James Jimenez has called Rio Rancho home for more than 20 years.

He likes the city so much that when he took a job with Gov. Bill Richardson in 2003, he didn’t want to pack up and head to the state capital. He chose instead to commute to Santa Fe nearly every working day.

It’s his love for the City of Vision and his passion for excellence that guides him as the city manager. Jimenez’s first day on the job was Oct. 1. He was hired in September. Jimenez says that he wants the city to continue to grow and develop into a vibrant community.

“Rio Rancho is the best place in the state to live, work and play,” Jimenez said.

While Jimenez loves his city, he also acknowledges there is work to do.

“We still have to develop our own identity,” Jimenez said. “We need to develop economic-based jobs. We’re much less of a bedroom community than we were 20 years ago.”

A job earns the economic base label if the majority of the company’s products or services are exported from the community. Examples include Intel, Victoria’s Secret Direct and U.S. Cotton.

More economic-based jobs are on their way to Rio Rancho. There are currently 150,000 such jobs in the city.

Jimenez is optimistic that the city center will be prosperous.

Hewlett-Packard, the Univer­sity of New Mexico, Central New Mexico Community College and University of New Mexico Hospital are all expected to call the area home within the next five years.

“We are poised for great things in the community,” Jimenez said. “In five years, we will see the hospital and in three-and-a-half years, CNM and UNM will be bursting at the seams. Once that happens, we will see coffee shops, restaurants, hotels and more. I am very optimistic.”

Jimenez acknowledges that the city’s direction and vision come from the mayor and council. His role is to see the vision through.

“The mayor’s style and mine are very compatible; we complement each other,” Jimenez said. “Our roles are different but we talk several times a day to keep one another apprised so there will be no surprises. The mayor does the external work and I do the internal work.”

Mayor Tom Swisstack agrees.

“It’s been a good partnership and a good team effort,” Swisstack said. “We are able to put timeframes on when we are going to complete our tasks and goals. He helps implement those and keeps the governing body abreast of what’s going on. His style is like mine in that he meets with the departments and staff to get their thoughts and opinions to make the city better.”

In addition to having experience with Swisstack, Jimenez also has experience working with several of the city’s 300-plus employees.

“We have the best public employees in the state,” Jimenez said. “They are committed to the community and many are raising families here in Rio Rancho.”

Cindy Benz, president of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) union for Rio Rancho, said it has been great working with Jimenez.

“It is absolutely great to have him back,” Benz said. “We met with him on his second day and presented him with a few of our concerns and he has already taken care of a couple of them. He is a fast-moving gentleman that the City of Rio Rancho needed.”

Some of the concerns Benz listed include: re-establishing the health and safety committee, manager training, ensuring the AFSCME pay scale is fully implemented and ensuring that the Santa Ana Star Center does not come under city control.

Jimenez has an open management style. He encourages feedback.

“When people bring issues to me, I want them to also recommend solutions,” Jimenez said. “I have an open-door policy. I can’t promise to agree with you, but I have an open door.”

Stability has been lacking at the city manager position. Jim Payne resigned after a little more than a year on the job. The previous city manager, Jim Palenick, was fired by the city council in December 2006, after three years of employment.

Jimenez says he has no inclination to leave.

“I will be here as long as the governing body allows me,” Jimenez said. “I have no set time frame. I relish the challenge of working close to home. I have raised my family here. There is enough work for a lifetime.”

The city councilors value Jimenez. In August, the council voted unanimously to waive the right to search for other candidates and support Swisstack’s recommendation of Jimenez for the job.

Jimenez has already tackled some huge issues. Working with the mayor and City Attorney James Babin, the trio reached a settlement with the New Mexico Environment Department over who should clean the ponds at Chamisa Hills Golf and Country Club.

He also has decided to cancel the city’s contract with Global Entertainment, which operates the Santa Ana Star Center. Under the contract signed by previous city administrations, Rio Rancho had to pick up the tab.

Presently, the city is paying $1.4 million a year from the general fund to offset the $2.8 million a year debt service owed on $45 million bonds. The bonds were used to construct the 160,000-square-foot center in 2006.

Swisstack predicted that if nothing changed, the city would more than likely be on the hook for more than $2.3 million.

Another issue Jimenez is dealing with is infrastructure, specifically roads.

Jimenez said the city will use a combination of funding sources, including county, state, federal and private funds to repair roads in the city.

Overall, Jimenez is glad to be at the helm of his beloved Rio Rancho.