Primary election guide 2018

2018 TAOS AND COLFAX COUNTY

PRIMARY

ELECTION V OT E R S BY

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County Commission County Assessor Sheriff Magistrate Judge Probate Judge State Representatives

By Staci Matlock The Taos News t’s obvious by the number of candidates running for open seats in primary races in Taos and Colfax Counties that interest in politics hasn’t waned in Northern New Mexico.

More than two dozen people are contending for elected positions in magistrate courts, county commissions, assessor and probate judge in the two counties. Especially contentious will be the race for Taos County sheriff, a position that six people are vying to win. Another hot race to

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watch is the one for District 5 on the Taos County commission, where three candidates are seeking to represent the southern portions of the county.

In this special edition, you’ll find information about each candidate, their backgrounds and their platforms. You’ll find the complete answers to questionnaires from candidates who responded online at taosnews.com. Besides this section, you can hear the candidates discuss their positions during three forums hosted by The Taos News.

The first forum is Thursday (May 17) for Taos County sheriff and magistrate judge candidates

at the University of New Mexico-Taos Bataan Hall in downtown Taos and is co-hosted by UNM-Taos.

The second forum is Monday (May 21) at the Kit Carson Electric Cooperative boardroom at 118 Cruz Alta Road for all Taos County Commission candidates. The third forum is Thursday (May 24) at the Picuris Pueblo gym and is for all sheriff candidates and the three candidates vying for the District 5 seat. All the forums begin at 5:30 p.m.

Learn about the candidates and then vote in the primary June 5 for the ones you think are best qualified to help the communities.

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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TAOS COUNTY COMMISSION • DISTRICT 1

DANIEL R. CORDOVA

JIM K. FAMBRO Age: 57 Occupation: Retired Taos firefighter Education: Taos High School, some college Political experience: Taos County Commission, D1 (2015-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/FambroforCountyCommissioner

Age: 43 Occupation: Business owner Education: High school Political experience: Ran unsuccessfully for Kit Carson trustee (1998) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media or website: None

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aniel Cordova, a business owner and the brother of a former Taos mayor, has thrown his name in the hat to unseat the sitting county commissioner in the upcoming June 5 primary election.

Cordova is running for the District 1 seat, a position held by incumbent Jim Fambro since 2015. Outside of an unsuccessful bid to become a Kit Carson Electric Cooperative trustee, this is his first time seeking elected office.

Like songster Andrew Gonzales, who ran for a council seat in the town’s March election, Cordova is the starlet of all the primary candidates.

He started a band after graduating high school in 1993 and over the years has been given top awards by the New Mexico Hispano Music Association.

Cordova touts his “connections” — professionally and personally among generational families in Taos, Questa and Santa Fe — as one of his strongest assets, especially when it comes to securing funding at the Roundhouse in Santa Fe. “I know a lot of these politicians. That’s the type of connections we need,” he said, articulating what he thinks is a key difference between himself and the sitting commissioner.

In his working life, Cordova’s adhered to the private sector. After fixing TVs and VCRs for his dad’s business, he became an entrepreneur himself and purchased Mountain Moving and Storage in 2002. He’s also the co-owner of JD Auto Sales and Motorsports with his father.

While economic development is often thought of as a heady, decadeslong effort, it’s the ever-important small businesses that Cordova says are the avenue for bolstering the economic activity of the area. Particularly, the county should be “promoting some of these

businesses that are closing.”

And on the subject of business, Cordova has a bone to pick with the town: partially closing the Plaza to vehicle traffic during the Taos Farmers Market, held each Saturday morning from March to October. Far from being a closed debate, Cordova seems eager to revisit the policy.

“It’s a town decision, but it’s also in my district,” he said.

It’s an “aggressive” approach Cordova thinks is missing from that and other conversations around his district. The county should ask the town to again allocate money for the Taos County Seniors Program, which operates senior centers in Taos and outlying communities, he said.

The county assumed both the administrative burden and additional financial payouts to the beleaguered program in 2014.

Cordova would also demand more accountability from leadership of Holy Cross Hospital, he said. Like most rural hospitals, Holy Cross struggles financially. Budgets hit a low spot last year, forcing layoffs. The hospital broached the idea of using tax money for infrastructure to make payroll. Although that’s never gone further than discussion, the hospital CEO provides updates in the commission meetings.

Unlike the sitting commissioner, Cordova doesn’t currently use social media. “It’s not something for me,” said Cordova, a grandfather and assistant basketball coach. However, if he were to win, he’d make the change out of necessity. Cordova thinks the county should consider holding some of its regular meetings and work sessions at night to accommodate working families.

- Cody Hooks

TAOS COUNTY COMMISSION • DISTRICT 2

JULIAN J. CISNEROS

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he chairman of the Taos County Board of Commissioners, Jim Fambro, is running for a second term in the upcoming Democratic primaries.

Fambro was first elected to public office in 2014 to represent the residents of District 1, which is one of the smallest of the county’s five districts. Fambro’s district includes much of the town of Taos. (An interactive commission map is linked in this story online).

Fambro won his last primary election with 71 percent of the vote against Sarah Medina Martinez. He took over from then-commissioner Dan Barrone, now the town mayor. This primary, Fambro faces Daniel Cordova, brother of former Taos mayor Darren Cordova.

Fambro’s professional and familial connection to the town is stronger than other sitting commissioners. His wife is the town finance director.

Before getting into Taos’ political scene, Fambro worked in the town fire department for 24 years and put in another decade of volunteering with the close community of fire fighters, he said. Since 2010 he has been an alternate municipal judge in Taos. He’s also a longtime coach, administrator and volunteer for various youth sports in Taos, including Little League and high school golf.

No doubt, fire is Fambro’s passion. He praises the county’s EMS and fire directors and efforts to unify and standardize certain elements of the county’s 13 volunteer fire stations.

Although some of the stations are dilapidated, the county has seen a flurry of recent budget allocations to replace or build new stations.

Fambro sees constructing the firehouses as one leg of an effort to improve the county’s

MARK L. GALLEGOS

Age: 47 Occupation: Educator Education: Bachelor’s in biology (NMSU) Political experience: Questa Village Council (2006-10, 2014-18) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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ulian Cisneros, a former Questa village councilor and veteran who’s taught young people in both Taos and Questa, is seeking to unseat the current Taos County commissioner for District 2.

Cisneros was born in Embudo in Río Arriba County and grew up in Questa, where he graduated from high school but left to see the world.

His story as a young person from the village isn’t atypical, especially since the Chevron molybdenum mine was permanently shuttered in 2014.

Soon after leaving high school, he joined the U.S. Navy, according to the website for Taos Academy, where he currently teaches in Taos.

“I was a petty officer 3rd class operations specialist,” the profile reads, going on to mention the places that military service took him around the globe. “I am very proud that I served my country and would do so again if ever needed,” it reads.

Cisneros is a graduate of New Mexico State University, where in 1999 he received a bachelor’s degree in biology. He took that education and immediately put it back into the classrooms that reared him. Cisneros was a math and science teach in Questa from 1999 to 2011.

Since 2012, Cisneros has been an academic advisor and instructor at Taos Academy, a charter school that emphasizes computer-based learning.

He has two daughters, according to his profile.

Cisneros has a significant political profile in the village. He was twice elected to the council. His first term lasted from 2006 to 2010. Cisneros lost a bid for Questa mayor in 2010 as did incumbent Taos County Commissioner for District 2, Mark Gallegos.

It was during Cisneros’ most recent stint of public service as a village councilor from 2014 to

2018 that he saw the unfolding emergency that left most Questeños without running water for nearly a month.

The village eventually overcame the crisis.

But the ordeal came with a lot of political fallout among the elected officials and some employees in the village.

Former village administrator Loretta Trujillo resigned after disagreeing with Gallegos about who should ultimately bear responsibility for the crisis. Cisneros thought the mayor was using Trujillo as a scapegoat for a problem that stemmed from issues older than any of their tenures in the local government.

“Our administrator was railroaded for what we, including me, are responsible for,” Cisneros said in a 2017 interview. “This maneuver was a deliberate attempt to blame someone else for our failures as a governing party…I can’t see somebody else taking the blame.”

While Cisneros didn’t seek another term on the council, where his attendance had waned following the disputes with the mayor, he’s gearing up for the June 5 primary race.

Early voting at the Questa municipal hall begins Saturday (May 19).

“I believe the only way to serve the people you love is to make sacrifices that allow others to prosper in your wake,” Cisneros wrote in an email.

“I want to give the good people of Taos County an opportunity to have a choice to give their voice.”

Cisneros did not respond to other Taos News questions sent to all candidates and also did not respond to a request for an interview with the newspaper.

- Cody Hooks

facilities. Also on that list is the Los Cordovas Bridge, which will be reconstructed this summer; the soon-to-be-reopened Amalia Senior Center; and the Old County Courthouse on the Plaza, which might finally see some state money in 2018, he said.

