Council hopefuls discuss growth, other issues at forum

By Vicki Nisbett

Not surprisingly, growth was the main topic discussed at the Las Cruces City Council District 6 candidate forum held Thursday at the Doña Ana East Mesa Community College.

Candidate Lawrence Joy, 45, missed the opening introductions, saying he was detained because of business. The other candidates vying for the city council seat Ken Miyagishima vacated when he was elected mayor are Patrick J. Curran, 76; Berchard Ray Shipley, 64; Sharon K. Thomas, 67; and Karen Rachel Trujillo, 32.

The election is Jan. 15. Early and absentee voting are underway.

Paying for infrastructure

Thomas, a retired professor and business owner, said she thinks the city can’t get rid of impact fees, but Las Cruces needs to be more “flexible” in building things like wide roads, and said roads need to have more connectivity, especially for emergency responders. She said the city should not use tax increment development districts to fund infrastructure in undeveloped areas, but bonds should be considered. She also favors the use of TIDDs in existing neighborhoods.

“I want Las Cruces to be the most livable city in the Southwest,” she said.

Curran, a former magistrate judge for Doña Ana County, said he is in favor of master planning but also does not favor TIDDs for undeveloped areas. He does favor their use in existing neighborhoods.

Shipley, a former planning commissioner for a city in California, suggested having developers pay the cost of infrastructure up front, which would result in homeowners partially financing infrastructure.

Trujillo, a real-estate broker and president of the Hispano Chamber of Commerce de Las Cruces, disagreed with Shipley about having developers pay for infrastructure because the cost will trickle down to the consumer, raising the price of homes and negating affordable housing. She also supports the use of TIDDs for existing neighborhoods.

Joy, owner of Advanced Target Marketing, said the city has the revenue to build the infrastructure itself, but is not managing the money correctly. He cited delays in the construction of a bridge on Sonoma Ranch Boulevard as an example, saying the city did not do what needed to be done to complete the bridge in a timely manner.

A decrease in gross receipts tax revenue

Joy seemed surprised when asked about a decrease in gross receipts tax revenue for the city, which the questioner said is down because of the slump in the housing market. Joy said the housing market is strong, and he said local newspaper articles confirm that.

Thomas said the housing market has slowed but not as much as in other places. Addressing how to deal with the decrease in revenue, she said at a recent budget meeting the wish list was larger than the capital outlay appropriated. She said citizens need to be asked what their priorities are and the council needs to work with them to prioritize.

As a realtor, Trujillo said she sees the housing market suffering, and she said that needs to change.

“We need to grow and have a great business plan and create that revenue,” she said.

Shipley said Las Cruces is “living from hand to mouth.” He encouraged frugal management.

Curran said the city’s municipal court is a “cash cow” and, because of the problems in the court, much of the revenue currently goes to the state instead of the city. He said Las Cruces needs to get the court functioning again to gain more revenue.

Highest priority

Curran said his highest priority is turning the Las Cruces Country Club into a city park, because the club is moving to the East Mesa. He said all important cities have a special area like New York City’s Central Park.

Shipley said there’s plenty of land to be developed and planning and zoning are important. He said there has been a lot of emphasis placed on bicycle paths and walking trails, but they’re less important because most citizens drive cars.

Trujillo said her utmost priority is protecting the “majestic” organ mountains. She said she does not want to wait for Congress to decide whether to protect the land and said Las Cruces needs to get active in dealing with the situation.

Joy said he is concerned about different interest groups forming in Las Cruces and said he will maintain independence. He said he is concerned that the city is dividing itself, and his highest priority is making sure that doesn’t happen.

Thomas said her highest priorities are infrastructure and traffic. She said better planning that includes ensuring that industrial and commercial development is built throughout the city will improve both.

Closing Statements

In closing, Trujillo said Las Cruces has a need to grow responsibly and work on affordable housing. She said she will listen to citizens and work hard, and talked about her background, pointing out that she grew up in an apartment in Las Cruces.

Shipley said safety is the city’s most important issue and referred to the importance of paramedics, police and firefighters. He also spoke about the importance of listening.

Thomas said she would seek better planning and, when she doesn’t know how to do that, she would research what other cities are doing to find the answer. As a councilor, she said she would work full time because she is retired.

Curran said he does not represent any pack – if elected, he will be the people’s voice.

Joy said he loves Las Cruces, pointing out that he has lived here since 1982. He said growth means taking care of “all” the details.

A second forum will be held Monday in the sanctuary at Morning Star United Methodist Church, 2941 Morning Star Drive, beginning at 7 p.m. It’s sponsored by the High Range Neighborhood Association.

Nisbett is a former reporting intern for Heath Haussamen on New Mexico Politics and now an occasional contributor to the site.