Outgoing Doña Ana County Commissioners Kent Evans and Bill McCamley touted improvements in the government during their tenures in speeches given during their last official meeting today, and McCamley had some words of advice for those who will replace them on Jan. 1.
The outgoing District 5 commissioner told his replacement, Leticia Benavidez, and Evan’s replacement, Scott Krahling, that they’re going to be invited to important events, called by newspaper reporters and given the opportunity to “get up here and speak for hours on end, like I’m doing right now, about pretty much whatever you want.”
“None of this however — the food, the quotes, or the talk — makes you a leader,” McCamley said. “What does? When you are done with your term, ask yourself these simple questions: Did I achieve results? Did I actively make my community a better place to live in? What policies did I create that had a direct impact on the people I represent?”
McCamley is leaving the commission on Dec. 31, after four years, because he chose to run for Congress instead of seeking re-election this year. He narrowly lost in the Democratic primary to Harry Teague, who went on to win the seat. Term limits prevented District 4’s Evans, who has served eight years, from running again, so the Republican ran against Democratic state Rep. Jeff Steinborn this year, but was unsuccessful.
A more ethical and efficient government
Evans recalled the fact that, when he took office, Doña Ana County was plagued by constant scandal and turmoil.
“In my first three years in office, the board went through four county managers, and the instability caused by the churn at the top effectively paralyzed the organization and fed the press with stories of ineptitude and cronyism,” Evans said. “Through it all, I worked hard to be a peacemaker and a deal broker who could stop the fighting and steer the ship toward effective local government. It was a long struggle, and I didn’t always win the battles, but I never gave up on the challenge.”
Eight years later, he and McCamley both said county government is running more ethically and efficiently.
“I’m proud of the way this commission has evolved, and of the way that the partisanship has been cast aside in favor of actual progress on meaningful issues,” Evans said.
Among the accomplishments McCamley cited were the deal that resolved decades of legal battles with Sunland Park and cleared the way for development of the Santa Teresa area, a rewrite of the county ethics policy, dramatic improvements in the county’s health-care system and elections process and the funding of Spaceport America. Evans said he’s also proud of the county’s new government center, which resulted in a consolidation of all county offices into one building and a more efficient operation.
McCamley and Evans have both been champions of the spaceport project, and Gov. Bill Richardson has recognized them for their work on behalf of it and a tax increase to help fund it. At the meeting, McCamley acknowledged that the project has been controversial, “but it looks like it’s actually going to work and bring a lot of jobs and educational opportunities to Doña Ana County.”
Kind words
Both commissioners had kind words for the county’s staff and for their fellow commissioners.
“Of course, I can’t shoulder all the credit for the positive change. Since the 2002 elections, the voters have chosen commissioners who — by and large — share my vision for a stable and effective governmental organization,” Evans said. “While we still debate issues — sometimes fervently — gone are the days of personal attacks and foregone votes.”
McCamley called for the commission to continue to focus on growth and the completion of the region’s Vision 2040 plan, economic development including the spaceport, fiscal responsibility and communication and cooperation with other governments.
And he had a message for all county residents:
“In a democracy, the policy, the conversation, shouldn’t be about (the elected officials). It should be about you, the people in this room today, or watching on TV, or reading about these meetings in a newspaper or on the Internet. You are the ones who decide what you like and what you don’t like about your community, and you are the ones with the power to change it. I ask you, if you are involved, stay that way. If you aren’t, get active, because that is the way a community stays alive,” he said. “… It’s all about taking responsibility for your city, your county, your state and your nation. We need everybody to make this country work.”
As I’ve disclosed in the past, I’m friends with McCamley. Click here to read more about that.