In the last several years, commissioners have often voted unanimously. “All five [of us] pledged to each other we’d work as a unit,” Fambro said, noting their cohesion was somewhat firmed up in a code of ethics signed in 2016. “We’re a pretty good working team,” he said.

That hasn’t always been the case, especially with high-profile votes like the Top of the World water rights transfer. The county opted to fight it in court, but Commissioner Tom Blankenhorn voted against doing so. Nor were they unified at the start of 2018 when Fambro was made the chair of the public body for a third year. He cast the deciding vote in his own appointment and in blocking fellow commissioner Candyce O’Donnell from assuming the vice-chair position.

Looking ahead, Fambro wants to do something to support the small mutual domestic water systems. That could mean creating a financially self-sustaining water department within the county government, he said. Having someone on hand to make minor repairs and do routine maintenance are meaningful ways to avert the water emergencies as the town of Taos has faced this month and Questa struggled with in 2016. With independent water systems reliant on volunteer boards struggling to attract young blood, “The only answer, I think, is for us to start getting involved.”

- Cody Hooks

Age: 47 Occupation: Works for family-owned businesses Education: High school, some college Political experience: Questa Village council (200414), Questa mayor (2014-present), Taos County Commissioner District 2 (2015-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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n March, Mark Gallegos won his reelection bid to become the mayor of Questa for a second term. He’s back on the ballot, this time running for another four years on the Taos County Board of Commissioners for a massive district that stretches from the Río Grande to the eastern edge of the county line.

In addition to holding two elected offices simultaneously for the past four years, Gallegos also works at various family business, most notably the El Monte Carlo Lounge in Questa. His family has branched out recently, however. Two seasons ago, they grew barley to test its viability as an economic investment in an area that still has large tracts of irrigated land. The results weren’t promising. So last year they grew out eight acres of a different crop, hemp, in conjunction with a Taos-based nonprofit.

Hemp is still classified as a controlled substance by the federal government, but a majority of states allow some sanctioned research. The Legislature passed a bill in 2017 to greenlight research, but it didn’t fully become law until last month when the state’s supreme court overturned the governor’s veto on a procedural technicality.

“If it becomes viable down the road, at least we have some experience in it,” he said, saying his family likes to take risks.

A week before the village election in March, some in the community challenged the legitimacy of his bid, especially after he admitted at a public forum he sleeps most nights at his girlfriend’s house south of Taos. Still, he took the election against village councilor John Anthony Ortega with a 65-vote lead. Gallegos’ challenger in the county commission race, two-time Questa councilor Julian Cisneros, did not seek another term in the village election.

District 2 is an expansive place to represent. Its

boundaries include private, public, tribal and land grant lands. Everything down State Road 522 from Amalia to San Cristobal is District 2, as are Taos Ski Valley and Taos Pueblo.

As mayor, Gallegos has to switch hats frequently. During the crisis that left nearly 1,800 people in the village without water between December 2016 and January 2017, Gallegos was largely on the ground to coordinate the emergency response. Still, he doesn’t think the concern is warranted that, as mayor, he would neglect outside communities in his commission district. He points to completed infrastructure projects that began as promises from previous commissioners but are now being finished, such as the Amalia Community Center that’s slated to open soon and the firehouse in San Cristobal that opened last week.

“I think that over the past four years I have pretty much ran (sic) a balanced position as mayor and commissioner,” he said.

If elected, he’d like to make the Cerro Community Center a destination and economic development opportunity on the road to the national monument, he said. Such projects often take collaboration — or negotiations — between several entities.

But there are fights in the northern part of the district he’s not willing to wade into. When the school district discussed closing the small elementary school in Costilla several years ago, the PTA built up its student numbers, even drawing from Garcia, Colorado. The idea of closing the school is being floated yet again. “I would have to leave that to the school board,” Gallegos said.

Gallegos did not respond to Taos News questions sent to all candidates or an interview request.

- Cody Hooks

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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onald Mascareñas, a track and field volunteer and ranch manager from the Peñasco Valley, is making a “traditions and culture” pitch to voters to unseat the incumbent in the southernmost district of the Taos County Board of Commissioners.

Mascareñas will face off against Commissioner Candyce O’Donnell, who won the highly contested race for District 5 in 2014, and Gerald “Jerry” Yeargin, a Taos Canyon resident who’s spent years advocating for grazing restrictions on the Río Fernando.

He was born and raised in Llano de San Juan and graduated from Peñasco High School in 1986. Then he left to get a job outside of Albuquerque, where for almost 22 years he worked with semiconductors as an employee and contractor for Intel. He’s since left that industry and in the past 15 years has been a bus driver, communications inspector and manager for a Pueblo of Sandia ranch in Colfax County, where he now works.

Mascareñas, who also raises cattle on own land in Llano, is the president of his acequia association.

It’s these experiences he seems to speak from when he talks about Taos County being rich in cultural traditions and water. “We’ve got to go into the future, but you have to proceed with caution,” he said.

Ultimately, he sees his role on the commission as a networker, putting people in touch with other governments, agencies, nonprofits and extension services that he says have money available for things, such as acequias and grazing management, if only people would take advantage of it. Culture and traditions, he said, can be preserved by engaging youth and taking advantage of the financial opportunities already out there.

Mascareñas said people in the community started approaching him four years ago about making a bid for the District 5 race, but he chose not to run. “I wasn’t ready personally,” he said. (His mother, Mary Mascareñas, was appointed to the Taos County Planning Commission by Commissioner O’Donnell).

He and his wife are also regional officials and volunteers within USA Track and Field, the governing

Age: 49 Occupation: Ranch manager Education: High school, industry certifications Political experience: Acequia commissioner (two terms) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

body that oversees youth track programs around the country. For the past 25 years, they’ve helped youth track programs by finding venues, selecting sites and organizing meets.

Though Mascareñas admits that he’s only looked at “bits and pieces” of the budget, he still lists the area’s biggest and most complex challenges as among his priorities, including “straightening out the hospital

CANDYCE S. O’DONNELL

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andyce O’Donnell, a videographer who’s called New Mexico home since she was 17 and the incumbent commissioner for the southern district of Taos County, is running for another four-year term, promising to continue her work on bread-and-butter concerns and staying on the ground for her several thousand constituents.

O’Donnell ran for the commission seat in 2014, besting three other candidates and taking 30 percent of the vote. O’Donnell took over the seat from Joe Mike Durán, who was term-limited.

While O’Donnell lives not far from the Walmart in Taos, her district sprawls generally across the southern parts of Taos County: through the Peñasco Valley and Picuris Pueblo as well as Taos Canyon and some of the town of Taos. O’Donnell makes an effort to spread her time with people from across the oddly shaped district, from having a meal with the lunch crowd at the Chamisal Senior Center to playing a game in the makeshift pool hall tucked into the back of the Peñasco Community Center.

O’Donnell grew up in Southern California but moved to New Mexico even before her 18th birthday, she said.

She attended Highlands University in Las Vegas before going on to get a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism at New Mexico State University. She worked in the industry until she was elected county commissioner. Her background includes helping establish the now-defunct open access cable channel in Taos. She has an adult daughter and two dogs.

She is the first to say that a lot of people in her district feel the county stops at U.S. Hill on State Road 518.

But O’Donnell touts the projects that have happened in her district recently. She lended a hand in advocating to reopen a gravel pit for use by the county road department, reopening the Chamisal ReUse Center with state approval and working with acequia parciantes to replace culverts.

But O’Donnell has pushed on issues that impact the whole county: getting attention, and a meager amount of funding, to improve safety at the Gorge Bridge, a destination for tourists and people who want to take

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also a major watershed for the Taos Valley.

Yeargin has eyes on the ground as it were. Since 1991, he’s lived up the steep and rocky road to Apache Canyon (an offshoot of Taos Canyon). The cattle graze next to the river where he turns off the highway onto his road. They also roam in a somewhat shoddy allotment above his house.

He’s vowed to work with the Forest Service, but also said he’d push for a county ordinance to revamp grazing on the river, hoping the mere threat would force the agency’s hand in altering their grazing allotments.

Yeargin used to work in the construction business and made elk hide drums for a time. He retired years ago out of concern for his health, but Yeargin is now at a place in his life — healthier than even a few years ago — where he has the energy to make a run for office, he said.

If elected, he’d move to another part of the district because his current place is largely inaccessible during a snowy winter.

Yeargin admits that he needs to review the budget more and talk it over with an expert, but said the

- Cody Hooks

Age: 63 Occupation: Retired videographer Education: Bachelor’s in broadcast journalism (NMSU) Political experience: Taos County Commissioner (2015-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: On Facebook as “Taos County Commissioner District V Candyce O’Donnell” their own lives.

Still, her tenure on the Taos County Commission hasn’t been without conflict. Three commissioners blocked O’Donnell from assuming a leadership position on the board of commissioners in January. O’Donnell is the only woman on the board and the only among them who hasn’t served as either chair or vice chair.

The commissioners who voted against her leadership wouldn’t comment specifically as to why they did so.

GERALD G. YEARGIN

erry Yeargin, a resident of Taos Canyon and a longtime critic of the Forest Service because of grazing near the Río Fernando, is running to unseat the commissioner for the sprawling southern district of Taos County.

