Angel Fire, NM(KKOB) – The mayor of Angel Fire has been found guilty of violating New Mexico’s Procurement Code after hiring a marketing agency without using the required competitive bidding process and approving an illegal prepayment clause. The Albuquerque Journal reports Mayor Barry “B.J.” Lindsey was found guilty in a trial in Raton. The case stemmed from a 2024 lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Ethics Commission, which investigated complaints that the village skipped a request for proposals before awarding a contract worth more than $1 million to an Albuquerque consulting firm. After the lawsuit was filed, the village canceled the contract and issued a new RFP for advertising services. The Ethics Commission says it reached a separate settlement requiring the consulting company to repay money received under the contract. The suit also alleged Lindsey and his wife had personal relationships with the agency.
