By Lynn Janes
On October 25, 2025, the Silver City Daily Press held the candidate forum for the Silver City mayor for the election on November 4, 2025. It took place at the WNMU Besse Forward Global Resource center. The forum had Gaudalupe Cano, Simon Wheaton-Smith, Dale Lane and Levi Emmett Timmons facing off.
Nick Seibel, Silver City Daily Press publisher, moderated the forum. The candidates received questions from the audience, Facebook, and the Press writer Juno Ogle. Each would answer the same question and had two minutes.
Siebel said he did not remember having this many candidates for mayor and such an exciting race. He had received a lot of questions from the audience and would be asking as many of them as he could. The questions had to apply to all candidates.
Each candidate provided a three-minute opening statement.
"Buenas Tardes, my name is Guadalupe Cano, and I am a fourth-generation native of Silver City." She had grown up in the Perros Bravos neighborhood as did her mother. She has served as a town council member for district 4 the past twelve years and has been the mayor pro tem for the last four years. Cano had become a certified municipal official the first year she took office through the New Mexico Municipal League. It has included every advanced training the league offers, such as ethics, role of a mayor, formal government, open meetings act, and effective lobbying at the legislature. Cano serves as the director of district seven of the New Mexico Municipal League that represent five southwestern counties. This has enabled her to build a strong network of contacts and resources at both the state and federal level.
Cano has sought out effective mayors across the state to mentor her in preparation for the role of mayor. She has been part of a number of organizations outside of the municipal government. Cano was the founder and vice president of Outdoor New Mexico, state outdoor economics conference that brings together 350 industry leaders and policy makers around the state. She actively involves herself in the New Mexico Wildlife Federation. "I consider responsible conservation an extremely important part of our community." The lieutenant governor has a commission on accessibility at the Roundhouse she serves on. It ensures that New Mexicans with varying degrees of ability will have access to the state legislature that is safe and comfortable. Cano serves as director of Teatro del Cobre and has been working on different community conversations about Chicano contributions in Silver City. The Grant County Extension has an advisory committee Cano serves on that decides programing for the students. "I am also a founding member of PFLAG and a supporter of the Grant County Senior Olympics." She has served on the WNMU alumni board. The most important thing a mayor can do will be to show up. "I show up to over eighty events every year because I believe it is important to support those people who put their time and effort into it." Cano believes she will be the most qualified candidate because of her experience and up-to-date training.
Wheaton-Smith provided a little history. His great-grandfather had come to the area in 1895, and his grandmother had lived out her years in the area as did his aunt. "I am fourth generation but have traveled a lot." He has worked in Australia, England, Arizona, New Mexico and New York. He feels he has experience that would be helpful and that had been the reason to run for mayor.
He had done work with the assistant to the director of public works, town clerk, town councilor (district 3- two terms) and currently planning and zoning. "I have a lot of experience with conflict resolution and in group dynamics and processes." The town will be experiencing a lot of change in the next four years; the town manager will be retiring as well as some department heads. The council must work hard and create a job description. Wheaton-Smith said he has been a supervisor twice, a manager three times and a union representative, which gave him different perspectives. "I think we need to be a unified town council and not a group of independent contractors." He mentioned he had also been a federal mediator and volunteered as a mediator for magistrate court in Silver City. Wheaton-Smith has been a member of the National Association of Parliamentarians and Association for Conflict Resolution.
Lane had grown up in Silver City, and his parents had started Silver City Plumbing in 1971. Because of growing up in a small family business he had come from a blue-collar background and still retains his plumbing license. He graduated from Silver High School and then attended New Mexico State University and received a degree in agricultural economics. After that he had worked some in Phoenix and then North Carolina. He moved back to Silver City in the early '90s to help with the family plumbing business and did that for 14 years. He worked at First New Mexico Bank for eight years but found that had not been for him. His bosses told him he had a social worker heart, and it did not go well with banking. He managed Keenan Pipe Supply, a large corporation, for nine years.
Lane has never run for public office and has not done a lot of public speaking, but he had decided to run because he didn't like seeing the direction his town had been going. "I don't think we are headed in the right direction." Lane's wife retired as a nurse at Gila Regional Medical Center, and he has four kids and two standard poodles. He felt his background with small business finance and working with a large corporation provided him with a very unique perspective. He had also worked on utility contracts for the town.
Timmons started with a long rendition of what he thought the town was. "Silver City is a museum. Shattered dreams filled with cracked window display cases like so much neolithic pottery shards of ambition shattered against the twin walls of the opiate crisis and a lack of opportunity painted by a picture of a bright future absconded with. Broken homes tell stories of yesteryear's hope turned into despair and poverty. "I watched them build this museum brick by brick with the mortar of our obedience. I watched our tax dollars wasted on boondoggle after boondoggle, while my friends fell like flies to the plague of addiction sweeping over our city. I watched while they sold off our stream of revenue to private corporations. I watched our elected officials cry crocodile tears begging for handouts, while the people they represent are starving in the streets. I watched them ignore the needs of the vulnerable and allow Airbnb to proliferate in this town unabated. I watched them let rent grow out of control. I watched them sit idly by as inflation started to starve people and I listened with rapt attention when they said there was nothing, they could do about it."