It was 1972 when Yeargin “found his destiny” in Taos and four years later when he moved to the area and never left.

Yeargin comes to the District 5 race armed with a platform big on tax reform to help out residents around the county and a few specific proposals for his district. He’s running against first-term commissioner Candyce O’Donnell, the incumbent, and is joined in the race by Llano de San Juan resident Ronald Mascareñas.

On the environmental front, Yeargin has for years challenged the cattle grazing on the Río Fernando, airing warnings of E. coli contamination. The watershed is also spotted with many septic tanks, another potential source of the contamination. And he’s pushed the Forest Service to “make reasonable changes in grazing management practices” that he says will improve water quality on the impaired mountain river that is

situation.”

He said the county also has to “figure out the juvenile detention (center),” which sometimes sits empty of young detainees but sucks up just under $1 million. Yet closing the center and incarcerating juvenile offenders in centers outside the county, he said, is “the easy way out.”

Looking ahead, she hopes the county can work with nonprofit partners to get a treatment center going for young people. Past efforts to reopen a detox center have stalled because “money dried up” at the state level, she said, but notes a youth treatment center could generate revenue — as long as that funding doesn’t dry up either.

- Cody Hooks

Age: 68 Occupation: Retired Education: High school, some college Political experience: None Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: On Facebook @jerryyeargin4countycommissoner

“folks in the Peñasco Valley would almost universally tell you they aren’t getting a fair share of the budget...I would attack that issue.”

Yeargin said he’s overall satisfied with the county government and the administration.

Still, he positions himself as the progressive candidate for local government, especially when it comes to taxes and generating revenue. His ambitious seven-point plan on this front calls for advocating for a carbon tax with proceeds going to local governments, a state-level inheritance tax and reworking various

thresholds to increase property taxes on wealthy out-of-towners while protecting the poorer people in the county. He also thinks the county could own a gas station to make money.

The much-talked-about “changes” to the Taos area “have been gradual enough for me,” he said, calling the long-term delivery of services, such as the youth center, library and new county complex a “natural evolution” for Taos County.

- Cody Hooks

STRENGTH IN T HE COURT JUNE 5

Re-Elect Judge Ernest L. Ortega, Magistrate Court Democrat, Division 1

STRONG ON COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Judge Ortega’s well known history of mentoring students and helping them define and achieve their goals in academics and sports has long been recognized in the Taos, Questa, and Penasco communities.

Beyond his duties in the courtroom, Judge Ortega continues to support his Tiger, Panther, and Wildcat teams and continues to serve as a volunteer member of the Taos Integrated School of the Arts (TISA) Governing Board.

STRONG ON EXPERIENCE B.A. Degree University of New Mexico Chief Judge Taos Magistrate Court Over 12 years experience ruling on Criminal and Civil cases Director of Pre-Trial Services, Taos District Attorneys Office 1972 Graduate of Taos High; Native of Arroyo Seco PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT. PAID FOR BY THE COMMITTEE TO RE-ELECT JUDGE ERNEST L ORTEGA, DELFINO MARTINEZ, CHAIRMAN, DAVID CORDOVA, TREASURER

TAOS COUNTY COMMISSION • DISTRICT 5

RONALD J. MASCAREÑAS

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THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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TAOS COUNTY SHERIFF

JAKE P. CORDOVA

JANI DEAN DAVIS

Age: 44 Occupation: Taos County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Education: Taos High School Political experiencea: None Political Party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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ake Cordova doesn’t see himself as a politician, but he hopes voters will see that as a strength.

As a deputy with the Taos County Sheriff’s Office for almost 10 years, a former business owner and a man “who’s done some living,” he’s a local with the street and life experience necessary to bring practical changes to the sheriff’s office, he said.

In terms of criminal and social issues he wishes to tackle first, drug addiction, he says, is number one on his list.

“Drugs are too readily available,” Cordova said, “and the lack of personnel to address the ongoing epidemic needs to be addressed.”

Over the past six years, Taos County has recorded more than 50 overdose deaths due to opioids alone, including heroin and prescription painkillers. Cordova and his fellow deputies have responded to many drug-related calls. Most, Cordova said, correlate to the drug problem.

Staffing to respond, however, and to make the drug busts that can make some difference, has been lacking recently, according to Cordova.

Due to pending criminal charges against at least three of his fellow office members, injuries sustained in the field by others and factors he can’t yet pinpoint, Cordova said the number of deputies available to cover their jurisdiction has dropped.

“We’re down to about 10 people on the street, total, covering the county,” he estimated, adding that the county allots about 19 spots total.

For the past six months, Cordova has experienced that lack of coverage firsthand as a shift supervisor at the sheriff’s office.

With rare exceptions, he said, two deputies are on per shift, tasked with responding to calls in an area spanning more than 2,200 square miles.

Recently, he said he responded to a “heated” call in Costilla. When he called for backup, he learned the only other deputy on call that night was somewhere in Peñasco, more than an hour south.

“I don’t think that’s fair to the community,” Cordova said, “or for the deputies to be having to work

their butts off like that.”

If elected, Cordova said he plans to approach Taos County Commissioners, asking each to “sponsor” a total of five deputies, bringing the total on staff to 25.

He believes relationships with other agencies have also been strained, another obstacle to addressing crime in a proactive manner.

“Back when I started in law enforcement, I remember that every other call got transferred to state police,” he said. “It kind of doubled your force.”

That support hasn’t been as reliable as it used to be, Cordova said. He said he would work to rebuild that relationship with the state agency and with Taos Police Department, which abruptly asked the sheriff’s office to no longer use its shooting range in 2015, he said. The agencies had shared the range since at least 2009, when Cordova became a deputy.

This year’s race is Cordova’s first. He’s hopeful voters will stay focused on the issues and not dwell on his past.

According to New Mexico court records, Cordova was charged with battery against a household member in 2002 and pleaded no contest. In 2008, Chief Magistrate Judge Ernest Ortega reopened the case and revised the charge to disorderly conduct, on the basis that Cordova “had no legal counsel in the previous matter and was given incorrect information and advice by the previous magistrate judge assigned to this matter.” Cordova was also convicted of DUI about 20 years ago.

Cordova says that’s all in the past, and it doesn’t change either his ability to serve as deputy effectively or what he brings to the table if elected sheriff.

“I’ve done some living before getting into law enforcement,” he explained, adding that the charges came during a different time in his life. “I come to this position with a level head, with an understanding of what life actually is, and I don’t believe that everybody should be crucified for an indiscretion here and there.”

- John Miller

JERRY L. HOGREFE Age: 51 Occupation: Taos County Sheriff Education: Cushing High School Political experience: Taos County Sheriff Political Party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/Hayvoteforjerry

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erry Hogrefe, a native of Cushing, Oklahoma, won the election for Taos County Sheriff in 2014, pledging improved interagency cooperation, additional training for deputies, speedier response times and satellite stations in some of the county’s tough-to-patrol outposts, among other improvements.

He’s running for re-election this year on a similar platform, now touting a long list of changes he’s brought to the office since he’s worn the star, while acknowledging “there’s a lot more to be done.”

“I think the community should see, from everything we’ve accomplished, that we’ve been doing a pretty darn good job in the last two to three years,” he said.

Hogrefe started as a dispatcher when he moved to Red River in the mid-1980s. He has worked as a volunteer firefighter and Red River Town Marshal. He later served as patrolman, detective, lieutenant and interim police chief with Taos Police Department, rounding out his career in public service.

Since embarking on his first term as sheriff in 2015, the Democrat developed the first-ever SWAT-modeled “special response team” at the sheriff’s office, training eight members in basic and advanced SWAT tactics.

The team has been employed in several high-risk searches, standoffs and arrests in the years since.

The SRT team has also been trained in tracking, Hogrefe said, allowing the office to take on search and rescue missions solo, which, in the past, were often supported by New Mexico State Police and Taos Search and Rescue. Tracker training yielded one of Hogrefe’s proudest achievements last fall when he and his team followed a tip and found the likely remains of Frankie Martin, an Arroyo Hondo man who had been missing for more than a year.

Hogrefe oversees 26 staff members, including an undersheriff, 16 deputies, four sergeants and two animal control officers as well as administrative assistants and tech personnel.

The incumbent said he corrected longstanding pay discrepancies when he became sheriff and created a tiered incentive system, where staff could expect

better pay with additional training, which Hogrefe has also expanded.

He has also equipped his street staff with the option to use protective vests and helmets and replaced an aging vehicle fleet with new Dodge pickups, three motorcycles and an all-terrain-vehicle, allowing his team to perform “forest patrols” for the first time, he said.

The sheriff adjusted scheduling early on to keep at least two units on patrol every shift, supported by a sergeant at certain hours of the day. However, he says reaching the county’s outlying areas and digging deeper into calls remains a challenge.

“Right now, quite frankly, deputies go from call to call to call,” Hogrefe said, adding that he would like his staff to have the time to get to the “core” of a caller’s problem.

