Opinion ID: 1441686
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: A Formal Staggering System Controls the Terms of New Mexico Tech Regents.

Text: (34) Much of the controversy in this case centers upon whether the State Constitution requires regents to serve staggered terms so that no more than two regents, excluding the newly created student-regent position, are replaced at any one time. We conclude the Constitution creates a formal system of staggered terms for the regents of New Mexico Tech. This fact is the second reason we dispute the assertion by Denish and Kelly that they could not have been appointed merely for the period of the unexpired term under Article XX, Section 5. Because this matter has caused significant confusion and speculation in this case, it is important to explain the mechanics of staggering terms for regents of the State's educational institutions. (35) The relevant language is found in Article XII, Section 13 of the New Mexico Constitution, quoted above. This provision states that, upon its effective date, two of the first five appointed regents were to serve terms of two years, two were to serve for four years, and one was to serve for six years. The terms thereafter would be six years for all regents. N.M. Const. art. XII, § 13. This language was added to the New Mexico Constitution by an amendment approved by the voters in 1949. See 1949 N.M.Laws, S.J.Res. 11, at 514-15 (Constitutional Amendment 7, amending N.M. Const. art. XII, § 13, adopted at special election held Sept. 20, 1949). The effective date of this amendment was January 1, 1950. Id. § 2 (This amendment shall become effective on January 1st next following its adoption and the Governor shall then immediately appoint the members of the Board.). Our research has disclosed that the first regents serving the shortened two- and four-year terms as well as the full six-year term were appointed in 1951 by then-Governor Edwin L. Mechem. Cf. N.M. Att'y Gen.Op. 50-140 (1950) (discussing the fact that then-Governor Thomas J. Mabry, upon the January 1, 1950 effective date of the 1949 amendment to N.M. Const. art. XII, § 13, did not make nominations to the State's boards of regents for approval by the State Senate at its regular biennial meeting in 1951).
(36) At issue is whether or not the Governor is bound to preserve a formal scheme of staggering. If he or she is so bound, then the terms following the shortened two- and four-year terms will be for a full six years. Moreover, any appointment to fill a midterm vacancy will merely complete the vacated six-year term. (37) The thrust of Denish and Kelly's argument is that it is more important for regents to be appointed for full six-year terms than it is to preserve a staggered scheme by requiring some regents to serve a shorter tenure when filling a vacancy. They suggest that only the five first appointed were intended to be staggered. In contrast, the Governor asks why the drafters of Article XII, Section 13 provided for the initial two-year and four-year shortened terms if they did not intend to create staggered terms for regents. He points out that under basic rules of construction, no part of a constitutional provision should be interpreted so that it is rendered meaningless or superfluous. See Katz v. New Mexico Dep't of Human Servs., 95 N.M. 530, 534, 624 P.2d 39, 43 (1981). (38) The Governor advocates a system for staggering the terms of regents that we choose to describe as formal. Denish and Kelly argue for a staggering system that we will identify as informal. Under a formal scheme the objective is the perpetuation of a rigid staggering plan. A formal scheme explicitly sets up an initial system of staggered terms, defines the length of a full term thereafter, and expressly provides for a vacancy to be filled for the remainder of the vacated term. Under a formal system, the beginning and ending dates of each term of office are forever predetermined. The terms of United States Senators present a familiar example of a formal staggering system. One-third of the U.S. Senate is elected every two years, each Senator serves a six-year term, and vacancies have always been filled only until the end of the vacated term. See U.S. Const. art. I, § 3, amended by U.S. Const. amend. XVII. (39) Under an informal system it is more important that the appointee serve the maximum number of years as provided by law. An informal scheme describes the length of a full term, sets up an initial series of staggered terms, but makes no provision for a vacancy to be filled for the remainder of the vacated term. Thus, if the law specifies a six-year term, under an informal system, a vacancy would be filled by a full six-year term irrespective of the date of appointment. Under such a system any actual staggering of terms would at best be loosely maintained. An informal system would be appropriate when appointees who are confronted with complex duties must have an extended period of time to become fully versed in the subtleties of their office. Certain public bodies might not be best served by appointees who serve only an abbreviated tenure and are less familiar with their responsibilities. (40) There are several policies underlying the staggering of the terms of officials who are appointed by the executive. Both formal and informal systems fulfill these policies, although to differing degrees. Staggered terms preserve continuity in the public entity by preventing the theoretical possibility of all appointees being replaced at once. This continuity ensures that there will be no erratic changes of the entity's policies. See Magnolia Bar Ass'n v. Lee, 793 F.Supp. 1386, 1411 (S.D.Miss.1992) (discussing the benefits of staggering judicial terms), aff'd, 994 F.2d 1143 (5th Cir.), cert. denied, ___ U.S. ___, 114 S.Ct. 555, 126 L.Ed.2d 456 (1993). Though individual members may be pressured, this staggering tends to insulate the public entity as a whole from being manipulated for political reasons. See University of R.I. v. A.W. Chesterton Co., 2 F.3d 1200, 1208 (1st Cir.1993) (discussing a board of education). Staggered terms of office also can promote creative tension between new appointees and appointees of a prior administration. Kaluczky v. City of White Plains, 57 F.3d 202, 209 (2d Cir.1995) (discussing a city personnel officer). Finally, as noted by the Governor, such a scheme promotes institutional memory by assuring that older appointees have the opportunity to pass on important knowledge and experience to newer appointees.
