What motivated you to say Yes to the call to serve as Mayor until the next elections?
I have always tried to answer the call when asked to serve.
Why did you feel it was important to have that vote now as opposed to one month from now when the new members are in place?
This was a matter of an elected body exercising their right.
There has been a marked increase in attendance at City Council meetings as well as the number of public comments at each meeting. How do you explain that and what are some ways you will engage public involvement in the decision making process?
I think it is great that people have begun to get involved and gain knowledge of the issues. If people are willing to step forward and participate with solutions we will do our best to include them in the process.
The Water issue has been a hot topic for months now. What is your plan to solve this problem?
There is not a simple answer to this issue and will involve a multitude of approaches. The key is that we must remain open minded and explore any and all options that may come available from conservation to finding new sources of available water.
It seems our town suffers from a myriad of issues with Water being the hot button however, streets in poor repair, trash building up all over town, animal control, parks in bad shape, softball park and walking trails that are in such poor condition that they are in fact not even in use, every department in the City is suffering from lack of personnel, just to mention a few. It is a lot to tackle! What is your game plan and what would be your first priority?
You are correct and as a lifelong resident of this community there is nothing more I would like to see than all of these issues resolved. My first three focuses will be on water, streets and addressing the issue with animal control.
How do you plan to collaborate with the county to address common challenges and opportunities?
With regular communication. Each entity needs to recognize that we all serve the same public and try and understand the different challenges we have and move from there.
What shared services do you think could be implemented between City and County?
We already recognize some of these mainly dealing with public safety, that is a good starting place. As mentioned we need to communicate and have open minds regarding “protecting our territories”.
What experience and qualities do you bring to the role of Mayor that uniquely qualify you for the position?
I have been involved in public service dating back to being a volunteer firefighter almost 50 years ago. During this time I have developed relationships in all facets of government, city, county and state. Most recently I served as president of the New Mexico Municipal League and am currently the immediate past president. This has afforded me the opportunity to work with city leaders from across the state from communities both large and small.
How will you ensure transparency and accountability in your administration?
I truly believe the city has been working to become more transparent with live streaming our meetings and other meetings of public officials. Accountability comes from open constructive communication.
What vision do you have for our town in the next 5-10 year, and how do you plan to achieve it?
My vision would be a thriving and vibrant community. The plan would be to create a positive “can do” attitude.
And finally, is there anything you would like to say to the citizens of Portales – Roosevelt County?
I am truly humbled by the opportunity that has been afforded me. I will do my very best to live up to the trust that has been placed in me. Will I make mistakes, certainly, but hopefully learn from those and continue to move forward. In the words of Theodore Roosevelt (whom our county gets its name), “there is no effort without error and shortcoming; who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, spends himself in a worthy cause; who at best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be among those cold and timid souls who have never tasted neither victory nor defeat.”
