The Las Cruces Mayoral Candidates took questions from the community at a forum Thursday night.
Incumbent Ken Miyagishima is running on his 8 years of experience as mayor of Las Cruces and his success. He says he will continue to listen to the people’s concerns and is already working on the main concern he heard at the forum.
“Roads,” Miyagishima said. “Which is something we are trying to address, one of the things we are planning on using with that Hold Harmless gross receipts money is rehabbing and repairing one of the largest road improvements in the city’s history.”
That’s in contrast to Candidate Gina Montoya Ortega, a small business owner taking her first step into politics. She says it’s time for a change at the city.
“It’s like everything else,” Montoya Ortega said. “Does experience really matter? We’ve had 8 years of experience and I don’t think it’s led our city in the direction that I think we, as a city should be heading. So I think, if we has somebody who comes in with an open mind, and with the support of the community, hearing what people have to say I think that kind of gives us a better direction of what the city is needing.”
Rounding out the candidates in City Councilor Miguel Silva who is completing his second term and hoping to be elected Mayor. He says many of the questions being asked about why this city is or isn’t doing something shows it could be time for new leadership.
“There were a lot of why questions that were brought up,” Silva said. “And as a I mentioned I think there are times when complacency may be set in, when you have so many why questions.”
One of those why questions, was why isn’t the city acting on things the community said they wanted in recent community surveys, such as creating walkable neighborhoods, mixed use communities, and safe bike paths. But Mayor Ken Miyagishima says there are plans to work on these things at the city.
“Multi- use paths, which we have developed,” Miyagishima said. “We’re developing the last leg, the 4th 5 mile section. The other one was bike paths, which the city has been improving over the last 5 years; we’re a bronze city. And then mixed use, we’re trying to have the road paved in Metro Verde subdivision, so I’m sorry but we’re doing what the survey asked.”
Councilor Miguel Silva says if he is elected Mayor he plans to take on a stronger advocacy role for the city and for policy.
“Well definitely being a major advocate for the many areas where we haven’t been advocating before,” Silva said. “Economic Development, regional tourism, the youth, you know we need an engaged Mayor.”
Gina Montoya Ortega said many of the issues raised like more training for police and development projects, need to be decided after hearing thoughts from people around the city, and not just from what the elected officials think.
“Getting people involved,” Montoya Ortega said. “People have given up on the system, they don’t vote, they don’t show up at meetings. Talking to these people they don’t have the confidence that their voice matters. So, once again we want to instill the confidence in people that their voice does matter because in order to make the city succeed it’s going to take us all.”
Early Voting is already underway at the city, and Election Day is November 3rd.
