The Santa Fe County Ethics Board consists of five members who are appointed by the Board of County Commissioners (BCC). The primary duty of the Ethics Board is to enforce the County Cody of Conduct (Ordinance No. 2022-03). The Santa Fe Code of Conduct authorizes the Ethics Board to hold public hearings and make findings of fact and conclusions of law with regard to sworn complaints alleging violations of the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct by Elected Officials, Appointed Officials, or Volunteers.
Ethics Board Members
Frances Carlson
September 12, 2023-September 12, 2025
Jesse Guillen
September 12, 2023-September 12, 2025
Jonelle Maison
September 12, 2023-September 12, 2025
Thomas Quaid
September 12, 2023-September 12, 2025
Clifford Rees
September 12, 2023-September 12, 2025
How Do I Report an Ethics Violation?
Section 20. Reporting and Resolving Alleged Ethics Violations
Any Elected Official, Appointed Official, or Volunteer has an Affirmative Duty to, and an Employee or any member of the public may, submit a complaint alleging unethical conduct to the County Ethics Board by delivering to the County Attorney's Office a Sworn Complaint alleging facts that, if proven, would constitute a violation of the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct. The County Attorney's office will forward all sworn complaints to the County's Contract Ethics Official (CCEO) who will make a threshold determination as to whether the complaint is against an Employee, an Elected Official, an Appointed Official, or a Volunteer. If the sworn complaint is against an Employee, the CCEO shall not conduct any further analysis or investigation and shall promptly refer the complaint against the Employee to the County's Human Resources Division for investigation and appropriate action pursuant to the Human Resources Handbook or Collective Bargaining Agreement as applicable. The CCEO shall determine whether a complaint against an Elected Official, Appointed Official, or Volunteer states a claim under the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct. If the complaint fails to state a claim under that code, the complainant shall be so informed in writing by the CCEO who shall dismiss the complaint, subject to a right of appeal to the County Ethics Board. If the complaint states a claim under the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct, the CCEO shall investigate the allegations, prepare a report and recommendations to either dismiss the complaint or proceed to a public hearing, and shall present the same to the County Ethics Board for consideration at its next available meeting after completion of the investigation. The County Ethics Board shall conduct a public hearing prior to taking any of the actions described in Section 25 of the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct.
Please Note: No action may be taken by the County Ethics Board on any complaint that is filed later than one year after a violation of this Ordinance is alleged to have occurred or that is filed more than six months from the date of the discovery of the alleged violation, upon due diligence by the complaining party, of the facts constituting a violation, whichever event occurs later.
Section 23. Non-Retaliation
The Board of Commissioners does not tolerate retaliation, workforce discrimination, or harassment of any kind against a person who has reported in Good Faith a violation of the Santa Fe County Code of Conduct. This non-retaliation provision applies whether the complaint is ultimately determined to be well-founded or unfounded. All Elected Officials, Appointed Officials, Employees, and Volunteers are specifically prohibited from taking any adverse employment action, engaging in workplace discrimination or harassment of any kind, or other retaliatory action against anyone for reporting a claim in Good Faith.
Report a Violation to:
Santa Fe County Attorney's Office
102 Grant Avenue
Santa Fe, NM 87501
Ethics Board Meeting Information
The County Ethics Board does NOT have a regular meeting schedule. Instead, the Ethics Board convenes when a sworn complaint is submitted to the County Attorney's Office and forwarded to the Ethics Board for review. For a list of meeting documents (agendas, packet materials, and minutes) view the information below.
Ethics Board Staff Liaison
Gabe Bustos
505-986-6202
gcbustos@santafecountynm.gov