Here’s why I’m running for City Council
My values come from my strong single mother, a Mexican immigrant who worked in the fields as a teenager and in organized labor before we settled in New Mexico.
Union participation was so important to my mother that I wasn’t even allowed to eat grapes until I was a teenager. I’ve been a union member, whenever eligible, including serving as a shop steward. This is why I have received endorsements from the Police Officers Association, the local firefighters union and Plumbers and Pipefitters 412. I believe in equity, standing up for working families and the need for a strong voice for Santa Fe City Council District 4. I have received endorsements from the honorable Bill Dimas and current City Councilor Michael Harris.
My wife and I have lived in District 4 for eight years, beginning when we purchased a home on the south side of Santa Fe. As a data and finance professional and former police academy instructor, I would often notice ways in which we could improve public safety coverage and improve infrastructure lapses in our district. My wife suggested that I find a way to turn those ideas into a benefit for our district. When I heard Councilor Michael Harris was not running for reelection, and after with discussions with my family, I decided to run for City Council in District 4.
My campaign platform is focused on three issues: public safety, equity of city services and our environment. I believe we should provide emergency response services in a timely, responsive and cost-efficient manner by fully staffed police and fire departments. We know that our police and fire departments are understaffed, and fully staffing them will increase public safety and enable more community policing and outreach. From canvassing hundreds of doors in our district, there is a deep feeling that City Hall is not addressing the concerns of the south side.
As a child of a Mexican immigrant and single mother, I am passionate about equity in all forms, including housing availability and infrastructure, throughout our city. I often hear the desire for more responsive constituent services and outreach. We should have an effective method for residents to report concerns and have those concerns addressed in a timely manner — whether that’s potholes or business licensing. As someone who has extensive project management experience in the public sector, I know we can create efficient policy that improves equitable services.
Finally, I believe sustainability and conservation issues are critical to our city’s future, whether that’s sustainability in our long-term plans to relieve our housing and transportation crises, or incentivizing conservation through our recycling services. I will work to improve water management and natural resource conservation as our city grows to accommodate a new generation and working families that need housing.
After graduating from Santa Fe High School and owning my own small business, I started my 25-year public safety career as a dispatcher in the 911 center for the city of Santa Fe. I have been an instructor at the Department of Public Safety’s Law Enforcement Academy and a fire investigator at the State Fire Marshal’s Office. I have also trained emergency managers and responded to disasters while at the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Many of these positions are ones of trust, requiring extensive background checks and personal integrity. These experiences at different levels of government have taught me how government in New Mexico works, which will help me navigate issues as a city councilor. I hope I can count on your vote.