, 2026
- November election: Gerred Prairie (D) vs. Lawrence Griego (R)
- Board of County Commissioners meetings: sandovalcountynm.gov