Hogrefe said he would open substations in Questa and Peñasco within his first 90 days in office, but has yet to do so.

Response times were also to be reduced – from 47 minutes to 10 minutes. In a recent interview, Hogrefe estimated response times have been cut to around 15-20 minutes on average, while other calls still take as long as 30 minutes.

According to Taos Central Dispatch records, the sheriff’s office has responded to 3,140 calls in the last five months alone. With that rising call volume, Hogrefe is pushing for six additional deputies from the county commission.

Staffing has also been hurt because three members of the sheriff’s office are currently facing pending criminal charges, two for perjury and one for battery.

Still, Hogrefe said liabilities on the whole have been reduced, which he credits with a new policy manual he crafted with Undersheriff Steve Miera and other counsel.

This June, Hogrefe is also facing competition from two of his own, but he isn’t sweating it. He said he’s supported by the majority of his office.

- John Miller

Age: 54 Occupation: Student Education: University of New Mexico (student) Political experience: None Political Party: Republican Convicted of a crime: No Social media: davisfortcs.com

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n more ways than one, Jani Davis is a standout candidate in the race for Taos County Sheriff.

She is the only female running as well as the only Republican. But being an outsider and challenging expectations is familiar territory for the longtime law enforcement officer and sometimes stuntwoman.

Davis was raised on a ranch in Vale, Oregon.

From the time she was young, she wanted to become a police officer. She took a series of criminology classes as a freshman in college and could sense that law enforcement might be somewhat of a “boy’s club,” but that didn’t deter her from making it a career later in life.

After working on a series of movies as a stuntwoman, including “Titanic” and “Being John Malkovich,” she worked as a site supervisor building homes in Texas. In the late 2000s, she moved to Taos and was hired by the Taos Police Department in 2009.

There, she gained experience answering challenging calls, priding herself on her handling of numerous domestic violence incidents, in particular.

She said she would impart to battered women the message that they deserved to be happy and well-treated, she recalled recently.

In 2010, she assisted in the arrest of a “criminal” fugitive that had escaped from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, another achievement, she said.

From 2011 to 2013, she left to work for the New Mexico Special Investigations Division, before returning to Taos Police Department later that year.

In 2014, she became the first woman at the department to be promoted to sergeant.

In February 2015, she was recognized as Town of Taos Employee of the month, but that summer, her law enforcement career was derailed when she was charged with allegedly kneeing and kicking a man during an arrest in Taos.

“I was just doing my job,” Davis still contends, but administrators at the town of Taos fired her the day

her trial began.

A jury reached a verdict of not guilty, and Davis’ charges were dropped.

In the time since, Davis has fought her termination in court and still has a whistleblower and discrimination lawsuit – based on age, gender and sexual orientation – pending in Taos District Court.

In the meantime, she returned to school to finish her bachelor’s degree, worked again on homes and acted as a stuntwoman on the film “Jason Bourne.” She has also worked at Questa Police Department as a sergeant and supervisor of training and operations.

But this June, she’s eyeing an opportunity to get into a position where she believes she can make a greater difference.

Davis says she would bring strong and steadfast leadership to the Taos County Sheriff’s Office and elevate the welfare of deputies, whom she says are “understaffed, overworked and underpaid.”

Aside from raising staffing levels, Davis said she would also add a “swing shift,” which has also been implemented at Taos Police Department, adding a period of overlap, where an additional officer is on call to provide extra support.

Davis points to the ongoing drug epidemic, homelessness and domestic violence as major criminal and social issues Taos County faces.

Repeat offenders, particularly when it comes to commonly committed misdemeanor crimes, is another problem that requires closer cooperation with the court system and the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

Overall, Davis believes communication is a key to serving any community.

“As an elected official in charge of law enforcement for a large county, I believe the sheriff and the undersheriff need to be proactive in hearing the needs of all the communities and citizens,” she said.

- John Miller

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THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

BONNEY GABRIEL MEDINA

Age: 51 Occupation: Taos County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Education: Taos High School Political experience: None Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/eugene.holgate

E

ugene Holgate, a newcomer to the political ring, has spent the past 30 years in law enforcement, working for both Taos and Picuris Pueblos, and for the Taos County Sheriff’s Office for the past 25 years.

In that time, he says he has seen several sheriffs come and go. Those that became his mentors, he said, taught him to be “personable and communicative” in his work.

Originally from Phoenix, Arizona, but raised by his mother at Taos Pueblo from the time he was young, Holgate has spent time honing his ability to connect with diverse peoples across Taos County’s many subcommunities.

After graduating from Taos High School in 1985, he opted to become a dispatcher and jailer at Taos Pueblo, instead of going to college, as his father, a government-employed dental technician, had pressed him to do.

Looking back, he believes it was the right move, as he quickly developed a love for helping people, especially the elderly on Taos Pueblo. He said his style of taking calls earned him a reputation as someone who was easy to talk to in times of crisis.

Holgate graduated from the U.S. Indian Police Academy and then worked for Picuris Pueblo in the early 1990s before leaving to work construction. Then Taos County Sheriff Glenn Weathers had heard of his reputation, he said. Weathers approached Holgate on a construction site and offered him a job.

Weathers became another role model for Holgate.

“He was a great man,” Holgate said. “He was real affable. Real communicative. And that’s why I enjoy law enforcement. I get to talk to people. There have been many times where I’ve been left with a group of people on a hot call and that’s what’s saved my hide.”

During his nearly 30 years at the sheriff’s office, Holgate has held numerous positions,

including as an advisor in preparing criminal complaints before they’re sent off for filing at the Taos County court system.

After recovering from a shoulder surgery, he recently went back out on patrol. Since that time, he’s noticed that morale among his fellow deputies isn’t as strong as it used to be.

“I see the problems and I hear the problems,” he said. “We need personnel to fill space that’s been vacated because the guys are overworked. I see the tired eyes out there.”

Holgate echoed what some of his competition has also stated: that staffing needs to be increased and ties with other agencies need to be improved to better address critical issues, such as homelessness, drug abuse and domestic violence.

“People want a sheriff who’s going to be personable, acquaintable with all the agencies around – state police, tribal police, town police, Questa Police,” he said.

In terms of addiction issues, specifically, Holgate said he’d much rather deal with a marijuana user than someone who’s been drinking. But regardless of his preference, Holgate said he tries to emphasize respect in all cases.

“I want to bring back the philosophy where we treat everyone like a human being,” he said. “Whether they’re drunk or laying in their own piss, or jacked up on heroin, whatever.

They’re still people that need to be treated humanely – not always pushed around in handcuffs.”

- John Miller

RICK G. MEDINA

R

B

onney Medina, a Taos native and former sergeant at Taos Police Department, made an unsuccessful bid for Taos County Sheriff four years ago, but has entered the race again this year in hopes of reaching the public through a platform that promotes “community policing.”

“When I was a police officer, our chief wanted us to get to know everybody,” Medina said. “He made us get down and walk the block and say hello to everybody: the owners, the people coming out of the stores. We introduced ourselves to everyone.”

Before he left town police at the rank of sergeant in 1997, Medina said he worked for 20 years under that same philosophy. For two more years, he worked as an officer at the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety and then as a jailer at the now closed Taos County Youth Detention Center. He said he believes it’s a style of policing that can benefit any agency and is currently needed at the Taos County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’ve got to get our officers in good view of the public,” he said. “Right now, nobody’s trusting them, and that’s a shame because they’re all fine officers. They’re just too pressed for time.”

Medina’s one scrape with the law was years ago when he was arrested for shoplifting as a teenager Since he retired, Medina has built a business as a wedding photographer, but he still tunes into his scanner in his free time, keeping an ear on his former line of work and gathering insight into how things have changed since he left law enforcement.

He said he has noted the rising crime rate in Taos County, particularly when it comes to property crimes, which he agrees can be

fueled by drug addictions. Gaining insight into drug distribution and trafficking, for example, can also be accomplished by building close relationships with the community, he said.

“The cops and deputies – they’re always busy,” he said. “You know why? Because they’re not preventing crimes. They’re only there after the fact.”

Proactive policing, he acknowledged, would require additional staffing to expand patrols and follow up on investigations. With that in mind, Medina said he would pressure county officials for not only more staff to patrol, but more detectives, as well.

“We’ve got to have community policing, where our guys are interacting with the schools and the rest of the community,” he said.

Medina said that he would host two monthly meetings: one to enhance cooperation with other law enforcement agencies and another in an outlying community, such as Peñasco, to expand the office’s presence.

“That way,” he said, “we can start working on problems in our community before they even happen.”

Medina, 67, has been out of the field of law enforcement for more than 20 years, but believes he’s suited to act as sheriff given his experience and connection to Taos County.

“I want to help my community,” he said.

- John Miller

PA I D P O L I T I C A L A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Age: 53 Occupation: Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety Education: Taos High School, University of New Mexico - Taos Political experience: None Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/rickmedinafortcso ick Medina has served several communities within Taos County during his 26 years in law enforcement, but believes Taos County Sheriff is the position where he can make the greatest difference.

