May Helped Produce First Balanced Federal Budget In Nearly 30 Years In 1997
Albuquerque – Today, Governor-elect Susana Martinez nominated Richard E. May to serve as her secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). May has a long and distinguished record of working at all levels of state and federal government to address budgetary and public policy issues. With extensive experience and knowledge of the legislative process, including the drafting of legislation and formulation of policy recommendations, May helped produce the first balanced Federal budget in nearly thirty years in 1997.
In nominating Richard May, Governor-elect Susana Martinez stated, “The failure of state government to live within its means is inexcusable and it’s time we make the tough decisions necessary to finally put our fiscal house in order. In doing so, we must be mindful that the long-term solution to our budget crisis is economic growth and that is why we must balance the budget by cutting spending, rather than raising taxes, so we can create an environment where small businesses can grow and create jobs. I am committed to working with members of both parties in the legislature to accomplish this goal – the people of New Mexico deserve no less.”
May will help restore fiscal discipline by instituting zero growth budgets, identifying waste, fraud and abuse, and creating greater efficiencies by doing more with less. With recent news that New Mexico’s budget deficit has grown much worse, now totaling nearly half a billion dollars, Governor-elect Martinez does not believe a moment can be wasted; therefore, May will begin to immediately review and audit the state budget, and asking the hard questions so New Mexico can get its books in order.
In addition to balancing budgets, May has led a respected and accomplished career that includes working for Sandia National Laboratories as a manager, serving as chief appropriations and tax analyst for the Republican caucus in the New Mexico House of Representatives, and operating as a policy director for Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, LLP, as well as a principal at Davidson & Company, Inc. Prior to that, May served as majority staff director and Republican staff director in the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, a federal affairs counsel at the National Conference of State Legislatures, and legislative director for Congressman John R. Kasich.
In response to his nomination as the secretary of the Department of Finance and Administration, May said, “It is with great honor that I accept the governor-elect’s request to serve in her administration. Susana Martinez is a serious person who expects results. She is completely unsatisfied – as are the vast majority of New Mexicans – with how the budget has been managed and with the waste of hard-earned dollars. I will work day and night to get New Mexico back on firm financial footing following the governor-elect’s strong and principled leadership.”