[Editor's Note: Registration and absentee and early voting information is listed at the end of this article.]
By Margaret Hopper
The March 6 Silver City municipal elections are coming soon. Most incumbents are challenged, and all were given opportunity to state why they are running and what they hope to see happen for Silver City in the future.
District 2 Councilor position—two candidates
Lynda Aiman-Smith says she is running again for the District 2 position because she loves Silver City and wants to continue the work in progress. She now has the strong working relationships with community and with elected officials, and she knows how to get things done. She values being strongly anchored in Silver City, having well-rounded knowledge and understanding of local aspects and issues for over fourteen years. After nearly four years on the Council, she has valuable information.
She cites work experience in a variety of management positions with a Fortune 500 company, from production manager, supply-chain manager, to general operations management. Entering graduate school at Purdue University, where she received her PHD in Management and was a tenured faculty member of a major university. Her MBA teaching courses, published research and corporation consultations increased her skills and abilities. She says she considers the evidence-based problem-solving and decision-making work, which required research, data-analysis, people-communications, writing and clarity of idea presentations, to be vital to present work.
Noting that the public sees a few hours of councilor input per month at a meeting, she wants constituents to realize that much more is really demanded for credible work. She described the Town Councilor tasks of background reading, research, writing and rewrites as critical to the process of setting directions and bringing projects like the Master Bicycle Plan and the Comprehensive Plan to completion. And she works hard, 20 or 30 hours a week, often. She spoke of encouraging citizen-led studies and science projects to bring in solid answers to local questions. And yes, she wants to continue this effort to bring more projects to city council for better lives in Silver City. "I have the skills and experience that I want to continue using."
Patricia "Eiline" Kingsley is running for the District 2 position and brings a variety of new and old experiences to the area. She has served AmeriCorps/VISTA, DACA, and WWOOF, (Worldwide Workers on Organic Farms), and reviewed AmeriCorps/VISTA grant applications over five years. She holds a Master's in Public Administration, a doctorate in Communications, and a recently completed Master's in TESOL- Teaching English as a Second Language.
She first came to Silver City in 1990 as a as a visiting professor at WNMU and has returned as a substitute teacher in Silver City schools to complete her public teaching degree. She started the "Southwest Premiere" magazine and wrote local cable ordinances and franchises, with others. Some interests she wants to work on include: right-of-way regulations and new cultural celebrations for the Town, such as "Bilingual Book Days," "Festival of the Flowers" and a costumed "Buffalo Soldier Day" for Fort Bayard. She also would improve WNMU communication systems and remind students over 65 they can take courses for $5/hour plus fees, after admission. She sees many ways to get the classes out: on television, phones, computers; especially 'green' classes.
She has been a teacher most of her life and remains committed to public service. She speaks Spanish as a second language, and her Native ancestry includes Saux, Winnebago and Ojibway tribes. She enjoys working with local government officials, active members of the community, and appreciates feedback from those she works with.
District 4 Councilor position—two candidates
In District 4, Guadalupe Cano, incumbent, stated that she respects the need for term limits and assures voters that this third term of two years would be her last. She needed the first term to learn how things happened and prepare herself to become involved in projects the second term. Those projects included efforts to improve the downtown area economically without asking for large financial outlays; public works employees were responsive and helpful there. Another project she supported was to present Silver City in tourist projects as it truly was. She tried to see that the low-income people, the seniors, the Hispanics and other groups were given a voice, showing the diversity of the total population, especially in tourist literature.
Why is she running again? She says her projects need time to be finished. She is still working on safety issues for city employees, such as those working in the fire department, recycling or the sanitation department, and others. She also wants to see a memorial for veterans in Silver City. She is aware of Bataan Park and its message, but thinks Silver needs one, also.
Among her personal skills, she lists the training and certification she received through the New Mexico Municipal League, and thanks the town for the time and effort it spent helping her in this effort. She also stated she is thankful for the input she receives from citizens who comment on city issues, as it is important to her that she represents them in her work. She enjoys lobbying for her projects and seeing them through to the finish.
Running for a seat in District 4, Nicholas Prince, a newcomer to the area, gives reasons for wanting to be a part of the process. He says there are problems and projects that affect so many of the town's people, kids, teachers, the impoverished and various other groups, that the voices need to be heard. There are bold ideas out there that need to be listened to. And in the process, "we heed to decide what it is that we want government to do for us."
Those best decisions need to be local decisions, not those heavily influenced or forced on the area by outsiders, such as lobbyists from Alamogordo or Roswell on issues like the Holloman Air Force Base and our airways conditions. Our policies need to be locally driven with people coming together on the final choices and on how to implement them.
Prince said these conversations and communications are of major interest to him; the process is important and that is an area to which he can contribute. Positions are already polarized. Good conversations could lead to better engagement. There is work to be done, with ulterior motives being stripped away and local solutions being identified and brought to the front. It is time to develop those local values. Government, in this case, city government, is a good place to take care of these community needs. He wants to be a part of that.
Municipal Judge—two candidates
Sonya Ruiz is presently the municipal judge. She says she is running again because she believes she does the job well and she is dedicated to public service, having served in some capacity as Municipal Judge for the past 17 years, whether as an alternate judge by appointment, or court specialist/receptionist, or later as Court Administrator. She was first publicly elected to the position in 2010 and would like to continue in the position.