He says he would draw from a range of experiences unique among the field of candidates.

Medina entered public service as a dispatcher for the Taos County Sheriff’s Office in 1991 and became a deputy in 1992. He also volunteered with the New Mexico National Guard.

Before retiring at the rank of lieutenant in 2013, he was deployed to Iraq, where he was decorated for his service as a squad leader in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

After about a year off, Medina then joined the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety, where he still works as a lieutenant.

He said serving several diverse communities has taught him a lot about working with different organizations and communities, earning their trust.

If elected this June, Medina said he would reduce rising crime rates in the county by working with the wider community and building upon the relationships formed through his 26 years in law enforcement.

“We need to meet with and work with the different communities and business owners to create a safer county,” he said. “I’d put drugs as my number one priority to fight, and there are several ways to do that. One would be to get with our local stakeholders, other agencies and meet on the issues we’re having.”

Medina said that “jail is not always the solution” when it comes to drug addiction and that the shuttered Taos County detox center needs to reopen, alongside better support programs for the addicts in Taos County who are motivated to get clean.

He also hopes to establish a proactive

Age: 67 Occupation: Photographer Education: Huntsville High School Political experience: Taos County Sheriff Candidate (2014) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: Yes Social media: None

approach to the drug epidemic by adopting a program Taos Pueblo law enforcement has established in their schools.

“I would designate a school resource officer to serve one day in Peñasco, one day in Questa and one in Ranchos,” he said.

In the meetings at the Taos Pueblo Day School, for example, Medina said their school resource officers teach kids about the dangers of addiction, especially at an early age.

Most recently, in light of the rising rate of school shootings, pueblo officers have also instituted a version of active shooter training.

Similarly, Medina would like to host regular meetings with other law enforcement agencies, and the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. He said he hopes the court system can achieve better outcomes by holding officers accountable for showing up to court hearings and conducting investigations that leave prosecutors with the tools necessary to land convictions.

Overall, Medina said he brings a level of integrity and accountability that’s needed at the sheriff’s office.

“I want to build a team that really works with the community and that’s really out there,” he said.

- John Miller

ELECT RICK MEDINA TAOS COUNTY SHERIFF

Ballot Position #3 Hello, I’m Rick Medina of Arroyo Hondo, actively seeking your vote for me as Taos County Sheriff. I’m no stranger to community service and endeavor to answer the call to continued public service, a few items from my perspective and intentions toward change in the Office of Taos County Sheriff are as follows: DUTY With position comes responsibility. Duty to me, not only means obligation but is conveyed as honor and respect.

The role of Sheriff is to provide assistance to the people. It involves commitment to self, community and an ability to see the mission first without waiver or quit. Respecting the community by holding Deputies to a higher standard.

INTEGRITY Integrity is the essence of law enforcement and as Sheriff of Taos County, integrity is my expectation of daily function in office.

Integrity boosts accountability which gives rise and support to transparent services for the benefit of the community.

FAIRNESS Simple - treating all community members and staff fairly and with consistency. Respectfully, I ask for your support and vote for me as your Sheriff of Taos County.

Rickmedinafortcso

PA I D F O R B Y R I C K M E D I N A

TAOS COUNTY SHERIFF

EUGENE HOLGATE, III

5

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

6

MARIA ANNETTE DIMAS

Age: 23 Occupation: Taos County Chief Deputy Assessor Education: High school, some college, industry certifications Political experience: None Convicted of a crime: No Political party: Democrat Social media: facebook.com/electrb4assessor/

W

hile the March municipal races were filled with young people running their first election campaign, the locals running for county and state offices are noticeably older. Except, of course, for Randy Baca. The 23-year-old No. 2 in the Taos County Assessor’s Office has thrown his name into a three-way race to become the next assessor.

“A lot of people give the youth a bad rep, but we’re educated now, and we’re wanting to push things forward for our generation,” he said.

He may not be scheming a “complete” millennial takeover of local government, but young people need “to have our piece in our community,” Baca said.

Baca’s ascension in county government was swift. He graduated from Taos High School in 2012 and started working in the assessor’s office in 2013. After he spent a brief time in the county treasurer’s office, the current Taos County Assessor, Abel Montoya, appointed him to his position in January 2015.

Montoya and Baca are joined in the race for the little-understood elected office by another assessor’s office employee, Maria Annette Dimas.

Having three co-workers in the race for one job has been cordial, but Baca thinks things other than his age set him apart from his predecessor and current boss. Namely, he’s pushing to educate the public to improve the “working relationship” with the assessor’s office.

“I see there’s a disconnection between the

people and the government. They don’t really understand property valuation…[or] understand the tax code and laws we operate by. I want to bring that connection back,” he said.

It’s understandable. “When I first came into the office, I didn’t understand what property valuation was either,” Baca said. But he’s ready to clear up the common misconceptions, such as the idea that if more properties are assessed and at higher values, then taxes will necessarily go up. More accurately assessed properties means “everyone is paying their fair share,” he said.

Baca lauds the treasurer’s and clerk’s offices. He said the three county departments work together “perfectly” when it comes to sharing documents and referring folks to the right people. “We help the public as best we can with minimal time, so they’re not always going back and forth [among offices],” he said.

Still, he’d like to one day improve the officeto-office experience for users and make more data (things like estimated taxes and parcel maps) available online.

Baca said he will continue taking classes online through the University of New Mexico.

He anticipates graduating with a bachelor’s in business administration in 2020. And only six years out of high school, he’s already hoping to get the next generation — as in high school interns — involved in the county.

“They have to understand their place within government,” Baca said.

- Cody Hooks

ABEL MONTOYA Age: 69 Occupation: Taos County Assessor Education: High school Political party: Democrat Political experience: Taos County Assessor (2015-present) Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

A

bel Montoya was already working in the Taos County Assessor’s Office when he ran to lead the department that calculates the dollar values on every piece of property in the county. Now, he’s looking to continue his work, staying the course and sticking to the statues.

“I want to continue helping the people of Taos the way I have over the years...by improving and updating the property records, mapping, reappraisals and GIS system for the future,” Montoya said.

Montoya won the 2014 primary with 42 percent of the vote in a four-way race, taking over from Darlene Vigil, the former assessor who kick-started the countywide revaluation of properties and who was term limited. This year, Montoya faces two challengers, both assessor’s office employees.

Montoya is a combat veteran who grew up in Questa and graduated from high school there in 1966. Soon after, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps and served two years. He comes from a big family with most of his brothers and sisters still in the area. (Montoya’s wife is a Taos News employee).

Throughout his term in the office, Montoya has had to deal with the ongoing consternation in the community over hundreds of properties losing their agricultural exemption, which can cut down on annual property taxes if land is being used to grow crops or livestock. Previously irrigated lands have been reassessed at the full market residential value.

“There’s people, especially 65 and older, [who] can’t work their properties anymore but yet they’re not selling it,” Montoya said.

When they make their way into the office, his

advice is unvarnished. “Do you got any kids? Get them to do it. Or lease it to a neighbor who’s willing to use it,” he said. It’s not always practical advice. On a serious note, kids move away and older folks don’t have the support. On a humorous note, Montoya admits that “some people don’t like their neighbors, so they just pay the taxes.”

A bill introduced in the New Mexico Legislature this year would have created a new tax bracket for lands like these. But Montoya said it got bogged down with too many amendments and changes that would have made getting the classification as laborious as working land for production.

Montoya touts the use of a new 3D mapping software in the assessor’s’ office, something that finally came through after more than six years of pushing for it. Planes flew over the entire county last year. Now, employees in the department can save a lot of time, he said, by taking precise measurements from the office and simply verifying their findings when they visit properties in the field.

For the public, Montoya said his office has an “open door policy” and that “any questions, changes or concerns are always addressed immediately.”

Montoya is the oldest of the candidates running in the primary race at 69 years old. (His deputy assessor and primary challenger, Randy Baca, is 23). While he used to be more involved with the community, helping out with things like Little League, he’s now “getting to a point in my life where I need to slow down a little bit” and focus on the job before him.

- Cody Hooks

Age: 59 Occupation: Appraiser III in Taos County Assessor’s Office Education: High school, some college, industry certifications Political party: Democrat Political experience: None Convicted of a crime: No Social media: On Facebook as “Maria Dimas for Taos County Assessor”

M

aria Dimas, a Taoseña who’s proud to have made a life for herself in her hometown, is one of three people running to be the Taos County Assessor for the next four-year term. She promises to bring clear communication and compassion for the people who are most struggling when they walk through the doors.

“A lot of times people go in and they’re intimidated,” Dimas said. Folks are “a little set back” and don’t know what to ask for or how to ask for it.

But “if you’re able to respond to them in a positive way, they open up to you about what else is troubling them,” she said.

Dimas has worked in the assessor’s office for the past 13 years and currently holds the position of Appraiser III, where she reviews private affidavits, analyses of home sales and handles people’s protests of their property valuations that come into the office every year.