"When they said that the mayor was simply a ceremonial position, because God forbid that we actually change this broken system. God forbid anyone mentioned ranked choice voting or direct democracy, a vote in your pocket. God forbid the mayor declare a state of emergency and a moratorium on evictions during the worst housing crisis this town has ever seen. The dreams of our youth lie dead and forgotten entombed in a mausoleum whose inscription reads simply, we can't afford that."
Timmons continued, "We can't make the world a better place. We can't stand up to a rogue federal government. We can't afford to feed everyone. We don't have enough money to buy you houses. Not enough land to do a new homesteading act. Meanwhile, BlackRock sold your dreams to the highest bidder and Walmart stole your children's future only to peddle it back to them. Freeport locked your generational wealth away in a bank in the Cayman Islands. How long will we wander these halls? How long will we live in this museum watching our city turn into a monument to its own destruction?"
"Passive observers of our own history. When I tell the people in power my plans, the number one thing that I hear is the 'mayor can't do that.' And when you hear that, and you will, it is your responsibility to respond in the name of the entire next generation."
Timmons went on to say she does not want power but telling the people to demand their power back.
Siebel posed a general question to the candidates. The job of the mayor will be pretty open-ended. The town charter has the mayor holding very little power compared to the council members or town manager. As mayor of the town of Silver City, how would you define your role? How would you go about being our mayor for the next four years?
Timmons thought that was a good question. The town council has offloaded all the responsibilities of an elected representative on to the shoulders of the town manager who would not be accountable to the people of the town or council. "I think that is a gross dereliction of duty and absolutely unacceptable." Timmons continued, "The town charter is fundamentally broken, and we need direct democracy. My role as mayor is to be your voice, to scream at the top of my lungs and to never shut up for the people that do not have a voice."
Lane felt the most important thing to address will be the small businesses and the local economy. "We need to get everyone headed in the right direction." The heart of the community is small businesses, and they need support along with law enforcement. One of the biggest hurdles will be the homeless people and will be a complex issue. So many needs whether it be mental illness, alcoholism or drug addiction. They also have to address the possible issue of bringing people in when the town does not have the resources. He had met with the chief of police, town manager, toured the Gospel Mission and SPIN. The main thing he had learned had been he had a lot to learn. The town has resources, and they need to work with them. "I think we can get Silver City back to being a destination."
Wheaton-Smith said they will have four councilors and being one will be a harder job than people realize. It entails far more than attending two meetings a month. Thirty years previously he had been involved in work groups and facilitated large and small. He went over some of the issues they had dealt with in the airline industry. "I don't see any genuine debate with the council and they just rubber stamp everything."
Cano wanted to first address the comment made about the town charter. "The charter is special, and we are the only ones in New Mexico that have one." However, the town still has to follow all the laws of the state that everyone else in the state does. Any mayor has to follow the same laws and rules. "I think it is really important for the mayor not to try and micromanage the council, town manager or employees." The mayor should not be involved in day -o-day operations; that would be for the town manager. The mayor needs to talk with the town manager daily and be involved in those decisions and make sure they will be right for the whole town and not just a specific group or district. The mayor should support the council and the idea everyone should get along would be ridiculous, four people will not always agree. She wanted to see civil debate which the first several years she had been on the council had happened. "I think it's something that is done by the energy of the mayor. If the mayor expects that, then the council will follow that and will debate civilly and be able to leave the meeting and work on the next situation instead of being upset about the last one." A lot of people don't understand the role of a mayor and perhaps some better education needs to happen. Understand what the council, mayor and town manager can and cannot do. "I think open communication is the thing that I'm most concerned about as mayor. Each individual situation can be solved if we talk about it and not just get on our high horse and decide that we're the only one that knows what's going on."
The audience had a question. How would you describe your leadership style?
Lane said knowledge would be key. When somebody comes with a question they should receive an answer. "I would like to think I lead by example. As far as having all the answers, absolutely not." He has to seek counsel when needed. "My leadership in short is not an iron fist or anything like that but working with people, reaching across the aisle and trying to educate myself and be as knowledgeable as I can for the subject we are working on."
Cano had in her time on the council changed her leadership style. When first elected she thought she knew everything but learned quickly that was not the case. "I have switched to more of a compromise sort of style." No one will be completely right on any issue, so she wants to hear all sides and find a middle ground. That does not always work because people don't agree with her. "I think it's important to realize that I learn something from every person I have a conversation with, and those lessons are valuable. Like Mr. Lane said, I don't know everything. I know I don't know everything." She hoped the next council would find ways to compromise instead of just arguing, being stubborn and not wanting to hear from other people in the community.
Timmons said, "I believe that my leadership style is born of the current era that we live in. My leadership style prioritizes the needs of the people over compromise. I will not compromise with the people who want me dead. I will not compromise with the people who want to mitigate the homelessness crisis because the homeless are victims of the war on drugs. I will not compromise with people who want to sell off our utilities, who want to rob our children of their futures. I do not compromise. I do not reach across the aisle because right now what we need is someone who is brave enough to fight."
