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Chamber Looks Forward to Working With New Council

Bill Allen-Greater Las Cruces Chamber Of Commerce

  Commentary:  While we have already thanked all of the candidates that ran for the various open spots on the Las Cruces City Council, we would like to do so one more time.  Win or lose, the time and effort - not to mention the expense - needed to stand up in front of our community and articulate positions on subjects, should be applauded!  Thank you for your willingness to get involved.

We wish to congratulate the winners - Mayor Ken Miyagashima, District 1 Councilor Kasandra Gandara, District 2 Councilor Greg Smith and District 4 Councilor Jack Eakman.  

Now, it's time to get to business.  Over the course of the last several months there have been several reports indicating that Las Cruces' economy continues to struggle while other cities have rebounded from recession.  While that may be true, we are encouraged that Mayor Miyagashima has already reached out to the Chamber in an effort to help find ways to get our economy back on track.  

We look forward to partnering with him and the council to help keep our existing businesses, and the jobs that they create, healthy and give them the chance grow.  We are also excited to continue our work with the city and its effort to make the process that a business goes through after it decides to expand or locate here. There has been some improvement in that arena this year and more is expected after the city finishes the implementation of new back end systems in the next several months.  Ultimately that will come down to people.  Every positive interaction - and that takes both sides - will begin to move the needle forward.  I think that City Manager Robert Garza truly has that at, or near, the top of his list to accomplish over the near term.

This is a long term effort that will require a good deal of work, but we will know that we have made progress when we begin hearing from our younger professionals that they are seeing career paths that don't include the need to move away and uproot their families; and that our university graduates at least have options to stay here and begin their careers.

We look forward to both the work with the new council and the fruits that our labor will bring.