Socorro Electric Cooperative Reform

This is an important bylaw. The majority of Trustees have stalled its enforcement for a year and will take no action until after the 2008 elections. Back to top of page

The first row of the chart shows member population at election time in 1992. The second row shows the percent that the member population of each district bears to the total member population of the Co-op. The pattern continues with each election year, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The year 2008 is as of April 26, the Annual Members Meeting and is for comparison purposes only. The last row shows the annual average growth rate for each district for the period of years covered by the analysis. The Total column shows the co-op’s member population each election year, except for 2008.

That year’s population figures were as of 4/26/08. There are 11 Trustee positions on the board. Districts 1, 2 and 4 have one Trustee each. District 5 has 2 Trustees and District 3 has 6 Trustee positions. District 3 has the majority of Board votes (55%) but only represents 42% of the Coop population (4,049) compared to the other districts with 58% of the population (5,501). The trustees with lower than average member populations continue to resist the bylaws mandatory language “to assure equitable representation on the board” knowing that redistricting will restore “majority rule”.Back to top of page

It is obvious that the districts do not equitably represent the members as the bylaws require. In addition Socorro, which until 1992, as far as I know may have had 51% or more of SEC’s member population now represents only 42%. Districts One and 5 have grown at more than 5% per year over the past 15 years while Socorro’s membership has grown at only 1% per year over the same period. Now due to the growth of other districts Socorro’s membership is 4,049 compared to districts 1and 5 with 4,166. Socorro has 6 Trustees to only 3 Trustees for districts 1and 5. That can’t be justified, and is why the Board’s majority has resisted obeying the bylaws for so many years and continues even today failing to perform their duty in the best interest of the Cooperative.Back to top of page

Note: The “re-districting committee” was created May 13, 2008 in response to the petition circulated by members in late April 2008. The purpose of the committee is to circumvent Article V section 8 of the bylaws. The re-districting committee hopes to perpetually consider re-districting and never take action. It is not to be confused with the “Survey Committee” which is part of the mandatory procedure described in the bylaws, of which the majority of the board is in contempt and has been for years.

Red = Socorro Trustee

District Three (Socorro) Trustees have the majority vote on all committees except two. They act in concert to dominate the decision process. Each year that Charlie Wagner has been on the Board, The Socorro Six has elected Paul Bustamante, President of the Board. The President in turn appoints committees of five committeemen, making sure that at least three (the majority) are Socorro Trustees. So the “stacked” committees can dispose of an issue and recommend an action to the whole Board that only needs one more vote. There is by design another Socorro Trustee to make sure the desired result is achieved. By insisting that majority rule applies to committee actions, the committee chairman’s report is unanimous. The affect is to silence and decommission the other four Trustees. Under these conditions it is easier to go along with the majority, collect your fees and run for reelection.

Why have 11 Trustees? At 2007 average trustee cost, the Co-op can save about $200,000 by having only seven Trustees.Back to top of page

The member petition currently being circulated to members of SEC reduces district Three (Socorro) from six representatives (Trustees) to 3. Three positions are up for election in 2008; three in 2009.

Consolidating Districts Two (Lemitar–Polvidera) and Four (San Antonio–Bingham) eliminates one trustree position. Both positions are scheduled for election in 2008.

With seven Trustees each represents a like number of members, as close as possible using the same traditional boundaries and simple mathematics at no cost to the members.

The big payoff to consumer members in reducing the board from 11 to 7 is that approximately $200,000 per year will be saved in Trustee expenses. Considering that each trustee costs the co-op members approximately $50,000 per year.Back to top of page

	R E D I S T R I C T I N G Election of representatives takes place in October.
	Demographics have changed over the past 40 years. It's time to take back our electric cooperative, give equitable balance to our representatives and uphold the bylaws.
Contact Redistricting Mission Statement Elections Links Issues Updates Legal Fund
The SEC covers 11,500 square miles, encompasses Socorro, northern Catron and portions of Cibola, Valencia and Sierra counties in New Mexico. The SEC is dividided into five districts with eleven trustrees representing 9550 members.

