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Despite heavy pressure from members of his City Council, Kevin Jackson is still the mayor of Rio Rancho and still keeping silent.

Jackson did not sign and return a letter of resignation that councilors Delma Petrullo and Howard Balmer had asked the mayor to sign by the end of business hours on July 3, Petrullo said.

She said the next step is for the council to issue a subpoena to Jackson to attend a July 20 meeting, where he would have to answer questions under oath.

A resolution to issue the subpoena will come before the council July 11, she said.

Petrullo and Balmer said they drafted their letter of resignation for Jackson to sign after the city finished its investigation into what they say are questionable purchases made with Jackson's city credit card.

The investigation, completed on June 28, concluded that Jackson owes the city $5,307 for purchases ranging from an $11.68 lunch at Wendy's in July 2006 to $1,600 worth of tickets to a Willie Nelson concert in February.

The city revoked Jackson's city-issued credit card May 17 when questions first arose about his spending. The council censured him, passed a vote of no-confidence and suspended his travel budget June 13.

Jackson has been mostly absent from Rio Rancho City Hall since the controversy erupted and has declined to comment directly on the matter.

Peter Wells, a public information officer for the city, said Jackson is keeping his own calendar.

"We really don't have a sense of when he's coming or going," Wells said. "He's in here sporadically, but never for very long."

Wells said Jackson has been in the office two or three times in the past several weeks, never for more than an hour.

Jackson's lawyers have said the purchases were not improper. In a May 24 letter to the City Council, Jackson maintained he did not authorize many of the questioned charges.

A subpoena motion would likely pass the six-member council, according to a poll of councilors on July 3.

Councilor Mike Williams said he supported the ultimatum.

Councilor Marilyn Salzman said she did not know enough about the letter to comment on it, but said she would like Jackson to resign.

Councilor Patty Thomas could not be reached for comment.

Councilor Larry Naranjo said if he had to decide on July 3, he would vote to subpoena Jackson, but it was too early to guess what will happen.

"He still has a week to completely turn things around," Naranjo said. "I hope that he does."

Failure to respond to a city subpoena is a petty misdemeanor, according to the city charter.

Jackson and his lawyers did not respond to requests for comment on July 3.

Under the city charter, voters, not the City Council, decide whether to recall the mayor.

That could happen in a special recall election. The election would require a petition with signatures from 20 percent of the number of Rio Rancho voters in the last election.

The letter of resignation is not public record unless Jackson signs it, Petrullo said. A copy could not be obtained by The Tribune.

An attached letter demands Jackson pay back $5,300, mostly for tickets at the Santa Ana Star Center.

Petrullo said she hasn't spoken with Jackson in at least five weeks.

"We used to work together all the time," she said. "We had a very friendly, excellent relationship."

Balmer said Jackson has rendered himself incapable of governing and that there is little the mayor can do to save his position.

"I don't like to close the door on anything, but I don't think there's anything he can say at this point," Balmer said.

Jackson also faces questions about spending as the head of New Mexico Family Council-Best Choice, a nonprofit group he founded. Federal investigators are looking into allegations that federal grant money was misused. Jackson was fired as head of the group May 15.