Philip Philippou has been vilified in some circles since his 6,000-acre development, The Vistas at Presidio, was approved by the Las Cruces City Council in May. In fact, approval of that development was the catalyst for the movement to oust the mayor and those councilors many view as having led the city to out-of-control growth.
Even for those who believe the city’s growth is way out of bounds, it’s important to remember, as voters go to the polls on Tuesday in the Las Cruces municipal election, that Philippou is not the enemy.
This is not a defense of Philippou. There are a lot of outstanding questions about his land donations to a non-profit run by District 1 City Councilor José Frietze. And there was the way in which he obtained the land for The Vistas at Presidio from the State Land Office, which created the appearance that pay-to-play politics might be at work.
Philippou certainly hasn’t helped his own cause with actions that included a public outburst at a newspaper reporter after a city council meeting. He has a reputation for being abrasive.
But no evidence has been presented publicly that shows that Philippou has done anything illegal or improper, with the exception of an allegation of a misdemeanor violation related to a platting issue on one of the parcels donated to Frietze. Meanwhile, Philippou has given a lot of money and land over the years to non-profit organizations, some tied to public officials, others not. And, though many think Philippou hasn’t provided enough land for parks, open space and schools, the reality is that he went beyond what was required with The Vistas at Presidio.
That’s the point: Philippou has done what the city has required of him. In some instances, he’s gone beyond it. And though I have a problem with the appearance created by some of his campaign contributions, it’s legal for him to give massive gifts. For that I blame the state Legislature, which refuses to apply federal campaign contribution limits to state and local races.
But if you don’t like the city’s growth policies, it’s not Philippou who you should blame. You should blame those public officials who set policy.
This election is about the candidates, not Philippou.
In the case of the land donations to Frietze, it was the councilor, not Philippou, who should have disclosed them. His failure to do so cost him the endorsement of the Las Cruces Sun-News and will certainly cost him some votes.
And when people complained that they hadn’t had enough opportunity to learn about The Vistas at Presidio, Philippou voluntarily held a community meeting to discuss it. The Doña Ana County Board of Commissioners have since approved a requirement that developers of 100 lots or 100 acres or more hold public meetings on proposed projects. They learned from the city council’s mistake of not keeping the public adequately informed. Why haven’t the council and mayor done the same?
Blame the city’s leaders for that, not Philippou.
Philippou is a businessman. As long as it’s legal for him to give large campaign contributions, expect him to do it from time to time. As for his developments, expect him to continue to work within the systems put in place by local governments. Don’t like what’s happening? Blame the system, and those who regulate it. Want more schools and parks paid for by the builders in future developments? Elect leaders who will require that.
Your chance to do that is Tuesday. Whether you like the city’s current growth policies or you think they need some changes, this is your chance to be heard. It’s time to vote.