(41) We believe that the intent and effect of the 1949 amendment to Article XII, Section 13 was to create a formal scheme of staggering. The amendment inaugurates the system by staggering the terms of the first five appointeeswith shortened two- and four-year terms, and one full six-year term. All subsequent appointees were intended to serve full six-year terms. The amended Article XII, Section 13 was most likely intended to be supplemented by Article XX, Section 5, discussed above, which specifies that vacancies are to be filled for the period of the unexpired term. Viewing these two constitutional provisions as a harmonious whole, it is apparent that they were intended to maintain a formal staggering scheme. Appointees would either serve full six-year terms or the remainder of vacated six-year terms. In summary, a law governing appointments will be deemed to require a formal system staggering of terms if it includes three elements: 1) shortened terms for initial appointees, 2) full terms for subsequent appointees, and 3) a requirement that vacancies be filled only for the remainder of the vacated term. Together Article XII, Section 13 and Article XX, Section 5 contain all three elements. (42) Denish and Kelly argue that Article XII, Section 13 does not expressly require staggering after the first five appointees. However, it is not necessary for a law to use the word stagger in order to establish staggered terms for appointed officials. Nor does the law need to require explicitly that the scheme be maintained in perpetuity. For example, Article XI, Section 2 of the New Mexico Constitution does not use the word stagger when it sets up a staggering scheme for the members of the Corporation Commission: The members of the commission shall be elected for the term of six years; provided, that those chosen at the first election for state officers shall immediately qualify and classify themselves by lot, so that one of them shall hold office until two years, one until four years and one until six years from and after January first, nineteen hundred and thirteen; and thereafter one commissioner shall be elected at each general election. N.M. Const. art. XI, § 2 (Repl.Pamp.1992). The requirement that thereafter one commissioner will be elected each year is only an implicit directive that the staggering scheme be maintained. However, like Article XII, Section 13, this provision works in tandem with Article XX, Section 5, so that vacancies are filled only for the remainder of the unexpired term. We found many other similar provisions. See, e.g., NMSA 1978, § 3-2-8(B) (Repl.Pamp.1995) (setting up staggered terms for members of a municipal governing body; does not use the word stagger); NMSA 1978, § 3-45-5(B) (Repl.Pamp.1995) (authorizes cities to create five-member housing authorities; does not use the word stagger); see also U.S. Const. art I, § 3 (setting up staggered terms for U.S. Senators; does not use the word stagger). The formal scheme seems to be the most common staggering system, and in practice it may be the only system used in New Mexico. However, we note that today we are addressing only the staggering system for boards of regents; we have no basis at this time to examine the propriety or use of an informal system for other appointments under New Mexico law. (43) We have found that in actual practice appointments to the Board of Regents of New Mexico Tech have followed this formal staggering scheme. We culled from New Mexico Tech records and the executive records of the Governors of New Mexico the appointments of every person who has served on the New Mexico Tech Board of Regents since this staggering scheme was initiated in 1951. The results of our research can be found in the chart in the Appendix to this opinion. We exercise our discretion to take judicial notice of the information we obtained from the Records of Appointment, Letters of Appointment, correspondence, and notes in the executive records of the Governors of New Mexico. SCRA 1986, 11-201(C) (Repl.1994) (A court may take judicial notice, whether requested or not.); SCRA 1986, 1-044(A)(3) (Repl.1992) (judicial notice of executive acts); see also Hartford Accident & Indem. Co. v. Beevers, 84 N.M. 159, 162, 500 P.2d 444, 447 (Ct.App.1972) (discussing judicial notice of public and private acts of the executive departments). The chart is the synthesis of that information. (44) We have determined that since 1951, the only deviations from a formal staggering scheme occurred when Denish and Kelly took office in 1992. As our chart demonstrates, every preceding appointment rigidly preserved the staggering system. Past Governors have always made their appointments effective for the first year of the six-year cycle, and only filled vacancies through the end of a six-year cycle. These guidelines should have defined the terms of Denish and Kelly.