“City Manager Rick Holden Steps Down Following Clash with Alamogordo Commissioners”
Several staff members of the city of Alamogordo have reported to 2nd Life Media that City Manager Rick Holden has unexpectedly resigned, allegedly under protest, following a dispute over the tone of an email sent to certain city leadership individuals. Unconfirmed reports suggest that tensions escalated between Commissioner Rardin, another commissioner, and Holden, ultimately leading to his immediate resignation.
AlamogordoTownNews.org has submitted an IPRA request, along with a request for a statement from the city clerk and city attorney, seeking copies of documents related to Holden’s resignation and further details to provide clarity to the public.
Since his hiring, Rick Holden has brought significant changes to city management, adopting a no-nonsense, results-oriented approach focused on improving city infrastructure, police services, and essential city functions. He was known for targeting outdated agreements and resisting the influence of local political gamesmanship.
An outsider to Alamogordo, Holden’s approach to revamping processes and policies had made him a challenging figure for some of the city’s established power circles. He relocated from the Dallas/Fort Worth area to Alamogordo and had previously served as the city manager in Alvarado, Texas, from 2018 to 2020 before retiring. Prior to that, he was the city manager in Cleburne, Texas, from 2011 to 2015, both high-growth communities.
This is a developing story, and AlamogordoTownNews.org is awaiting an official response from the city clerk or city attorney to provide further information.