Wheaton-Smith said he listens. "We spend a lot of time speaking and very little time listening." He felt the word compromise had been used too much and he wanted people to be able to disagree with him and present points and tell him why his should be fixed. That would not be compromise but genuine negotiation. His background in conflict resolution would enable him to have the council work well.
What is your experience with the town, either nonprofit or government?
Wheaton-Smith had mentioned that experience earlier. He had worked with the public works department for almost 25 years and had learned a lot about the town then. Also, he had done a lot of work in the old recreation center. He had been the town clerk and been on the town council. He listed the museum and Corre Caminos and many other positions that had made him a well-rounded person along with many volunteer positions
Timmons said he had been raised in Silver City since the age of three but had gone to Tucson during covid for two years. For ten years he had worked for YCC (youth conservation corps) building trails, waterworks and gardens the town loves. He said the people that had built those had not seen anything for it. "My experience with this town is consistently having the federal funding pulled out from under us and then not having anything to show for it, having to pull myself up by my bootstraps." He had started a mutual aid organization in town that offers free gardening services and at home senior help at no cost. "It is just common human decency. I have watched all of my friends get priced out by the predatory carnivorous landlords that are carving up our town like it's some kind of cake. I watched many of my friends die to the opiate crisis ,and then I watched all of that settlement money go into our police department. So, my experience with this town is constantly bleeding for it and watching the people who are in charge of it sell us up the river."
Cano has served as a town councilor for the last four terms. In that time, she had been an exofficio member of the cemetery board and now the museum board. She had been sent to represent the town for different legislative events and has been involved in many organizations, mostly nonprofits in the conservation realm such as New Mexico Wild and Heart of the Gila. "I believe the Gila is our most valuable resource in many ways, so taking care if it responsibly is very important to me." She helped found PFLAG in this town when it had not been safe to be gay. Cano also has been a member of the LGBT Grant County Board. "Those are things I am very proud of." Outside of the nonprofits and politics she has been involved in theater, Silver City Community Theater and Chicano Teatro del Cobre. Ten years ago, she had brought 100 musicians together for the Grant County Chicano Music Project to compile their histories with a documentary and CD of the music. Anything she can become involved in she wants to be.
Lane had been on the board for Aldo Leopold Charter School for three years. In that time, they had moved the school and hired a new director. Local charities he has been involved in would be Single Sox, Gospel Mission, Our Paws Cause, Chamber of Commerce, Grant County Economic Development and many others. He felt the best had been when they had the plumbing business and had 40 employees working on utilities, water and sewer lines for the town. It had improved the city by adding infrastructure, clean water, and functioning sewers. That business provided a big contribution to the town.
The audience had a question. Sometimes diverse councils don't get along; a big part of the mayor's job is to run a meeting in such a way that you actually get something done and sort of manage everyone to accomplish things. How do you manage your own emotions and maintain composure under pressure, especially when facing criticism or conflict?
Timmons said, "I think that there is a tendency, especially right now that I do not understand, to be deeply, critically afraid of passion and fire. When someone sees injustice and then cries out at the top of their lungs that this has to change, and it doesn't matter what cost we have to pay in order to see these lives saved, in order to see the bloodshed end, in order to send a message to officials in our federal government who act like we are peanuts, who act like we are ants, who will never listen to us, the instinct to see that passion and to see that fire and then to say, well, you're not capable of leading. The fact of the matter is, I get angry when I see injustice. I get angry when I see all of my friends priced out of this town. I get angry when I see Freeport McMoRan poisoning our water, stealing all of our profits. When I see Walmart siphoning all of our money upwards to Wall Street, I get really, really angry. You can't get that angry. You can't get that upset. Well, that's what they told the suffragettes. That's what they told every woman who ever got uppity. And it's no different because I'm trans. "
Lane said, "I have a pretty long fuse as far as that goes. I feel it's very important to work with people to get everybody's side of the story. When you're communicating there's give and take, you don't always have to find a common ground. You can agree to disagree, but I think you have to get a consensus, weigh out the pros and cons, and make a decision on that. If it doesn't go your way, I think that's something you basically have to either chalk up to the learning experience or realize you weren't right." The constituents need to be listened to and what they want may not be what you agree with. Communication and talking to people to have their side and working together will be important.
Wheaton-Smith said, "I listen to my wife, and we argue and then we do what she says and that seems to work pretty well. Most of the time, I'm very passive and spend a lot of time listening." Some of the federal mediations he had done became intense. His job had been to listen and just to the facts. He continued with his experiences and how he had to handle difficult situations. "If you follow a process, you will come to a good solution."
Cano started by saying, "I am the only counselor who's ever been described in the newspaper as emotional, difficult and every other adjective possibly thought of. I have to say, I have no problem being called that. I have no problem being told that I'm too passionate or I'm angry. I totally understand what you just said." She loves this town and will continue to be passionate and sometimes cry in meetings. "There's nothing wrong with crying. The people who don't cry are the people I'm concerned about because that means they probably don't care that much, even if they're sitting up there. That's what concerns me more." She had an example, a few months earlier they had an incident during a council meeting that a lot of banging could be heard. Everyone had thought it could be a gunshot including law enforcement that had attended, and they immediately went to investigate. At the same time, they had started trying to have the public go to a back room. When they knew it would all be ok, the mayor had wanted to continue, Cano asked for a recess so everyone could calm down. Same thing happens when someone becomes upset, and she included herself. She asks for a recess to come back and have a civil debate.
