Jhonathan Aragon appointed as new Valencia County manager

A county employee has moved up the ranks to become Valencia County’s newest manager.

Jhonathan Aragon, a former county commissioner who was hired as the deputy manager in March 2024, was hired as county manager on a unanimous vote by the Valencia County Commission in December.

“First and foremost, I have to say what an opportunity this is,” Aragon said. “This was in my mind for probably the last seven or eight years, to stay in local government and make a career in county administration, hopefully as a county manager.”

While still a county commissioner, Aragon applied for manager positions in both Torrance and Socorro counties, but was unsuccessful.

“This is a true opportunity to do this here, at home, in a place I’m familiar with, a place I’ve been learning the ins and outs of for the last almost 12 years,” he said.

Aragon was one of six who applied for the county manager position. County human resources director Orlando Montoya said five of the applicants were interviewed by the commission in December, with one — John Waters — withdrawing from the process.

In addition to Aragon, Joseph Chavez, Samuel Demel, Julian “Jay” Ruybalid and Jeremias Silva were interviewed.

“All the applicants were reviewed and their qualifications were presented to the commission,” Montoya said. “A matrix was created and the board of county commissioners discussed the applicants in executive session, then made their decision.”

Aragon, who was a county commissioner for District 5 for 11 years, was awarded a one-year, $118,000 contract as manager. He will oversee about 340 county employees. The advertised salary range for the position was from $118,000 to $145,000, depending on qualifications.

As the manager, Aragon said he has a commission that works well together and is forward thinking. In 2023, the commissioners held a retreat to craft a three-year strategic plan for the county.

“There have been a lot of five-year plans made and put on the shelf, kind of forgotten,” he said. “The three-year plan was done in a way where we can be easily reminded of the plan and we’ve been checking off goals because the commission is on the same page and wants to get to the same place.”

The strategic plan emphasizes building up public safety, recruiting and retaining high quality employees, as well as building new departments such as the county recreation division.

“The hospital was a huge project we finally got across the finish line and started,” Aragon said. “I think we have a team that works well together and they are very open to discussion. We have a good plan in place.”

One primary task Aragon will focus on as he takes on his new role is the development of the county’s budget and keeping the county in a sound fiscal position.

“We want to be smart about money and still provide the services we have and learn how to grow those services,” he said.

With his experience as the past president of the New Mexico Counties association, as well as serving on the National Association of Counties board, Aragon said the commission has tasked him with building relationships with legislators and seeking appropriations for large projects.

“(The commissioners have) identified strengths I have and are wanting me to run with them,” he said.

Commission Chairman Gerard Saiz said he and his fellow commissioners will look to Aragon to continue the path the county is on.

“The county has been on a real good path since I’ve been on the commission — fiscally responsible, promoting department growth and filling staff vacancies. Our biggest focus has been on public safety,” Saiz said. “We will continue on that path, given direction from the commission, and continue the progress of the last few years.”

During his time as deputy manager, there have been questions about whether Aragon was qualified for the position as well as that of county manager.

Aragon worked for Village Veterinary Hospital from 2006 until 2024, starting as a vet tech and leaving as the hospital manager. He has an associate degree in general science, and expects to complete a bachelor of business administration, with a concentration in organizational leadership, in December.

According to the job listing for the manager position, the minimum education and experience required was a bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, political science or a related field, and a minimum of three years experience — with a preference for five years — as a county or assistant county manager, city or assistant city manager or chief executive officer, with similar experience in the private sector to be considered.

“When people look at you on paper, it’s easy to see what you want to see and not see other things,” Aragon said.

He said during his time at the veterinary practice, more than 10 years were spent managing the hospital side of the business, giving direction to staff about their interaction with the doctors and building out their tasks for the day.

“This is not my first stint in management,” he said. “Yes, that was on a smaller scale but we were dealing with patients’ lives, so you had to be on your game, know what you were doing and be confident in that.

“As far as managerial experience in the county, I’ve taken it upon myself — and thankfully the county has really fostered raising up their employees through education — and taken part in many, many leadership programs through Leadership New Mexico and the National Association of Counties’ higher leadership academy. That was developed by Gen. Colin Powell, specifically for management in local government administration. It’s a quite intensive course on how to deal with the staff, the public, finances and become a real leader in an organization. I decided for myself that was something I wanted to do and could do.”

Aragon said he would love to talk to people and find out what they expect of him and their concerns.

“People may have some kind of view about me but they’ve never met me. Come have a chat. I welcome that and appreciate it,” he said. “I have a real passion for Valencia County and want to see it succeed and be better than we’ve ever been.”

Saiz said while Aragon is working to complete his degree, he has obtained education from different organizations as a commissioner on a local and state level and “gained a lot of experience in areas beneficial to him as a county manager, even though it doesn’t count towards a degree.”

The chairman said he wouldn’t have favored anyone for the county manager position unless he was confident in their abilities.

“I do think he is a good fit for the organization, has a good vision,” he said. “There will be a bit of a learning curve and he is already doing things to make sure he meets the requirements and expectations of the commission.”

Aragon said former county manager Danny Monette left the county in a good position — fiscally sound, with good reserves and a grants department actively seeking funds to lessen the burden on the general fund.

“The staff here at Valencia County is second to none,” Aragon said. “Danny saw they were experts in their field and was able to let them work. The staff here makes a manager’s job easy. I don’t want a boss and employees. I want a team and look forward to continuing to building that. I definitely don’t have all the answers. That’s why we have experts in our departments and I want to foster those brilliant minds.”

The vacant deputy manager’s position has been posted on the county’s website at $75,000 to $100,000. It will also be a contract position.