In recent years, some of those protests have stemmed from the ongoing reassessment of all properties in the county. Because some previously irrigated land has long since gone out of production or been built over, people have lost the agricultural exemption that dramatically reduces annual property taxes (collected by the Treasurer’s Office) if land is being worked and producing.

“Plenty of times you go and visit a property, and they’ve grown a trailer park or they’ve grown prairie dogs. And that doesn’t qualify. If they want that classification, they need to work for it,” she said.

Still, Dimas said she has compassion for the farmers, the folks who get up early to cut or seed or water. And now more than ever, older

RANDY BACA

TAOS COUNTY ASSESSOR

RANDY L. BACA

folks can’t get out to manage their pastures, kids have moved away and in times of drought — the season at hand — irrigating is likely out of the question.

But in the long term, Dimas said what really ought to happen is connecting people with unworked acres to eager farmers and would-be ranchers. Some people have tried locally, but Dimas said she could help transform old-fashioned connections into opportunities to keep land irrigated.

Dimas graduated from Taos High School, and prior to her time in the assessor’s office, she worked for 15 years at the now shuttered First State Bank. This is her first run for public office.

About 20 years ago, Dimas asked her mom, a phenomenal cook, why she never entered competitions. “I didn’t give myself enough time. You have a certain window in life when you need to do things, and you have to take that moment at that time,” Dimas recalls her mom saying.

Dimas’ mom passed away in November, and this is just one of the conversations that played on loop afterward. Somewhere in reliving the talk, she got the idea to run for office, thinking about how this is her time, her “window.”

Most people are supportive when she talks about her campaign. But some folks, especially in the outlying communities, like Tres Piedras, Amalia and Ojo Caliente “feel they are overlooked,” she said. But “everyone matters,” Dimas said, suggesting the office could hold twice-yearly meetings in remote communities.

“Let’s open the door of communication with them,” Dimas said.

- Cody Hooks

ELECT RANDY BACA Taos County Assessor

I am the son of Rudy and Patricia Baca of El Prado. My paternal grandparents are the late Perfecto and Susan Baca of Questa, my maternal grandparents are the late Alberto Montoya and our living treasure, his wife, Evangeline Montoya from El Prado. I have been blessed to have been raised within these two strongly rooted families, the Baca’s and the Montoya’s. As a family we appreciate life and the communities we live amongst. I have been taught to show respect, to live with honesty and integrity and to make time to listen to others and help others when you can. I am excited to be running for Taos County Assessor and to have the chance to give back to the community I grew up in.

I want to make a difference! I want to educate the public on the Property Tax Code and on the current day-to-day operations of the Assessor’s Office. The public has been disconnected from government and as the Taos County Assessor I would like to bring the strong working relationship back between the Tax Payers of Taos County and the Assessor’s Office. I want to see Taos County grow and reach newer heights as we steer into the new century.

We can learn and build together as a community and re-build a future that benefits everyone.

Current Chief Deputy Assessor for the last 3 years.

NM Certified Appraiser (Residential and Commercial) Over 4+ years of experience in property valuation.

I ask for your support & your vote in the

June 5th Democratic Primary.

Help me make a difference and Vote #2 (BACA) Paid Political Advertisement Paid for by the Campaign Committee to Elect Randy Baca – Marissa Romero Campaign Treasurer

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

T

he clearest sign that Betty Martínez-Gonzalez plans to do things differently than her opponent might be her insistence that his title is given incorrectly.

“It’s presiding judge,” she said, “not ‘chief judge.’ “ Martínez-Gonzalez served in that capacity for 29 years in Taos County, a time when she said things were done differently in Taos County Magistrate Court.

Like her opponent, Martinez-Gonzalez does not have a law degree, and presiding judge is one of the highest levels of the court system a person can reach without one.

She started her career as a court clerk after graduating from Taos High School in the 1970s. In 1982, she entered the running and won the election to become a part-time magistrate judge in Questa.

She is still one of the youngest people in New Mexico to be elected to the office.

“Back then, there were four judges in Taos. There was a judge that was here three quarters of the time, then a judge in TP (Tres Piedras) and Questa

ERNEST ORTEGA

A

s a Taos County Magistrate Judge since 2006, and chief judge since 2012, Ernest Ortega is proud of what he’s accomplished during his 12 years on the bench, but says there’s more to do to leave the court in better shape than when he first took office.

A native of Arroyo Seco, Ortega said he began to show natural leadership skills during his childhood years, drawing other kids to him and helping them realize goals that exceeded what others expected of them.

He first applied that skill in the political realm, working as a special assistant to former U.S. Senator Jeff Bingaman in Washington, D.C. and Santa Fe from 1983 to 1989. He spent time during the 1990s working at a rehabilitation program for convicts as director of services, and then returned home to Taos County for three years, from 1997 to 2000, to serve as director of pretrial services at the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office.

After four years as press secretary for the New Mexico Secretary of State in the mid-2000s, Ortega

and Peñasco. Those judges were quarter-time judges.”

During two years at the office, her caseload grew, and the New Mexico Administrative Office of the Courts relocated her to Taos, where she spent nearly three decades working on civil cases, criminal cases and establishing what she sees as a bygone era she plans to bring back if elected this year.

“My court was a role model court,” she said, adding that other judges were assigned to her for training, until she retired – without political defeat – in 2011.

She spent her final five years working down the hall from her current opponent, now Chief Magistrate Court Judge Ernest Ortega.

“I’m running now because a lot of people have requested me to come back,” Martínez-Gonzalez said. “Apparently the Taos court went under a turmoil under Judge Ortega’s administration. I don’t know exactly what transpired as to why the caseload was in turmoil. Apparently what happened is

said he was looking to “return home.” He entered the running for magistrate judge at the Taos County Courthouse Complex, winning the first of three consecutive terms.

Now running for his fourth, and in light of deep budget cuts that trimmed the judicial system across the state last year, Ortega hopes to see the court system become better staffed – and expanded – over the next four years.

“We are understaffed and our clerks are underpaid,” Ortega said. “It’s not right what’s occurring.”

Today, magistrate court clerks have been told to not even answer the phone as caseloads, according to Ortega, have at least doubled since he first took office. On any given week, a total of four full-time workers, including a court manager, and one halftime worker, are hard at work, Ortega said.

He and his fellow magistrate judge down the hall in Taos, Judge Jeff Shannon, both saw the closure of the long-serving Questa circuit court last year. They also were told by New Mexico’s Administrative Office of the Courts that they could no

D

ominic Martinez, the current director of Taos Central Dispatch, wants to restore Taos County Magistrate Court as a “people’s court.” To him, that means bringing harsher sentencing against offenders to make the community safer while making himself accessible to its citizens.

“I want to be approachable for the citizens and focus on holding people accountable for their actions, especially repeat offenders,” he said.

As the head of Taos County’s emergency call system, many of the arrests made in Taos County originate with calls made to his dispatchers. In the past year, their phones have rung with news of everything from quintuple homicides to fatal car crashes.

For the several years prior, Martinez was on the other end of the line, taking the calls that would lead to the cases he hopes to preside over as a magistrate court judge. While an arrest is the start of a criminal case, he’d like to control what happens on the other end, once it reaches the courtroom.

JEFF SHANNON

U

ntil Jeff Shannon became a Taos County Magistrate Judge in 2012, he said he’d always been the new guy.

With an Air Force man for a father, he grew up on military bases, moving about every four years. Change was a constant, but his desire to get involved in law stayed with him, he said.

“If you look at my high school yearbook in Las Vegas, Nevada, it’s signed ‘esquire,’ “ he said.

From there, Shannon acquired his bachelor’s from Auburn University at Montgomery (Alabama) in 1991, and then his masters from the University of Alabama in 1993. He moved to New Mexico in 1999, where he graduated from the University of New Mexico School of Law, an asset that, while not a requirement for his current position, sets him apart from his competition this year.

Before he became a judge, however, he fulfilled his ambitions of becoming a lawyer and became a public defender in Taos in the early 2000s. From 2004 until his election in 2012, he ran a private law practice, which specialized in child abuse and neglect cases. He also served as a criminal

P

aloma Romo of Taos is running unopposed this year for Taos County Probate Judge.

In 2014, Romo, 36, ran against Republican Michael Tórrez to replace former probate judge Andres Vargas, who had then reached his two-term limit.

Halfway through her first term, Romo says the court has improved.

“I believe the probate court is more accessible to the public,” Romo said. “We provide printed information and pamphlets. We have a great relationship with all

defense attorney at the Alan Maestas Law Office before his election.

“Since 2012, I have striven every day to treat everyone fairly,” he said.

He’s also been busy making the courtroom his own.

He said he reduced jury duty from six months to three, always conducts criminal background checks on defendants, orders drunk driving offenders to perform additional community service and even keeps crayons and coloring books handy for kids in the courtroom.

Child abuse cases also continue to be an emphasis for Shannon. He says he will “routinely” report suspected child abuse or neglect to the Taos Children Youth and Families Office himself.

