SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) - A hiring freeze New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez ordered in March is being lifted after state finances stabilized.
A state Personnel Office spokesman told the Santa Fe New Mexican (https://bit.ly/2sL9cvT ) Thursday that the restrictions on new state hiring were lifted because it appears the state budget year won’t end with a deficit on June 30.
Martinez implemented the hiring freeze and threatened to furlough state workers on March 25 amid a political standoff with lawmakers over the next year’s proposed budget. The freeze had exemptions for public safety or revenue-generating posts.
New Mexico has seen an uptick in tax revenue and received assurances from the federal government that past-due payments for public land leases would arrive by the end of June.
Some lawmakers called the freeze unnecessary.
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Information from: The Santa Fe New Mexican, https://www.sfnewmexican.com
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