Public service evident among 3 candidates
Two say they’ll work full-time
There has been an Anaya occupying the District 3 seat on the Santa Fe County Commission for the past 16 years.
Filandro “Phil” Anaya, who is no relation to brothers Mike Anaya, who served in the position from 2002 to 2010, and Robert Anaya, who has filled the seat ever since, hopes that streak continues, when Robert Anaya vacates the seat due to term limits.
“I decided to run because the southern part of Santa Fe County, we’re kind of a stepchild to the rest of the county,” he said. “People in the community feel they don’t have any true representation for themselves. This is coming from the people, it’s not coming from me. That’s what I’ve been hearing on the campaign trail.”
Phil Anaya, 61,of Edgewood, is running against Don Reece, who hails from the southern Santa Fe County community of Stanley, and Rudy Garcia, a resident of La Cienega, in the June 5 Democratic primary. The winner will likely go up against the former commissioner Mike Anaya, who has said he plans to run in the general election next November as an independent. There are no Republicans competing for the seat.
“I’ve always believed I was an independent. I just wanted to take a different stance, a different path,” said Mike Anaya. “Sometimes, Republicans have good suggestions and Democrats will be against them just because. Why argue over a good idea? We need to start doing the right thing, and stop pointing fingers and playing the blame game.”
Santa Fe County is predominantly Democratic. All five current county commissioners are registered Democrats. The party makes up 63 percent of the 97,317 registered voters in the county, compared to 15 percent Republicans. GOP voters in the county are even outnumbered by those who declined to state a party preference, who make up 20 percent of registered voters and who will not be participating in the June 5 primary. Fewer than 1 percent are Libertarians and the rest are registered with another party.
Reece, who retired a few years ago after a 27-year career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said he’s also in the race because he’s heard from constituents that the county needs to do more for the people living on the southern end.
“I’ve talked to a lot of other folks in southern Santa Fe County, and they want someone who truly represents the rural farmers and ranchers,” he said.
Reece, 63, owns a small ranch himself. “I sell a few cows now and then,” he said. Until recently, he worked under contract with Santa Fe County to manage the Stanley Cyclone Center, a $4.3 million equestrian center suitable for rodeos, 4-H activities and community events.
Reece says more such attractions are needed in the southern part of the county.
“We need eating establishments, a movie theater,” he said, adding that he’d like to explore the idea of a trade school.
An Air Force veteran who has also served in the National Guard, Reece said he’d like to do more for veterans and senior citizens.
County employee
Garcia, 47, is a county employee, serving as legislative liaison for the county manager. He’s also been a member of the school board in Santa Fe since December, having been the board’s pick to fill the spot vacated by Linda Trujillo, who resigned to focus her attention on her role as a member of the state House of Representatives. Months later, Garcia filled out paperwork to run for county commissioner, which drew some criticism from those who felt he was using the school board as a springboard to a higher office.
Similarly, Kate Noble won an uncontested election to the school board last year, months before she launched an unsuccessful campaign for mayor of Santa Fe.
Asked about his political ambitions, Garcia said, “My political ambitions will be to serve eight years on the county commission.”
Garcia, who spent a decade as a member of Santa Fe Public Schools’ Citizens Review Committee, said that if elected he would retire after 27 years with the county. But he still plans to continue serving on the school board. He said holding dual seats on governing boards would benefit both the county and school district.
“Right now, it seems the county does their stuff, the city does their stuff and the school district does its stuff,” said Garcia, who grew up just off Airport Road in Santa Fe. “My big thing is I’d like to see more collaboration and communication between everyone to get things done.”
When asked about what his priorities would be as a commissioner, Garcia focused on things closer to his end of District 3 having to do with water, like the preserving acequias, natural springs and restoring the Santa Fe River, which he says irrigates properties in La Cienega and La Bajada.
Garcia touts his experience in county government as a reason to elect him to the commission.
“I can hit the road running,” he said. “It wouldn’t take me years to learn the process.”
Government experience
Phil Anaya also has experience with the county as a member of the Planning Commission and as a school board member. He served three four-year terms on the board with the Moriarty-Edgewood School District.
“It teaches you a lot about the legislative process, the administrative process, finance and creating policies that take a lot of communication to get things done,” said Anaya, who is retired after a career in construction, of his experience on the school board.
In addition to wanting to see more development in the southern part of the county, he would like to bring more county services to the area.
“People down there pay a lot of taxes, but they don’t feel like they are getting the services,” he said.
He said fire protection and safety are important issues to people at the southern end of the county. While he appreciates what county and volunteer firefighters do, “you can’t do your job without the right tools,” he said.
Both Phil Anaya and Reece said that, as retirees, they both plan to be full-time county commissioners.
The District 3 seat appears to be the only one up for grabs this year. District 1 Commissioner Henry Roybal is the only candidate on the June 5 ballot for the position. As yet, no one has announced plans to run for his seat as an independent or writein.
Campaign money
Reece says he hasn’t taken any contributions and his campaign has operated solely on a $2,900 loan from himself.
“Most politicians have all kinds of money behind them from political committees or special interests they’re beholden to. I want to be able to look people straight in the eye without influence. When money gets into politics, things get ugly,” he said.
Based on the first two campaign finance reports filed with the Secretary of State’s office, there won’t be much money spent during the primary. As of May 14, Anaya had received contributions from just three people totaling $450. He had also loaned his campaign a little more than $2,000.
Garcia received just one contribution — $1,000 from the Sommer Karnes & Associates law firm. He also loaned his campaign $200. Garcia also received $1,725 in in-kind contributions from his aunt, Yolanda Marquez. District 3 extends from close to White Rock to the north, abuts the southeast corner of the city of Santa Fe and includes La Cienega, wraps around District 5 to encompass Cerrillos, Madrid, Galisteo and Lamy, and stretches all the way down to Edgewood.