District One 703 square miles 1,487 members representing 15% of member population Ttee Leo Cordova (1,487 members) District Two 120 square miles 696 members representing 7% of the member population Ttee Paul Bustamante (696 members)		District Three 90 square miles 4,049 members representing 42% of member population Six Trustrees / 55% of board votes Ttee Leroy Anaya (675 members) Ttee Manuel Marquez (675 members) Ttee Don Wolberg(675 members) Ttee Luis Aguilar(675 members) Ttee Milton Ulibarri (675 members) Ttee Prescilla Mauldin(675 members)	District Four 2316 square miles 639 members representing 7% of the member population Ttee David Wade (639 members) District Five 8,319 square miles 2,679 members representing 28% of the member population Two Trustrees Ttee Charlie Wagner (1,340 members) Ttee Jack Bruton (1,340 members)
Over the past fifteen years the demographics of the cooperative have shifted. Since 1993 District 3's population majority has been continually dropping and it no longer holds the population majority as of the 2006 board elections. District 3 held 42% of the population although District 3 continues to hold a 55% majority of board votes which has become inequitable.
This is an important bylaw. The majority of Trustees have stalled its enforcement for a year and will take no action until after the 2008 elections. Back to top of page The first row of the chart shows member population at election time in 1992. The second row shows the percent that the member population of each district bears to the total member population of the Co-op. The pattern continues with each election year, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The year 2008 is as of April 26, the Annual Members Meeting and is for comparison purposes only. The last row shows the annual average growth rate for each district for the period of years covered by the analysis. The Total column shows the co-op’s member population each election year, except for 2008. That year’s population figures were as of 4/26/08. There are 11 Trustee positions on the board. Districts 1, 2 and 4 have one Trustee each. District 5 has 2 Trustees and District 3 has 6 Trustee positions. District 3 has the majority of Board votes (55%) but only represents 42% of the Coop population (4,049) compared to the other districts with 58% of the population (5,501). The trustees with lower than average member populations continue to resist the bylaws mandatory language “to assure equitable representation on the board” knowing that redistricting will restore “majority rule”.Back to top of page The first row of the chart shows member population at election time in 1992. The second row shows the percent that the member population of each district bears to the total member population of the Co-op. The pattern continues with each election year, 1996, 2000, and 2004. The year 2008 is as of April 26, the Annual Members Meeting and is for comparison purposes only. The last row shows the annual average growth rate for each district for the period of years covered by the analysis. The Total column shows the co-op’s member population each election year, except for 2008. It is obvious that the districts do not equitably represent the members as the bylaws require. In addition Socorro, which until 1992, as far as I know may have had 51% or more of SEC’s member population now represents only 42%. Districts One and 5 have grown at more than 5% per year over the past 15 years while Socorro’s membership has grown at only 1% per year over the same period. Now due to the growth of other districts Socorro’s membership is 4,049 compared to districts 1and 5 with 4,166. Socorro has 6 Trustees to only 3 Trustees for districts 1and 5. That can’t be justified, and is why the Board’s majority has resisted obeying the bylaws for so many years and continues even today failing to perform their duty in the best interest of the Cooperative.Back to top of page Note: The “re-districting committee” was created May 13, 2008 in response to the petition circulated by members in late April 2008. The purpose of the committee is to circumvent Article V section 8 of the bylaws. The re-districting committee hopes to perpetually consider re-districting and never take action. It is not to be confused with the “Survey Committee” which is part of the mandatory procedure described in the bylaws, of which the majority of the board is in contempt and has been for years. Red = Socorro Trustee District Three (Socorro) Trustees have the majority vote on all committees except two. They act in concert to dominate the decision process. Each year that Charlie Wagner has been on the Board, The Socorro Six has elected Paul Bustamante, President of the Board. The President in turn appoints committees of five committeemen, making sure that at least three (the majority) are Socorro Trustees. So the “stacked” committees can dispose of an issue and recommend an action to the whole Board that only needs one more vote. There is by design another Socorro Trustee to make sure the desired result is achieved. By insisting that majority rule applies to committee actions, the committee chairman’s report is unanimous. The affect is to silence and decommission the other four Trustees. Under these conditions it is easier to go along with the majority, collect your fees and run for reelection. Why have 11 Trustees? At 2007 average trustee cost, the Co-op can save about $200,000 by having only seven Trustees.Back to top of page The member petition currently being circulated to members of SEC reduces district Three (Socorro) from six representatives (Trustees) to 3. Three positions are up for election in 2008; three in 2009. Consolidating Districts Two (Lemitar–Polvidera) and Four (San Antonio–Bingham) eliminates one trustree position. Both positions are scheduled for election in 2008. With seven Trustees each represents a like number of members, as close as possible using the same traditional boundaries and simple mathematics at no cost to the members. The big payoff to consumer members in reducing the board from 11 to 7 is that approximately $200,000 per year will be saved in Trustee expenses. Considering that each trustee costs the co-op members approximately $50,000 per year.Back to top of page