Mattiace to call for better balance in development, confront controversies in state of city address

Las Cruces Mayor Bill Mattiace will talk tonight about finding the appropriate balance between a focus on rapid growth and revitalization of older neighborhoods, among other issues, in his 2007 state of the city address.

Mattiace is giving the address at 6 p.m. at City Hall. It will be followed by a town hall meeting. The speech, which is more confrontational than he often presents himself publicly, comes at the beginning of a re-election year. At least two city councilors have been mentioned as possible opponents in November.

You can read Mattiace’s entire speech by clicking here.

Mattiace plans to talk about the improvements Las Cruces has made in the last four years that have landed it on many lists ranking it as the best place to live or retire or work. He will say the city is strong and that finding balance is the key to keeping it strong, according to a copy of the speech provided by Mattiace.

He’ll note that Las Cruces is a fast growing city and that its management is pro-growth.

“We can’t build walls high enough to keep people from this beautiful area and, even if we could, our city is young and people like to make more people,” he’ll say. “So we must find a way to both manage and come to terms with our growth.”

Mattiace will say there is always tension in a growing city, and in Las Cruces that shows itself in debates between newcomers and established Las Crucens.

“There are signs that, in our efforts to attract new citizens, we have not been as diligent as we could be in responding to our existing citizens,” Mattiace will say. “Whether it is infrastructure, investment or social services, it’s time to take stock of our older neighborhoods, our senior communities, and our impoverished children.”

“We must balance respect for the past with new ideas for the future,” he’ll say. “Then we will be a city that knows both where it came from and where it’s going.”

Mattiace will again promote growth on the desolate West Mesa, as he did at the start of 2006. His calls last year were not embraced by the city council, though Gov. Bill Richardson was on board. He and Mattiace see the West Mesa Industrial Park and Las Cruces International Airport as an area that will eventually be connected by a bypass highway to Spaceport America. The Rocket Racing League and Starchaser both committed to building their headquarters there last year.

“The West Mesa remains the best place for growth, industry and opportunity housing,” Mattiace will say. “While many were skeptical, much has happened on the West Mesa, particularly at the industrial park, and I want to thank those visionaries who took me up on the offer to make it the newest growth center for our city.”

Mattiace will also complain about the shortage of affordable housing in Las Cruces. He believes that, because land is so cheap on the West Mesa, it’s a good place to build low-priced homes.

The most pressing issue facing the city, Mattiace will say, has nothing to do with city government: It’s the turmoil in the Las Cruces Public Schools, which saw its third superintendent in the last five years leave amid scandal in 2006. The search for an interim superintendent is slowly underway.

“On more than one occasion during these tumultuous times, the uncertain status of our schools has been a strong concern in discussions concerning economic development opportunities,” Mattiace will say. “Simply put, business wants good, stable schools when considering expansion or relocation.”

He’ll also say that education “is the only known cure for poverty,” and Doña Ana County remains one of the poorest in the nation.

“While I have heard that finding a good superintendent is a difficult and frustrating process full of many obstacles, it is also evident that hundreds of school districts accomplish the task every year successfully,” Mattiace will say. “I have seen fit to stay on the sidelines, but my sense of duty as a mayor and as a parent may make me a more active participant if significant progress and new ideas are not offered very soon.”

Mattiace’s last point will be on the need for open government. He has been a strong supporter of letting the sun shine in since the council and former mayor violated the New Mexico Open Meetings Act in 2003 by agreeing in secret to reprimand him, when he was a councilor, for an ethics violation using what has become known as a rolling quorum – when one member seeks and obtains the approval of all others outside a public meeting.

When Mattiace was elected mayor, he had the door to his office removed. He also skips some closed sessions of the council, earning him criticism of some councilors. Mattiace says he believes that, though the law allows many reasons to close the doors, public bodies should not always use those reasons.

“That doesn’t make it right,” Mattiace will say. “And it doesn’t say that we must attend. There is no more appropriate symbol for shutting people out of government than shutting the door.”

Let the city’s 2007 election season begin.