Some changes she says she would like to see are more community service options for those who cannot pay the fines and fees, or a return of Victim Impact Panel at the Grant County level. She said offenders might change their way of thinking as they listened to families who had lost members as a result of DWI incidents. Also, Truancy Court in the Mining District could be expanded to help more people, perhaps making truancy a thing of the past.
Ruiz can point to her certification as a NM Municipal Officer and she is a NM Municipal League Municipal Officials Leadership Institute graduate. She is an Immediate Past President of the Municipal Judges Association for serving three years in its offices. She has taken training courses at the National Judicial College, and currently trains and mentors municipal judges across the state. She has also served on the NM Supreme Court's Limited Jurisdiction Rules Committee and completed certificate programs through Central New Mexico Community College judicial studies. She says she hopes to ensure and maintain the integrity of the court process, keeping the Silver City Municipal Court a place of fair and impartial administration.
Nicolas Bobo is the write-in candidate for the municipal judge position. He said he is running to bring back the values of compassion and caring to that office. He is aware that there needs to be respect for the work police officers bring to the case, and an equal concern for those who are brought to the court. While the law must be upheld, there should be options to help those who cannot afford the fines, or help them avoid a bad driving record where the person is willing to learn and leave past behaviors behind. Their futures should not be destroyed.
He suggested that public service agreements could help. In some cases, something like the old Teen Court might bring resolution. Correction is important, but there is equal concern for helping citizens remain productive and interacting. Bobo said he knew the judgeship required unbiased neutrality in correctly reading and interpreting the law. Irresponsible attitudes could result in either correction or enforcement. He knew of situations that needed tough treatment and he could be either, as the situation required. But where possible, programs might help, especially where teens were involved.
He is interested in community improvement, he said, and he has an associate's degree in business management and is finishing a bachelor's degree in general business with emphasis in management. He says he is capable of listening to both sides of an issue and reaching for the best resolution for all concerned. He would like that opportunity.
Mayor position—unopposed incumbent
Silver City's incumbent mayor, Ken Ladner, considers himself a long-time Silver City supporter, having already served some 30-plus years, on the local school board, with the Chamber of Commerce, the Main Street Project, and in other positions, all of them volunteer. As mayor, he says the first two years have been really busy and many things have been accomplished by the City Council, city personnel and many volunteers and organizations working together. He is pleased to see what can be accomplished by people working together. "This is a 'we,' not an 'I' venture."
Emergencies can and do spring up suddenly, as the recent ruptured 12-inch water main proved, but the councilors are looking at their respective districts and much planning is being done. Renovation work is being planned and some of it requires Santa Fe approval, which takes time. A Trails Committee has been formalized, a trails maintenance person hired, and a Trails Coordinator named. Eventually the trails will all tie together at Big Ditch Park. Volunteers have given time generously to this work. And sometimes 4-way stops are more efficient than red lights. Safety is a major issue at certain intersections. The city continues to address this issue.
It all takes time. The councilors give a lot of time to bring changes about; they work very hard. He estimates he spends between 20 and 40 hours a week at the job, but he feels that it is important for him to be a part of the process. He enjoys meeting with community members to hear their ideas and suggest how to make Silver City even better. He and the city are open to new ideas and problem solving. There are many parts of town needing attention, and the city is working on these. Main Street plays an important role, as does "the Arts and Cultural District, Gary Stailey's kids, Scouts and hundreds of volunteers and other organizations." Ladner says he may be unopposed this election, but he will campaign, nonetheless. Campaigning will give him more opportunities to visit and discuss ideas with community members. "There is a lot to be done, and communication is an important part of problem solving." said Ladner.
[Author's Note: These statements from candidates have taken place quickly. Some chose to send e-mails rather than give interview time, and these were well written, but were trimmed to three paragraphs each to match the space given to those who were interviewed by phone. All statements were accepted at face-value, and voters can learn more about the candidates if they attend forums, search for more facts, and ask questions. All respondents have voiced interest in hearing from citizens.]
Following is information about registering to vote and the dates and places for absentee and early voting:
REGISTER TO VOTE
To be eligible to vote in the Town of Silver City's March 6, 2018 Municipal Election, you must be registered by Tuesday, February 6, 2018. Voter registration forms are available at the Grant County Clerk's Office at 1400 Hwy. 180 E, Silver City, NM. Voters should also complete new forms if they have moved or changed their name.
ABSENTEE AND EARLY VOTING
Absentee Voting for the March 6, 2018 Regular Municipal Election for the Town of Silver City will begin on January 30, 2018 and will end March 2, 2018. Voters wishing to vote by Absentee may request an application to vote by absentee by calling the Town Clerk's Office at 534-6346. The application will be mailed to your address. You may also request an application at the Town Clerk's Office in City Hall, 101 W. Broadway. An absentee ballot may not be taken out of the Town Clerk's Office. You may vote the ballot in the office, or have it mailed to your address. Early Voting begins on February 14, 2018 and ends March 2, 2018. Voters wishing to vote prior to Election Day may come to the Town Clerk's Office at City Hall, 101 W. Broadway, during regular business hours (8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.), Monday through Friday, file an application, and cast their vote on a paper ballot counted by the voting machine.