While Shannon said he and Chief Judge Ernest Ortega don’t always see eye-to-eye, the two do overlap in their desire to restore the Questa circuit court, which was shuttered last year, and will also join Ortega in pushing the powers that be in Santa Fe to open an additional circuit court to serve Peñasco.

other county departments and work collectively to ensure the citizens are fully informed.”

In future years at the post, Romo hopes to make the court more efficient, but her own role, primarily meant to serve as a mediator during settlement negotiations for wills and trusts, will remain steady, she said.

“A probate judge should maintain neutrality and provide clear information,” Romo said. “The relationship with citizens should be one where customers feel comfortable and fully informed.”

- John Miller

cases more efficiently and foster a better relationship with the AOC. Despite her time away from the bench, Martínez-Gonzalez said she is ready to handle a caseload that has increased and a court system that has changed since she retired eight years ago.

“I would like to see more facilities, more funding to address these issues,” she said. “My priority is and was as a magistrate judge, to always protect and serve the community, and making sure that justice is served.”

- John Miller

Age: 64 Occupation: Chief Judge, Taos County Magistrate Court Education: University of New Mexico, National Judicial College Political experience: Taos County Magistrate Judge (2006-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/profile. php?id=1167074389 longer take trips to Peñasco to help its residents resolve traffic tickets or civil disputes, for example.

The judges had made the 45-minute drive on their own dime. Instead, residents in Taos’ outlying communities must now make the trip to Taos for even minor offenses.

If re-elected, Ortega said he will push current and future state administrations to not only restore the circuit court in Questa, but to also open anoth-

er in Peñasco, where the judges had previously set up shop at a community center.

Ortega, 64, says he has gas left in the tank to make the changes necessary.

“I feel strong enough to go for another term, so that’s what I’m going to do,” he said. “I want to feel good about the status of the court when I turn it over to new judges.”

- John Miller

Age: 49 Occupation: Retired Education: Taos High School Political experience: Taos County Sheriff candidate (2006) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/dominic.martinez.374?ref=br_rs way around,” he said. “It would help the community. It would help law enforcement officers feel like something’s being done with their arrests, and it would help the offenders that are getting them to help them become a better citizen of Taos County.”

As a former employee of the district attorney’s office, Martinez knows resources are limited. He said he would proposed a weekly or biweekly meeting with all major stakeholders – law enforcement, judges, public defenders and law enforcement – to achieve optimal outcomes in the courtroom.

Martinez also said he would look into the idea of holding “night court” twice a month for individuals who can’t make court appointments due to work or other conflicts.

“I want to work with the people in the people’s court,” he said. “I want to make our community safer. I want people to know that they can raise our families here. I’m still raising my family here. All my family’s here. I believe in Taos. I think it’s a great community.”

- John Miller

Age: 52 Occupation: Judge, Taos County Magistrate Court Education: University of New Mexico School of Law Political experience: candidate, 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, 2008; Taos County Magistrate Judge, 2012 - present Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: Yes (speeding tickets) Social media: facebook.com/Jeff-Shannon-forMagistrate-Judge-154673244662020 Staffing issues violence cases. are also a common concern. The pair both rely on What lies at the root of the cases he sees? the clerk’s office and it’s thinned out staff to keep “Unemployment and a loss of hope,” he said. an ever-mounting caseload moving through their “This creates an environment for drugs, alcohol courtrooms. and crime.”

“Due to staffing issues, Santa Fe has directed There’s more to it, he said, but as a judge his that the court remain closed every Friday so that emphasis remains on protecting local youth, many clerks can catch up on paperwork,” Shannon of whom he knows can get caught in the middle noted. “This needs to change. Our court should be of the criminal and social challenges Taos County sufficiently staffed to stay open five days a week.” continues to face.

If re-elected, Shannon said he will also push for a separate court to handle DUI and domesticELECT - John Miller

Paloma G. Romo

for Taos County Age: 36 Probate Judge Occupation: Taos County Probate Judge t #PSO BOE SBJTFE JO 5BPT $PVOUZ University of New Mexico School of Law Education: t 1BSFOUT‫'ڀ‬FSOBOEP BOE ,BUIZ 3PNP Political experience: Taos County Probate Judge t #BDIFMPS PG "SUT 6OJWFSTJUZ PG "SJ[POB (2014) t %FHSFF JO -BX Political party: Democrat 6OJWFSTJUZ PG /FX .FYJDP Convicted of a crime: No t .FNCFS 4UBUF #BS PG /FX .FYJDP Social media: None t &YQFSJFODF JO 'BNJMZ -BX 1SPQFSUZ -BX 6OJGPSN 1SPCBUF $PEF BOE UIF $PVSU 4ZTUFNT t .BZPSEPNB -PXFS .BOVFM "OESFT 5SVKJMMP BOE +VBO .BOVFM -VDFSP "DFRVJB "TTPDJBUJPO Thank you

PROBATE JUDGE

PALOMA ROMO

Martinez first worked as a deputy for the Taos County Sheriff’s Office. He then joined the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, where he served as an investigator for nine years and then as an undercover narcotics agent for three.

After six years working as a director for Nonviolence Works, Martinez returned to the county and took up his current position running dispatch and emergency management.

In 2006, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for sheriff, but said the position of magistrate judge has intrigued him since he was young.

“I love my current job, but I want to give a little bit more,” he said.

Now 52, he said he has a solid 10 years ahead of him, time that he’d like to dedicate to serving his community from the bench.

If elected, Martinez said he would encourage the state to seek harsher sentencing in plea agreements and to move forward to trial when necessary.

“More mandatory maximums would help all the

the court was depleted down to one clerk.”

According to Martínez-Gonzalez, and in spite of widely publicized budget cuts to the New Mexico court system last year, she blames short staffing, heavy caseloads and the closure of the circuit court in Questa on her opponent, saying he didn’t manage available funds effectively.

“Funding’s never an issue,” she said. “The court definitely has funding. He had the staff. The staff just quit.”

Under her leadership, Martínez-Gonzalez said Taos County Magistrate Court would move through

TAOS COUNTY MAGISTRATE JUDGE • DIVISION 2

DOMINIC MARTINEZ

Age: 62 Occupation: Retired Education: Taos High School Political experience: “Presiding” Taos County Magistrate Court Judge (1982-2011), Taos County Sheriff Candidate (2014) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

TAOS COUNTY MAGISTRATE JUDGE • DIVISION 1

BETTY MARTINEZ-GONZALES

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THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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NEW MEXICO STATE REPRESENTATIVE • DISTRICT 41

SUSAN HERRERA

DEBBIE RODELLA

Age: 70 Occupation: Retired Education: Bachelor’s of university studies (UNM) Political party: Democrat Political experience: None Convicted of a crime: No Social media: susanherrera.com

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usan Herrera, the founding director of the education-focused Los Alamos National Lab Foundation, is looking to unseat the current state representative for House District 41 and promises to put forth a robust Democratic platform she says has been missing from Northern New Mexico.

Herrera is from California, but her dad was from New Mexico, so when she and her husband decided in 1990 they didn’t want to raise a son in Washington, D.C., they made the move back to the Land of Enchantment and settled in Embudo. She was one of the people who helped start the UNM-Taos campus in Taos.

Herrera is the first person in at least a decade to challenge Debbie Rodella, the politician who since 1993 has represented a handful of precincts in Taos County but most of Río Arriba County and part of Santa Fe County.

Herra told The Taos News she thinks Rodella is “a Democrat in name only” and does not represent the interests of people from “the North.” Herrera was initially reluctant to throw herself into the primary race. She asked “people younger, smarter and better looking than me” if they would run, but “no one would do it.”

“I’m not new to politics...but I’ve never been the candidate before,” said Herrera, a former director of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

When it comes to raising the prospects of the whole state, Herrera wants to reform the state’s streams of revenue

by restoring tax levels on individuals and corporations to the previous thresholds, a move she says could add $650 million more to the state’s coffers.

On the environment front, Herrera proposed commissioning a comprehensive study of the struggles of small domestic water systems across the state. Taos County has more than two dozen such systems. It’s only after the state assesses those issues that state lawmakers can work with Congress to bring the systems “up to this century’s standards.”

“Knowledge will lead the path. It’s when you don’t even know the depth and breadth of the problem [that] you really have a problem,” said Herrera.

Herrera also said she would support legislation to create an independent commission to handle redistricting, a power currently held by elected legislators.

According to the most recent round of campaign finance reports, Herrera’s largest contributions came from residents in Dixon and Embudo.

- Cody Hooks

NEW MEXICO STATE REPRESENTATIVE • DISTRICT 42

ROBERTO “BOBBY” GONZALES Age: 67 Occupation: Retired educator, business owner Education: Masters in elementary education Political experience: State representative (1995-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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oberto “Bobby” Gonzales, a long-serving legislator for Taos and the surrounding areas, is running for his 13th term in the New Mexico House of Representatives.

In the 24 years Gonzales has taken the concerns of Taos County residents to Santa Fe, he’s risen to become one of the most senior legislators in the state. He’s been a member of numerous legislative committees, including the Capital Outlay Committee for 14 years. During this year’s session, Gonzales was a member of the Taxation and Revenue Committee and Transportation and Public Works Committee.

