Eight file to run in Las Cruces municipal election

Eight candidates filed on Tuesday to run for three city council seats and a municipal judgeship in the Nov. 3 Las Cruces municipal election.

In the District 3 city council race, Mayor Pro-Tem Dolores C. Archuleta is being challenged by Olga Pedroza.

In the District 5 race, Councilor Gil Jones will be challenged by Gill M. Sorg and Christopher A. Micklevitz.

In the District 6 race, Councilor Sharon K. Thomas will be challenged by James W. Harbison.

Municipal Judge James T. Locatelli will run unopposed.

All of that, of course, assumes that the city clerk certifies on Tuesday that those who filed to run submitted the required number of signatures to appear on the ballot — 25 from registered voters in the district for council candidates and in the city for judicial candidates.

Absentee voting by mail begins Oct. 7, and in-person absentee voting begins Oct. 14. Election Day is Nov. 3.

I’ve received candidate announcements from most of those who filed to run on Tuesday. Here’s a bit about each of those who have sent me announcements:

Dolores Archuleta

Archuleta has represented District 3 since 2001. According to her news release, she is “committed to continuing to work with constituents and other community leaders to bring economic development to the area, to advance educational opportunities for the youth of Las Cruces and to improve the quality of life for all citizens.”

She also “expressed a need to do more to deter crime in our neighborhoods, to bring good, high-wage jobs to the area and to create an environment that generations of Las Crucens can enjoy.”

While Archuleta has been in office, the city has broken ground on a new convention center, aquatic center and city hall, and she has “played an integral role” in a proposal to create a regional recycling program, the release states.

“We have come a long way since my election in 2001,” she added, “but there is still so much more to do.”

Olga Pedroza

Pedroza said in a news release that it’s time “that our traditional neighborhoods receive energetic representation on the city council. We need economic development that benefits all of our residents and not just a few.”

Pedroza, 66, is a former elementary school teacher who has a law degree from the University of New Mexico. She worked in private practice, as an attorney for the state and for 17 years for Southern New Mexico Legal Aid — 16 of them as the managing attorney.

“I admired my clients greatly, and in trying to solve their legal problems, I began to understand how their lives could be improved by good representation in the public arena,” she said. “I want to make sure that the people of my district have a real and active voice in city government.”

Among Pedroza’s top priorities are education and economic development. According to the news release, she wants to partner with the schools and “develop growth policies supportive of community life.” The release states that she is “especially interested in bringing the benefits of the new energy economy to the young people of our community through internships, vocational training and local jobs.”

She also said the city “needs to be pro-active in weatherization, solar energy and green grid technology.”

Gil Jones

A news release from the campaign of Jones, who is seeking his second term, states that he “has brought integrity, leadership and hard work to District 5, addressing key issues in Las Cruces.”

Jones, the release states, “has taken on long-term flooding and growth issues, and brought the first public swimming pool in 40 years to District 5.” He has also chaired the Extraterritorial Zoning Authority and served on the Metropolitan Planning Organization and South Central Regional Transit District.

“I’ve worked hard in the past four years as a city councilor to guide over $17 million dollars of city projects in District 5 that have led to improved flood control, better streets, parks, affordable housing and other important infrastructure improvements,” Jones said.

“Responsible growth puts the needs of the community before the needs of the developers,” he said. “When our community’s largest developer did not keep his agreement with the city, I led the effort for the City of Las Cruces to file a lawsuit.”

Jones, who has a background in “agriculture, business and community service,” wants to “continue making Las Cruces a better place than when he was first elected,” the release states.

Gill Sorg

Sorg pointed to the district’s “problems with flooding, traffic congestion, dust and incomplete subdivisions as just a few of the results of a decision-making process that favored a single developer rather than common-sense planning.”

He called for thoughtful growth that “preserves our way of life” and said the city needs to “pay as much attention to the revitalization, health and livability of existing neighborhoods as to the building of new ones.”

He said he’ll focus on “Sustainable economic development, transparency and accountability in governance, and good regional planning.”

“Our district has suffered in recent years from the poor planning of earlier city councils,” Sorg said. “Over the past two years the mayor and city council have begun to stand up for the people of Las Cruces. I want to support and continue that process.”

With training as a biologist and work as a contract manager, Sorg said he understands good governance, saying, “A community of people is like any ecosystem — to be healthy and sustainable it needs to find a balance among competing interests. We need to make sure the peoples’ interests are included in that balance.”

Sharon Thomas

In her two years on the council, Thomas has “worked hard to ensure greater transparency, efficiency and participation in city government” and has “been a strong advocate for better comprehensive planning,” according to a news release.

“Thoughtful development is key not only to our community’s prosperity but also to maintaining and improving the quality of life for the people of Las Cruces,” Thomas said.

Over the past two years, according to the release, Thomas has “worked for the creation of safe, walkable neighborhoods, citizen involvement in school-location decisions and greater integration of homeowner associations in decisions that affect their residents.” She has also “played a key role in the development of bike lanes on city streets, efforts to control dust on the city’s east side, and river-to-mountain recreation corridors.”

“Taxpayers can’t afford piecemeal planning that increases the cost of infrastructure and hurts our quality of life. We need intelligent development,” Thomas said. “The Vision 2040 regional comprehensive plan, as well as the new city strategic plan, will be important for bringing everyone together to build a vibrant, attractive city for residents and businesses alike.”

James Harbison

Harbison, an Army veteran and retired corporate executive, is involved in a number of public service activities, including serving on the board of the High Range Neighborhood Association, helping form neighborhood watch programs and working with Scottish Rite Dyslexia and early childhood learning programs.

“I’ve taken a long, hard look at the race and have decided that our city is in need of real leadership and a new direction,” he said in a release.

“As a retired businessman and military leader, I have a vision to strengthen the future of our city and preserve its rich heritage,” Harbison said. “We need to pursue a more prudent fiscal course that develops smarter more effective uses of public funds that will minimize the impact on our residents.”

Harbison has served as human resources director in a large medical firm and training director of a nationwide manufacturing company. During his military career, he was awarded the Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star for Valor and OLC, and Republic of Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Bronze Star. He has been married for 22 years and has two sons, three grandchildren and two great grandchildren.