I am very proud of the way our first election is going with the new city council districts. Our citizens had ample opportunities to comment on the redistricting alternatives and to ask questions regarding the new districts through numerous public meetings held for that very purpose. Our city clerk, Veronica Martinez and her deputy, Lucas Gauthier, are doing a great job!!!
It is most gratifying to see only one of the incumbent councilors challenged during this election. This tells me that our citizens are generally happy with the way things are going. Their mandate for change continues.
I want to mention that those incumbent councilors: Rosario “Chayo” Garcia, Alice Lucero, Dennis Tim Salazar, and Helen Kain-Salazar have done a great job over that last four years. Our continuity, stability, and sustained progress must continue with these courageous leaders on our Governing Body. I whole-heartedly endorse and support these councilors for re-election. On Tuesday, March 4th, vote for Chayo, Alice, Dennis, and Helen for city council. A vote for them is a vote for continued progress!
For the municipal judge position, I may be making a public endorsement very soon. As far as I am concerned, there are only two credible, legitimate, and trustworthy candidates: Eric Rendon and Steve Salazar. Stay tuned.
The city recently hired a new adminstrative services director or chief financial officer. After the initial advertisement for this position did not produce any promising candidates, I instructed my city manager to re-advertise the position and target a group within the New Mexico Municipal League. The group was the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). Consequently, we had five outstanding finalists for the job!
As a result, we hired Mr. Elias Martinez from Dixon. Elias has an outstanding resume and will make a huge impact in placing our great city’s government on sound financial footing.
If our own municipal election isn’t enough with four council positions and the muncipal judge on the ballot, try including all State Senate and House positions, all three of our Congressional seats, and the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Senator Domenici!!! Oh, did I mention we will be electing a new President!
This year will go down in New Mexico history as the most political so far. Don’t fight it. Get informed, get involved, and make a difference!!!
In January 2008, Representative Tom Udall and almost all city councilors attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the city’s wastewater plant expansion project. This project is the largest public works project in the city’s history that was completed at an approximate cost of $14 million. It was completed within budget and on schedule. It will provide wastewater service capacity to the greater Espanola area for at least the next 20 years.
The plant expansion is designed to further increase capacity in the near future without additional buildings. This plant has the potential to be a regional facility that could service such outlying areas such as San Pedro, Sombrillo, El Llano, Ohkay Owingeh, and Santa Clara Pueblo.
Today (November 20, 2007), a brief ceremony was held behind our police department. The City of Espanola cut the ribbon of 5 of 12 brand new police squad cars. This is the first phase of upgrading the entire fleet of 28 police vehicles. The existing fleet was a mix of older models and used state police vehicles. Public Safety Chief Julian Gonzales tells me that the existing fleet has in excess of two million miles of service! These new cars were assigned to police officers based on seniority and these officers received the keys to their new vehicle. City Councilors, Municipal Judge Steve Salazar, Chief Gonzales, Deputy Police Chief Larry Hamm, and department staff were all on hand to celebrate this milestone.
This is real proof to our citizens that public safety is a top priority of the Governing Body. It sends a clear message to our police officers that we want to insure that they have adequate resources to do their jobs well. This is certainly a morale booster within the Police Department. Our citizens will soon be turning their heads when they see these sleek, new police cars drive by. The cars will also be equipped with state-of-the-art digital cameras and laptop computers in the near future.
As a part of our efforts to reform our election process, the Governing Body unanimously approved an ordinance dividing the city into four council districts of near equal population at the October meeting. The Attorney General and District Court Judge Michael Vigil all strongly urged the city to improve its election process. Now, any candidate that wishes to run for city council must reside in the district they wish to represent and can only be elected by voters that reside in that particular district. This new law maintains the same number of members on the city council.
The city will be conducting efforts to insure that all voters know what districts they reside in and where they must vote. We are also improving the campaign finance reporting. The law has taken effect and will be put to the test in our March ‘08 election.
This is a huge leap forward for our community’s democracy and will eliminate all the confusion that inevitably occurs come election time. Please exercise your right to vote. It is your voice. Adelante!!!
Our Teen Center planned for several years is finally opened! I recently signed a lease agreement with the Los Alamos YMCA to manage the teen center on behalf of the city. This project has truly been a community effort with many contributions (monetary, in-kind, equipment, etc.) made by many partners such as Los Alamos National Laboratory, KSL (LANL’s maintenance contractor), Espanola Weed & Seed, and others.
It is a recreation and technology center for our youth throughout the region. It is equipped with computer work stations donated by KSL. Thanks to all the city employees who have worked on this facility in the past. Also, special thanks to Representative Nick Salazar who helped to obtain State capital outlay to improve the buildings exterior. Rep. Salazar also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremone.
Such a facility and programs for our youth are long overdue. The wait is over.
On September 12, 2007, the Governing Body of the City of Espanola broke ground on the new gazebo at the Plaza de Espanola! City Manager, Gus Cordova, and some city staff were also in attendance along with contractor representatives. The gazebo will be located in the center of the plaza perfectly aligned with the entrance to the Mision y Convento. The city experienced many delays associated with bidding the project. However, we have successfully negotiated a contract with Sarcon Construction. Sarcon Construction Co. is the contractor that renovated the historic Bond House.
The gazebo has been completed!!! There are some post-construction issues that need to settled prior to opening it to the public. I am presently discussing a formal dedication ceremony that could be held in conjunction with the Cinco de Mayo celebration. We hope to see the entire community come out to celebrate.
This structure will be the center of activities on the plaza and will be enjoyed by our families for generations to come!
I recently delivered the second annual State of the City Address! Trying to change a culture in city hall that has existed for decades and create a fiscally responsible, professional city government has been more than a challeng. Yet, much has been done in the past year. We are reforming financial management to insure the city is on a firm footing as we go forward to meet future demands. We continue to place a high priority public safety and city services for all citizens. Many challenges exist and we must address them together.
The future is bright and potential great for the city of Espanola. Working together in striving to achieve our shared vision will bring about unprecedented progress. Somos un communidad unido!!!
My term as President of the NM Municipal League (NMML) is coming to a close. I have served in this capacity for the last 22 months. It has been one of the most gratifying experiences of my political career. The NMML is one of the pre-eminent organizations in the State. In Las Cruces, we recently held the 50th annual conference and celebrated the 30th year of service of Mr. Bill Fulginiti as NMML’s Executive Director!!! I will continue serving on the NMML Board of Directors as a Past President. I am committed to working with my municipal colleagues to continue moving all 103 of New Mexico’s cities, towns, and villages forward.