Ogle had a question. What are your three top priorities for Silver City and how would you achieve them or help achieve them as mayor?
Wheaton-Smith started with the town council would need to become process-oriented and follow standard ways of solving problems. He would be fine with arguing but it needs to be managed. He would also like to improve the situation downtown. They need to remove obstacles that businesses currently face. Third would be to stop the quick fixes because the council does that often. He wanted to resolve the homeless problem, noise issues and recycling.
Timmons said, "Wow, just three, huh? Hard to pick. Okay, if I had to start, the number one issue for all of us right now should be food security. It should be the fact that food stamps are at a risk of getting cut off for over 1,000 people in our county alone. We are about to face a crisis, the likes of which no one has even thought of, that we didn't even think that we could possibly ever face in this country. And I'm over here alone trying to start enough gardens to feed 10,000 people. It's just not feasible."
Timmons continued, "When we have corporations that are throwing away food left and right and locking us out of their dumpsters, and then we turn around and say, oh, geez, why are there so many hungry people? We need to support SPIN. We need to find a way to solve this housing crisis. There's a way to solve this housing crisis. It's giving people houses. What are my three main issues? I guess one of them has got to be, debate is the noose they hand you to hang yourself. Government gridlock and plausible deniability are the train that we will ride directly into hell. We need to wake up because we're all in this insidious slumber and we are having this absurdist dream that by doing business as usual, we can somehow fix this. This is the kind of situation that is going to require massive, massive changes and sacrifices from the wealthy and taxing the corporations who are robbing us blind. What are my three biggest issues? You, you, and you."
Cano felt it will be extremely important the town continues to be financially stable. At a time when federal grants and other funding has been cut at the state level that will trickle down to the municipalities which will lose funding. In the legislature coming in January, they will start seeing these cuts. The next thing she felt would be really important would be to hire someone to do economic development. In the past she has heard the rumor that the town council didn't allow big businesses or any business to come in. The council only has involvement ,when alcohol or cannabis licenses would be needed.
"I think if we have someone actually actively working on finding ways for businesses to open, as well as supporting the local businesses that are already open that would do a great deal for this community and help some of our other issues that we have. Going along with that, the third thing is we need to figure out, probably with that economic development person involved, is how we're going to build our workforce. We have a very big problem because our young people don't want to stay here for various reasons." As they continue to attract more retirees they will need a workforce for restaurants, shops and customer service. Having a workforce will be important.
Lane would be repeating what he said when asked about the role of a mayor. His three priorities will be small business, the heart and backbone of a community, first responders, especially law enforcement.
The next piece of the puzzle will be the homeless situation, and he had been trying to educate himself on this issue, but it presents a lot of complications. He has met with the chief of police, town manager and as many homeless as possible and heard many different stories and different needs.
Lane said, "We've got a gorgeous area in the big ditch and walkways. I was down there the other day and meeting with some folks. There was a gentleman 20 yards away throwing a hatchet into a tree. If I'm a tourist, I'm probably never coming back." It doesn't matter how nice things look.
The big question facing the in the next year will be replacing the longtime town manager, Seibel had many questions on this from the audience. He would be combining them. What methods should the town use to recruit a new town manager? Do you support a professional executive recruiter?
Cano said about a year ago they had a group of individuals who came together to work on a job description and did an excellent job. A few things had not been included like pay so it does need to be worked on some. The job description needs to be sent out nationwide using municipal leagues. At the same time, they probably have people in the area who are very qualified. "I am for retaining a consultant firm." The reason, should she not be elected, the council would consist of people with little experience who have not worked at all or little with the current town manager and don't know what they do and they will need some guidance. Having that guidance will be important.
Wheaton-Smith started with wanting to address something he had heard that he did not support law enforcement. He does and had done 16 years in the federal government fully certified for law enforcement and had been a reserve deputy. He had also participated in Stonegarden.
On the subject of the town manager, the job description would be very important and the one developed had been very good. The problem will be to find the right person and knowing how to spot them. He had been a consultant in the past and had mixed feelings; a lot of money has to be paid and not much comes back. He felt the four councilors would do a good job and ask the right questions.
Lane commented it would be a huge decision they would have to make. "I support looking locally first." When Tom Bates, the town manager, stepped down Alex Brown had stepped in as the interim. At that time, he had about four years' experience and after six months people saw he had been doing the job well. Lane recounted the situation at the hospital. His wife had worked there 27 years and saw nine different CEOs come through. They had hired people from out of the area and when they came their spouse had not liked the area for whatever reason and they left.
Lane wanted to learn more about consulting firms as he had never been involved in using one and would like to learn the pros and cons.
Timmons said, "If you've learned anything about me tonight, it's probably that I revel in the opportunity to speak truth to power. As mayor, I would call on Alex Brown to resign immediately for his participation in Stonegarden. I believe that it is a betrayal to the people of this town, and I think that it is a dereliction of his duty to protect the people in this town, to work with this fascist administration." Timmons did not agree that they had a great job description for the new town manager.
