BY ANNA DILLANE
Resident 
Homeowner 
Business owner

To the Los Alamos County Council

Editor’s note: This letter was received prior to Tuesday’s Council meeting while the Reporter was out of town.

I understand that at tonight’s council meeting you intend to replace Kevin Holsapple on the county lodgers tax board with Brandi Engeman. 

Why? Why would you do that?  Here you have Kevin Holsapple- a concerned, educated, experienced citizen willing to serve and volunteer his time and expertise.  This man understands tourism probably more than most of your staff. This man has been asking hard questions trying to find and create accountability within the lodger tax board and the county staff. He called staff out for not allowing the Lodgers tax board to weigh in on the multi-year high-dollar contract given to a business for promoting tourism. He asked for numbers produced by the current contractor regarding tourism . These were questions staff should have been asking . They should have already presented that information to the lodgers Tax Board . The lodger’s tax board is tasked with such oversight!

So staff’s response to his extremely valid questions is to replace him on the board? Could staff be a little bit more transparent in their attempt to get rid of people who speak the truth? The Lodgers Tax Board is tasked with overseeing the use of the lodgers tax. The lodgers tax is intended to help promote tourism to help local business.  The lodgers Tax Board has met two out of the last 9 months? When the Los Alamos Local Business Coalition brought this to the County Council’s attention month after month – nothing was done. No follow through at all. This is a state mandated lodgers tax board. This isn’t some local citizen committee that you can manipulate. 

Furthermore, replacing this non-biased and experienced citizen with someone who works at a county sponsored business is a MASSIVE conflict of interest. Appointing her to ANY county board is a conflict of interest. If you proceed to do so, you will show this county and its community members that YOU want to control the narrative and that these county boards are nothing more than an ILLUSION of community involvement and oversight. A sham! Brandy is in no way unbiased. She has shown over and over through public statements on Facebook that she supports the county 100% in everything they do. Why wouldn’t she? She’s employed by them!

The fact the county staff would so blatantly attempt this maneuver and ask you the County council to approve it shows me the lack of regard they have for fairness, transparency, citizen, involvement and oversight. It is a slap in the face to this community and it’s a slap in the face to you County counselors.

I have asked this before and I’ll ask it again. At what point do you hold the county staff accountable for their actions?? The fact that this action even gained enough traction to get to you shows a massive misuse of time and funds. They should be working to create MORE transparency and more actual citizen involvement, rather than trying to squelch the engaged citizens they actually have.

I call for the county manager’s removal. Enough is enough. She has perpetuated an environment within County staff that creates an “us versus them” mentality and puts you- the County council- as the face of her contempt. She has lied to you (about whether there were any alternative locations available for the social services hub proposed for the Diamond Drive property fiasco). She has allowed staff to present you with ultimatums. She has done nothing to improve the local business community which is a multi-year priority established by County council. Proposing to replace Kevin holsapple would actually harm local business. 

I beg you, take action. Own your power to manage the county manager position . Your one job is to oversee the county manager to make sure that she is creating what needs to be created for our town. Is she? Are we better off now than when she took over? Look around. What has been accomplished? I don’t see improvements. I see a continuation of the same “us versus them” mentality that got us into the Sirphey lawsuit, that has us surrounded with empty commercial space, demolished buildings, the old Smith’s building as lab storage, property being gifted to hotel companies and then purchased back!! We need change. We need accountability. We need you to do your jobs. 

The following is Council Chair Theresa Cull’s response:

On behalf of County Council, I thank you for raising your concerns to us.  As Chair, I would have preferred to address your concerns in a one-on-one meeting, but I feel compelled to respond in this open forum.  First, Board and Commission vacancies are filled by having a team, usually made up of a Board/Commission member, a staff liaison, and the Council liaison, interview the applicants and make their recommendation to Council. Councilors have the option of choosing any of the candidates, not necessarily the candidate recommended by the interview team. The chosen candidate must receive at least 4 votes to be approved. Second, Ms. Engeman is not a County employee. She is appointed by the Arts Center Board. Both candidates addressed potential conflicts of interest in their applications. Third, Council reviews the performance of the County Manager every six months and any concerns or opportunities for improvement will be addressed at that time.  Calling for the County Manager’s removal is unjustified.