Las Cruces voters are speaking out about their expectations for city government. KRWG and the Las Cruces Sun News talked with Las Cruces voters for a special airing Thursday at 7pm on KRWG-TV. With three open council seats…and a mayoral race….voters will have some major decisions.
Barbara Alvarez says….it’s important for the city to attract more good employment opportunities.
The latest numbers from the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions tell the story. In the Las Cruces metro area….non-agricultural employment actually dropped slightly between June of 2014 and June of this year. And higher paying sectors are taking the hits….manufacturing down by more than eight percent…construction and natural resources…down over 14 percent. Lower-paid sectors are doing better. Despite worries about the effect of a higher city minimum wage….the retail sector added jobs…it’s up by about four percent. But the largest percentage gain came in wholesale trade…perhaps not surprising with the increase in exports and the rail hub in Santa Teresa. Wholesale was up by 25 percent….adding 300 jobs.
Voter ArikKotkowski works in Santa Teresa, but lives in Las Cruces. Whether it’s job creation or other issues….he says city leaders must consider the long-term effects of the decisions they make.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RjRZ7oZZFM