He also found it offensive that they had completely ignored Jacqui Olea. "She spent maybe 10 years, busting her ass and working her fingers to the absolute bone for this town, training for this job, and is absolutely the most qualified candidate. We're talking about bringing in somebody who went to business school, some corporate representative from outside of Silver City, in order to tell us what we need for the town. The hell with that."
This question came from the audience and had been the second most asked. Do you believe the town manager and finance director should be two jobs or combined?
Lane thought the two went hand in hand. However, if the town manage would not be comfortable doing the finances they should absolutely look to hire a finance director. He would not have a problem with the jobs being combined.
Cano didn't think they should be together because Silver City has several million dollars' worth of grants that have to be administered by a chief financial officer and alone that job will be extremely difficult along with the regular budget. It makes it a full-time job, as is the town manager a full-time job. It also will be good to have the checks and balances it would create. One person should not be handling all the money all the time.
Cano wanted to clarify with people that might not know. Brown has been a rarity being with the town for 23 years. In New Mexico a municipality has been lucky to keep town managers for more than five years. Ruidoso had kept one for thirteen years. Everyone goes through town managers every four or five years. She said Olea has done a wonderful job and will probably apply but it might not be her time. She might want to learn for another three years. A lot of options need to be looked at before decisions can be made.
Timmons found himself shocked to agree with Cano. That would be too much consolidation of power into the hands of someone not accountable to the voting base. "I think that if we keep putting all of the power into the hands of people who are operating behind closed doors and then assuring all of us that they can oversee themselves, that we don't need to look, that we don't need a citizen's advisory board, that we don't need to see the books, that we don't need transparency. I want to do live mayoral streams every day for all of the business that I perform as mayor so that you can check in at any time and say, what is the goddamn mayor doing? Because right now, we don't know and that's a problem as far as I'm concerned. I do not think that it is wise to allow people to police themselves behind closed doors, because that is a recipe for corruption. "
Wheaton-Smith agreed with Cano and Timmons; it also created a conflict of interest. He acknowledged Brown to be a brilliant accountant and does a lot more than that. He listed his work with labor relations and water for the future. Olea had done incredibly, but it came back to the "quick fix" he spoke to earlier. "We have to go through the process." He commented on Olea having two small children, and if it was him, he would not want to be town manager. He would be in favor of searching locally and outside for a new town manager. "We have to be careful and not be too inbred."
The audience had a question. Would you consider applying for town manager if not elected next month?
Each candidate said no.
The next question will be the number one asked by the audience. Would you help enforce the noise ordinance?
Lane said it should be enforced. He thought it would be similar to speeding and running stop signs, the police need to see it. He had some ideas of how it could be handled
Cano lives across the street from the hospital and in the direct path of the helicopter and said she felt people's pain on this issue and spoke about a neighbor with a truck that rolls coal every morning afternoon and evening. The hard part would be to prove it. By the time the police have been called they would be gone. She spoke to hidden cameras and maybe should be looked into. She believed people should be cited and sent to magistrate court. A few people having to pay large fines might curtail others. She asked people if they had any good ideas to let them know.
Timmons, "We need to have a chat about boundaries." He spoke to a video on YouTube that talks about boundaries and establishing them. This went into talking about people that assault senior citizens on the side of the road, and the police department knows it has been happening but refuses to station a car in that area. Timmons said they just needed to start issuing tickets.
Timmons continued, "We need to be constantly policing the people downtown whose mental health is absolutely frayed and being damaged, but we can't spare one single person. We can spare manpower to go help with the Stonegarden, ICE immigration raids and outright violations of human decency, but we can't spare one person to protect our senior citizens. It's absurd. If you want a solution, look no further than your police, who are derelict in their duty, who would rather enforce the will of corporations that steal billions from you every year than actually go after the criminals who are destroying our town and poisoning our water."
Wheaton-Smith said he had been involved in the noise ordinance when on the council. They had two standards. The first meeting of the month he would ask the town manager the questions regarding noise and how many patrols had been downtown. He asked how many stops had been made, what kind and citations. If elected mayor, he will be asking those every month. He added that the police can't be everywhere, if people rode with the police, they would see what it would be like to be a police officer. "It is a very difficult job."
Ogle had a question. Stonegarden had been tossed out a few times during the forum. Do you feel the town accepting the Stonegarden grant is appropriate for the town? How can the town be more transparent about what kind of federal funds it accepts for the police department especially?
Cano started with transparency. Any person can ask for the budget and what grants have been accepted. This can be obtained from Brown or Olea. As far as Stonegarden she explained what took place. The vote that had been put forward if not approved would have made the budget not be approved by the state and returning money that had already been spent would not be possible. "Stonegarden is not a good idea." Giving back federal money would also not be a good idea. That will be remembered, and it could mean not receiving any other federal grants applied for. When the Stonegarden grant has been used the next council must have a serious conversation with the town manager and police chief and decide if it will be good for the community. "If I am still around, I would be voting no because it is problematic."
