Corrales boosts police and firefighter retirement benefits to aid hiring

Corrales is betting a richer retirement package will help keep police officers and firefighters on the job, and draw new applicants, by picking up more of the Public Employees Retirement Association costs itself. The Village Council approved the change at its June 9 meeting, a move that ties long-term compensation directly to whether the village can keep 911 response, fire protection and patrol coverage staffed.

Council members approved Resolution 26-33 to participate in PERA Municipal Fire Member Coverage Plan 5 and Resolution 26-34 to participate in PERA Municipal Police Member Coverage Plan 5. They also approved Resolution 26-30, authorizing a 38.68% pickup of PERA member contributions for Municipal Fire Plan 5, and Resolution 26-31, authorizing a 46.97% pickup for Municipal Police Plan 5. The village will absorb the extra contribution costs that usually fall to employees.

That matters because Corrales, like other local governments in Sandoval County, has to compete for first responders in a tight labor market. Larger agencies can often offer different schedules, stronger pay packages or more generous retirement benefits, and the village appears to be using retirement coverage as one of its main tools to keep experienced officers and firefighters from leaving.

Village Administrator Melanie Romero framed the move as a better plan for the village’s police and firefighters. Corrales’ employment page says eligible village employees participate in PERA, which is a defined benefit plan. PERA employer guidance says municipalities must deduct employee contributions and pay employer contributions each pay period, so the village’s decision to cover more of the employee share changes the cost structure while preserving take-home pay for staff.

The policy also fits a longer pattern in PERA. New Mexico PERA says contribution rates have been rising under changes that took effect in recent years, including SB 90 and subsequent annual increases. The FY26 contribution schedule lists an employer rate of 18.15% for Municipal Fire and Police plans in the 2024-2026 period. A village budget document says PERA changes in the FY26 budget are continued in the FY27 PERA vote for Fire and Police PERA 5.

Corrales’ broader personnel picture helps explain the timing. Earlier this year, the mayor’s office said Police Chief Victor Mangiacapra’s reappointment and Melanie Romero’s appointment as village administrator were confirmed by the council. The village has also said Corrales is often listed as the safest municipality in New Mexico, a distinction that depends not just on equipment and policy, but on whether the village can keep its public-safety ranks filled.