Not long after I joined the city council, in 2008, one of my fellow councilors (who had been on the council for some time) took me aside and said, “There are certain people who run this community. I always do what they tell me to do.” I was, of course, shocked, not only that this person would admit to being controlled by a few self appointed “leaders,” but that this person evidently expected me to do the same.
That was the city council that some of us wanted to change. As Russell Allen pointed out in his May 10th guest column, “Over the past few years, a group of organizers have worked to build their base, their circle of influence with our communities’ leadership, and install elected officials from within their ranks.”
Yes, some of us have done that.
We were tired of elected bodies across the county, who were controlled by just one small group in our community. We wanted our elected officials to represent the whole community, all of the community.
And what is the progressive agenda? What is it about the progressive agenda that causes those same local, self appointed VIPs to organize a recall campaign against those members of the city council who are “progressive”? Is that a legitimate reason to recall someone? What does it mean to pursue a “progressive” agenda?
Some of the changes your “progressive” councilors have brought you are the following:
· Curbside recycling
· A new aquatic center
· Solar on new city buildings
· A sustainability officer position
· An audit of the Las Cruces police department
· A new park behind the Las Cruces Dam
· Another section of multi-use trail on the northern side of the city so that we are now ¾ of the way to a loop trail around the entire city
· The new Mesilla Valley Intermodal Transit Center (MOVIT)
· A plan for revitalizing the El Paseo corridor
· A new Blueprint Ordinance that allows residents of a neighborhood to participate in the planning for their neighborhood
· A reorganized development review system to speed permitting.
· The opening up of Main Street that has provided a location for our booming farmers and crafts market as well as a welcoming location for new businesses, non-profits, theaters, art galleries, etc., with a new plaza soon to be in place
In District Six, residents complained that their Home Owner Associations (HOAs) were set up by developers, the residents could not be on the boards or come to the meetings, and the residents did not get complete accounting for the dues they paid. Those residents worked with the state legislature to pass legislation on HOAs. Now, NM residents have many of the same rights as members of HOAs in other states.
They also complained about rock walls. When one resident’s wall collapsed, he discovered that there was no rebar in the wall, only parts of old aluminum chairs. The city has now passed higher standards for rock walls.
Also, dozens of residents complained about destruction of their property by fugitive dust from the disturbed soil of areas developers had scraped for their next development. They reported costly damage of their expensive xeriscaping, their roofs, lawns, window locks, pools, and other items. Numerous residents also reported health problems related to blowing dirt from disturbed soil; some even suffered from Valley Fever. The new soil erosion ordinance now protects residents from the dangers of disturbed soil.
Most of all, progressives have worked to make city government more transparent. No more backroom deals like the annexation of the Philappou land on the east mesa with nary a public meeting. The city now publishes its Strategic Plan every two years, which details the goals set two years ago, reports on what has been accomplished, and lays out where the city is going in the next two years.
The city has also developed a system for rating both streets and septic systems so that decisions about what to replace or recondition is made based on objective criteria, not councilor whims.
In 2012/13, the city conducted a survey of residents to find out how the city was doing. Currently, the city is doing a second survey to determine whether or not the city has improved its service to the residents of Las Cruces.
Pursuing a “progressive” agenda means representing the entire community, not a small special interest group. Being a progressive means working to make government more transparent and to make sure decisions are based on objective criteria, not councilor pressure.
Being a progressive means working to make sure all members of our region have a voice in the decisions that affect them. Being a progressive means working to elect leaders who represent the whole community, not just a privileged few who tell elected officials how to vote on the matters that impact all of us.