Wheaton-Smith agreed to a certain extent with Cano. "It is a difficult issue, money is." Stonegarden has been a good way for officers to make extra money. "I did it for a number of years. I am against Stonegarden." He said he had been a fed and seen what agencies do with grant money and wanted to see the data on the stops and if they had been for human trafficking and drugs. Law enforcement should spend its time in the town boundaries. He did mention that they should be paid more and maybe they should cut back on the council travel expenses, which he said had been a lot.
Lane had met with the police chief and several retired officers he knew about Stonegarden. It has been received by the county for over fifteen years. It provides for continuing education, training and overtime resources for the officers. "With our proximity to the border, I think it's naive to think that there's not legitimate concerns in our town with both drugs and human trafficking. There could be times where we need additional resources, where we can't handle them on our own. I would take advice from the sheriff, from the chief of police. I understand the concern, but not accepting this money does not put up some kind of barrier that prevents the federal government from coming in."
Timmons, "I don't want their blood money. I don't care if the federal government, who is actively funding a genocide, and yes, they've broken the ceasefire, free Gaza. I don't care if they decide that they never want to give us money again. I want to become self-sufficient." Timmons wants to bring a solar grid that will bring $1.5 million in revenue for the town every year. "I don't believe that our police officers are underpaid to body slam old women and to brutalize our populace. I thoroughly believe that this painting the idea of our law enforcement issue and the need for social workers as some kind of game is a massive, massive gaslight." Timmons thinks it's a way to distract from the actual issues, which is the fact that the real criminals would be in boardrooms and CEOs, and "it's because we don't properly tax people here in this state."
Timmons continued, "The reason that we have this problem with immigration, drugs in the country and at the border is literally, I'm getting angry. This is literally because we destabilized dozens of countries in South America and middle America. Now the people who can't live there because they are afraid of the right-wing death squads are fleeing to America. You want to say that we have a drug problem, that we need to crack down on the homelessness, that there's some kind of human trafficking issue or illegal immigration is out of control. How dare you? This is disgusting. I am appalled by the cowardice of the people on this panel who refused to stand up to our police department just because they have guns. I am not afraid to tell you that you fucked up big."
Seibel said recently they had some ICE agents in Bayard, and they had done a raid. The Bayard police department had allowed them to use the offices to conduct interviews. Some folks in the community took issue to this. What is your attitude towards allowing federal agents to use town facilities?
Wheaton-Smith said, "I am against it." The mayor had recently read a proclamation that clearly said what the town involvement would be. "The less we do with federal matters the better." He had an example, he had written the covid report for eighteen months, a very detailed analysis week by week. The town decided to have an ordinance to enforce mask wearing. It had been a state public health order, and the town should not have done it.
Timmons said, I think that we should declare ourselves a sanctuary city and tell them to stay the hell out of our town. I think that we should have absolutely no involvement with this fascist Nazi regime. We should not be involved with the Fourth Reich, and I don't believe that it is complicated."
Cano agreed the federal government should not be involved. She added she had voted against the mask ordinance. She remembered an FBI raid that happened about a year before that the police department didn't even know they would be coming. They used a parking lot for a command center. "There's no need for them to use our police department in any way, shape or form. Right now, our town manager who oversees our police chief has told him that they will not be using the police department."
Lane said he seemed to be the odd man out. He did support the resolution that the city read out at the last council meeting reaffirming the constitutional rights of all residents. He supports human rights, equality, due process and freedom from unlawful search and seizures. He had spoken to his friend Eddie Flores, retired state police officer and on the New Mexico Organized Crime Commission. Lane came back to the proximity to the border and the concerns with human trafficking and the issue of the horrific conditions that creates. "We are a hub to Tucson, Phoenix, Albuquerque, El Paso, a lot of the big cities. It's a real concern. Going back to what the sheriff recommends and what the chief recommends I would put saving lives has to be a priority over political ideologies." Siebel asked if he would be open to allowing federal agents to use town facilities. Lane said if it had been recommended by the local law enforcement he would.
The next will be a popular question from the audience. It addressed the topic of derelict buildings in the community that need to be demolished. The other will be dilapidated property that comes to market, but no one locally can purchase it because insurance will not cover it, and mortgage companies will not finance it. The property can only be purchased with cash and that ends up being someone out of town. What is your opinion and how do we break that cycle and address the issue?
Timmons, "Declare eminent domain." Timmons continued, "The fact that we have a homeless crisis is absolutely unacceptable. These are victims and every derelict empty house is the crime scene. I watched as my mother's rent went up last month, seemingly for no reason other than everything is getting expensive. We are caught in a hypnotic dance, watching inflation eat us alive and drain our bank accounts and we just keep dancing. As Walmart increases the prices instead of saying, okay, it's time to start a robust community garden project. Instead, you increased the prices for your renters. How could you? When my family relied on you for their entire lives, how could you? When you know how bad everything is, instead of uniting with the people who are your tenants and demanding that the banks show you some kind of mercy during what is effectively going to be the next great depression, how dare you raise my mother's rent? Unacceptable. Eminent domain." Timmons wanted Airbnb to not be allowed and that people would not be allowed to buy homes and sit on them.
Lane said that will be a tough one to answer. He spoke to a property by Penny Park. The city has put a lien on it, then will tear it down and it will be a long process. He would be supportive of finding or filing a lien and foreclosing. If it could be refurbished or find grants; if not tear it down.
Wheaton-Smith said, "Well, this is going to raise a couple of eyebrows. Basically, the United States, whether we like it or not, operates under capitalism. And if somebody buys property, they have rights to use it." If someone owns property they have rights. He had been involved in three episodes of eminent domain and had been told they needed to find a different way, find a different process. "I am very strong on process." He recommended the town council have three work sessions on the issue to find solutions.
Cano had a two-part answer. In reference to out-of-state buyers the council can go through a process of enacting ordinances and making people aware of them, so it will be a little more difficult to buy property and not be seen again. In her district they had a house falling down, and the town had gone through the process. It had taken three years. It had taken so long because it had been purchased by a senior citizen in Minnesota. The zoning changes will be helpful. Planning and Zoning had worked hard on them, and it will benefit everyone. As far as taking the derelict properties away it would not be that easy and using eminent domain would be dicey. What one person thinks would be derelict another would not; it's subjective.
Another consideration that has to be considered. Some of these homes have been in families for generations. The owner dies and ten kids will be fighting over that property. That brings the conversation to probate. The probate judge always has a lot of work dealing with those families, and it takes time to resolve.
Seibel had another question from the audience. Silver City is starting to feel more and more like a ghost town with businesses shattering, restaurants closing and vacant properties. What do you see in the future for encouraging growth and opportunity for younger generations?
Lane came back to it starts with helping the local businesses and as they improve the rest improves. It helps with the gross receipts tax and provides more money for infrastructure. As far as affordable housing, he didn't know what the city could do. He mentioned the Co-Starters program to help people start businesses. The Grant County Partnership for Children helps families with childcare while they work. "We need to do everything we can to support small businesses."
Cano has a number of friends that have small businesses, and they stay here because they love the community and love their parents and grandparents and now have been taking care of them. Every single one of them tells her the same thing. The town makes it extremely difficult in many ways. "I think it's important that the town look at our procedures and our processes before opening businesses and find a way to streamline them and make them a little bit easier. I think it's also important that the town use their marketing skills to use the marketing funds to market all the small businesses instead of the same three that we read in every single article because every small business owner deserves a little piece of that pie, and I think we've got enough to go around for everyone." Communication with small business owners and talking to the young people needs attention and the assumption that the youth will just leave needs to stop.
Timmons said, "When I hear this question, what I really hear is how are you going to bring more big corporations into our town? I would like you to repeat the question because I don't think that it was specifically talking about small businesses, but people keep bringing it back to small businesses." Most small businesses fail within the first decade and the economy does not depend on small businesses. "That is a misnomer that is perpetrated on the public by large economic interests. What is actually driving your economy right now is two things, debt and Walmart. You exist in a bond-controlled economy because your town does not produce anything. You are consumers and not creators. This is where all of the problems start. The only way to save this town's economy is to give it a means of production."
"That is what keeps cities alive. That is why cities exist, because they are production centers. They are the hubs of commerce and trade because they are worth something. At this current moment, Silver City is not worth anything except for the mine and the ore that is being extracted from us and all of the retirement funds that are being siphoned into Walmart. That's what we produce. We need to start growing food. We need to open mills. We need to start actually creating things here in this town. Otherwise, our fate is the same as all of the other towns in the Tri-City area."
Wheaton-Smith spoke to a past problem with the code that made a project the councilers wanted to do very difficult. The proposed changes to the code will solve this problem in the future. "Processes are lengthy." Planning and zoning have amended their bylaws so every January they must review any problems that happened with the code to make necessary adjustments and ensure continuous improvements. "That is how we are going to improve things by looking at the processes."
The audience had a question. What actions do you plan to take in the assistance of the unhoused people? Sibel had received a number of questions pertaining to SPIN and said they could also address that.
Wheaton-Smith said that would be one of the most complicated questions they could ask. He had gone to SPIN and spent twi-and-a-half hours touring the facility. A lot of issues come up with this concerning mental health and drugs. "I am going to take you back to a process I recommended, three work sessions." The first work session would address all the problems such as needles in the big ditch, fires in the arroyos, mental illness, broken windows, etc. The next work session would be addressing the underlying critical causes, and the third one will be solutions. The homeless issue effects small business and small business will be the future of the town. Wheaton-Smith commented it would be nice if restaurants opened on Sunday and Monday. He had heard from tourists about not having any place to eat.
Timmons, "First things first, nonprofits were created as a way to offset the government's cruelty after the New Deal was gutted. They are basically taking your tax dollars and then saying, oh, why don't you go donate to charity to solve all of the problems that your tax dollars are supposed to pay?" Timmons supports SPIN. "We need to acknowledge the fact that acting like nonprofit corporations or federal funding is going to solve this problem is magical thinking and they tell me that my platform is magical thinking. I have a full-cost analysis for how to provide houses for every single unhoused person in this town. It's on my website. I have a breakdown for everything." Timmons feels that it would not be a complicated problem to solve and pointed out the "absurd" amount of money spent on the new recreation center. "That money could have housed everyone, and it was an error in priorities."
Cano wanted to acknowledge the recreation center came from a different pot of money. "If you understand the state legislature you know that can't be used for just anything." She offered to explain how the legislature worked.
Cano said not all unhoused persons will be the same. Some have chosen to be unhoused for various reasons. Some mentally will not be capable of understanding being unhoused. Some have come here because of the warmer climate in the winter and then go somewhere else for the summer. Some come from local families, but for whatever reason their family can no longer support them in the way they need. "Treating every single unhoused person in the same way is the first problem the town has." They will need different solutions. Not all of them cause problems and that attitude needs to be changed. Last winter, she had volunteered at a warming center for when the temperatures drop. They could come and be fed and feel safe. "If everyone does a little bit this can be solved a lot quicker." This problem exists in every community in New Mexico.
Cano addressed SPIN, "I have been very honest about the fact that personally, I do not support SPIN. I feel like they take advantage of people. They are not run well. We have not seen a complete budget from them as a council, even though we've requested it. Also, SPIN is in the neighborhood that I represent and that I grew up in, and I have seen that neighborhood destroyed because SPIN refuses to work with the community around them."
Lane said that he had touched on that some earlier, but it has been a huge issue and problem. He had toured the Gospel Mission and SPIN. SPIN seems to have very good intentions, but a lot of accusations have come out about how they handle things. He acknowledged some people could not be helped. He gave an example of someone that had recently passed away and had been homeless. His brother had tried to help him along with the mother, but that person didn't want it.
Lane continued, the legislature had recently passed a couple of senate bills that set aside $140 million for mental health and housing outreach. The town needed to apply for some of that funding. "Whether you're a liberal, conservative, a businessperson, it affects all of us and we all need to work together and go in the same direction."
Every forum Siebel poses a time machine question. He asks if they win and four years from now, they come back to this forum and will be running again for the second term. What is your single biggest accomplishment on the council in your first term?
Cano said, "Besides the fact that I'm going to try to convince Nick to have these before early voting starts from now on, the one thing, as far as the town goes, that will make me the proudest will be if not one of our firefighters has to have three jobs in order to survive, because we will have paid them a correct wage."
Wheaton-Smith will have embedded business processes and other processes in how the town will be managed and run, and also on the town council. "I want formal methods of solving problems, because that's the foundation for our future. We've got the resources, we have the people, they're intelligent, but processes, I believe, are going to be what I'm going to be most proud of."
Lane would be thrilled that two things that go together homeless and small business. The homeless decreases by 10 percent each year and the small businesses grow by 10 percent each year. This will create more opportunities and people will be hired and being paid better wages. This will trickle down into housing and provide more competition.
Timmons had a lot to accomplish. "If we end price gouging at Food Basket by reducing the amount that food is worth, by flooding this town with cheap, affordable food, then I can die happily. The one thing that would make me genuinely proud is to see all of the people who I grew up with in those seats over there, to see all of the youth who believe that the gridlock and the constant debate that keeps this government from doing absolutely anything exists on the municipal, the state, and the federal level, to make them believe that there's a chance that we can cut through it, to make them believe that, yes, Alexander the Great may have been cheating when he cut through the Gordian Knot, but God damn it, it had to be done."
Closing statements.
Timmons had not prepared a closing statement because it needed to reflect the thoughts of how the entire forum went. Timmons can be reached at donebegging4change.org and the New Mexico Care Collective website. If anyone knows of someone that wants to start a garden or needs in home senior care, they could also find information at those websites.
"The main thing that I would like you to take away, and I have sort of avoided talking about, you know, what I want or what my qualifications are. The main thing that I want you to take away from this forum tonight is simply that my platform is not about me or my experience. I worked as a cartographer for the Bureau of Land Management. I have a Southwest Wildland Firefighter Certification. I could be running on my credentials, but I'm running on what I believe in. I am running on you. It's not about me. It's not about what makes me the best candidate for mayor. It's about what you deserve, and demanding change, not begging for it."
Lane thanked everyone for coming and the Silver City Daily Press for the forum. He can be reached at
Wheaton-Smith commented they had seen some very diverse answers, and some people qualified. "Obviously I happen to be at the top of the list and if in doubt, I'll tell you something in a second. Do I actually achieve results?" He listed some of his awards and accomplishments. He can be reached at
Cano thanked everyone for attending, thanked her campaign team and the people that have supported her in various ways. "I appreciate you very much."
She had prepared a closing statement. Silver City will be facing major changes in the next few years. They will be replacing a town manager and all but one supervisor will be at retirement age. The town workforce continues to decline as the youth choose to move away, and more retirees move in. The federal government continues to cut funding that will impact the community in countless ways. The town will be forced to find ways to cut spending without affecting essential services. When Cano first took office, they had problems with funding but had weathered the storm because of the leadership in place that had institutional knowledge. Electing a mayor who is willing to stay in their lane and trust the person who has been hired as town manager to handle the day-to-day operations of the town will be crucial for the town's success. The mayor should not be micromanaging the town manager or the town council. The mayor should be showing up to town events, running effective council meetings, supporting the council's initiatives and not trying to impose their will on everyone else. "I am ready to do the job because I have trained for it for several years and I understand what my role is in a mayor-manager form of government." Cano can be reached on Facebook at Cano for Silver City Mayor or email
Seibel thanked everyone for coming and providing great questions for the candidates.