Gonzales is guaranteed another term. He faces no challenger in the primary and no Republican entered the race.

At the Roundhouse, seniority can count for a lot, he said, especially when it comes to advocating for capital projects, such as roadwork, acequias, mutual domestic water systems and the like in your district.

Gonzales is part of an old guard of state lawmakers from around Northern New Mexico that includes Rep. Nick Salazar, serving a district since 1973 that includes four counties, including Colfax; Rep. Debbie Rodella, a legislator of 25 years who represents the western part of Taos County; and Sen. Carlos Cisneros, a Questeño serving in the Roundhouse since 1985.

For perspective, Cisneros been a senator since before the youngest members of the senate were born.

Gonzales is from Taos and lives in Pot Creek.

He’s the owner of a property rental company and since last year is a lot dealer for a prefabricated shed company. Prior to being involved in politics, Gonzales worked for Taos Municipal Schools, twice acting as superintendent.

Education seems to be his biggest passion.

He sponsored legislation to make the local community college a branch campus of the University of New Mexico. He lauds the recent successes of the UNM-Taos nursing program, which was developed as a pipeline to get locals into Taos-based healthcare jobs. Most of its graduates land jobs in town.

“To me, UNM-Taos is the golden apple to the community. It’s more choices...and a better-skilled workforce. There is no limit to what can be done,” he said.

Since 2013, he’s also served as a board member on the North Central Economic Development District, a quasi-governmental board that earlier this year was caught up in a financial audit that couldn’t account for nearly $1 million in a project slated to bring high-speed internet to the region. Gonzales said the board is “waiting for final audit report” before commenting on the matter.

Still, it’s the tedious financial negotiations that Gonzales holds among his highest priorities. During the most recent legislative session, Gonzales voted against a proposal to take extra money out of the Land Grant Permanent Fund, a bank account funded by oil and gas royalties.

Interest generated by that account pays for public education, including college, in New Mexico. The proposed legislation would have added more money to early childhood education. “[The fund] is the one thing we have going for us,” he said. “If you tap into it, you open the floodgates. Everyone has a need but that’s not the answer.”

The legislation passed the House but did not reach the Senate. Still, progressive lawmakers have said they’ll keep pushing the idea.

- Cody Hooks

Age: 67 Occupation: Retired Political party: Democrat Political experience: State representative (1993-present) Convicted of a crime: No Social media: On Facebook @DebbieRodella4StateRep

D

ebbie Rodella, a longtime politician who represents a handful of precincts in Taos County but a large swath of Northern New Mexico, is seeking another term in the June primary.

Having been a member of the New Mexico House of Representatives since 1993, Rodella is one of the longest-serving members of the lower chamber of the Legislature. Northern New Mexico has several such lawmakers, including Taos area Rep. Bobby Gonzales, Questeño Sen. Carlos Cisneros and retiring Rep. Nick Salazar, of Colfax County.

And for the first time in 12 years Rodella is facing a challenger for her seat.

Susan Herrera, a resident of Embudo and founder of the of the LANL Foundation, is seeking the Democratic nomination in the June 5 primary race. No Republican is running in the November general election.

Rodella lives near Española yet her district includes the slice of Taos County west of the Río Grande Gorge as well as Chama, Tierra Amarilla and the more remote parts of Río Arriba County.

Rodella did not answer questions from The Taos News pertaining to the race.

Rodella is a member of three permanent bodies in the House, including the Business and Industry Committee (as chair) and the Local Government, Elections, Land Grant and Cultural Affairs Committee. She’s also a member of four interim committees.

Securing money for rural communities is a constant challenge at the Round-

P A I D

P O L I T I C A L

house although a long tenure often lends more weight to projects in lawmakers’ districts. Rodella was the driving force behind a 2017 bill that would of raised the state’s minimum wage to $9.25 an hour.

But she’s also earned a reputation as a conservative Democrat. In the same year as the minimum wage bill, she joined Republicans in defeating a measure that would of made it possible for would-be voters to register within days of the primary election and also let a bill stall in committee that would of reigned in the payday lending industry.

According to the most recent round of campaign finance reports, Rodella’s largest contributions came from fellow state Rep. Patricio Ruiloba, a Democrat, and several oil and gas companies.

- Cody Hooks

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Leadership Matters

During my term on the Commission and 2.5 years as Chairman, I’ve helped lead the county to the completion of tangibles like: • Saving taxpayers $2.6 million on the County Complex through refinancing • Prioritized completions of age-old projects • Supported better fiscal practices including building reserves and funding of projects • Completion of Amalia Community Center • Began renovation of Historic Old County Courthouse • Opened Veterans Cemetery

I’m honored to serve Taos County. Join me in continuing the cause.

Vote Jim Fambro, Taos County Commissioner District 1

Leadership • Vision • Integrity

Re-Elect

Jim Fambro Taos County Commissioner • District #1

PA ID FO R B Y TH E C O M M ITTE E TO E L E C T J IM FA M B R O, R E N E E L U C E R O, TR E A S U R E R

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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COLFAX COUNTY MAGISTRATE JUDGE • DIVISION 1 SARAH M. MONTOYA WARREN G. WALTON Age: 59 Occupation: Raton Municipal Judge Pro Tempore Education: University of Arizona College of Law Political experience: 8th Judicial District Attorney candidate (2012) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: Yes Social media: None

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arah Montoya, a graduate of University of Arizona College of Law, but a native of Colfax County, hopes to “restore organization” to Colfax County Magistrate Court if elected judge this June.

Since 2005, she has served as pro tempore, or a “fill-in” municipal judge in Raton. She believes her experience would allow her a smooth transition into a role as magistrate judge.

“I believe I have the unique ability to hit the ground running if elected,” she said, “as I have both a law degree, and have attended the New Mexico Municipal Judges Conferences ... for 12 years.”

She also has notable experience running

political campaigns. Sixteen years ago, Montoya entered the race for Colfax County Magistrate Judge, but was defeated by John Paternoster. In 2012, she ran for 8th Judicial District Attorney, but was also unsuccessful. She had worked at the office as a prosecutor.

As a magistrate judge, Montoya believes her role, as with all positions in the courthouse, is that of a public servant.

If elected, she said she would strive to treat every litigant with dignity and bring their cases to resolution faster than the court has in the past.

- John Miller

COLFAX COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE ROYAL A. QUINT Age: 61 Occupation: Colfax County Probate Judge Education: Garden City Community College Political experience: Retired Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

Age: 54 Occupation: Colfax County Magistrate Court Judge Education: New Mexico State University Political experience: Won reelection to Colfax County magistrate seat in 2010 and 2014 Political party: Republican Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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arren Walton has served for 17 years as Colfax County Magistrate Court Judge, re-elected most recently in 2014, when he ran unopposed.

He also ran unopposed in the 2010 Colfax County election, but seeking to hold his seat in the middle of his fourth term this year, he faces a new challenger: Sarah Montoya, another native of Colfax County.

Walton served in the U.S. Army for six and a half years as a helicopter pilot. He ended his career honorably at the rank of captain.

After leaving the military, he and his family settled in Raton, where Walton worked as a teacher and then as a conductor on the BNSF Railway, a freight railroad.

In 2001, then Governor Gary Johnson appointed Warren to the position of magistrate judge in Colfax County.

Unlike his competitor, he does not possess a law degree, but received his certification in judicial studies

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oyal Quint, a 34-year resident of Colfax County originally from western Kansas, does not have a law degree, but plans to serve as an effective probate judge through his extensive experience in the financial field.

“I recently retired from a banking career where I utilized my accounting, banking and management skills to help customers achieve their financial goals and objectives,” he said.

Resolving disputes involving wills and trusts often comes down to a valuation of a decedent’s assets and a fair distribution to surviving family,

COLFAX COUNTY COMMISSION • DISTRICT 1 ROY P. FERNANDEZ Age: 62 Occupation: Union auditor Education: High school Political experience: Colfax County Commission, D1 (2015-present) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

JIM MALDONADO Political experience: Former Colfax County sheriff and commissioner Political party: Democrat

J

im Maldonado, a longtime political figure in Colfax County, is running to take back a seat on the county commission in the upcoming primary.

Maldonado is running for the District 1 race against incumbent Roy P. Fernandez, who is running for his second term.

Maldonado held the D1 seat for a number of

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from the National Judicial College in Reno, Nevada. A law degree is not required for the position.

“If re-elected, I hope to continue providing the citizens of Colfax County with a fair and just court system that strives to allow every individual their day in court,” Warren said.

According to the New Mexico Judicial Standards Commission, Walton was accused of having improper conversations with attorneys, defendants and their families outside of the courtroom. He was also accused of improperly charging attorneys with contempt of court.

As a result, the New Mexico Supreme Court placed Warren on a three-week probation and ordered him to take classes on judicial conduct.

- John Miller

another area which Quint has specific experience in.

“My banking knowledge of real estate, wills and account ownership will provide a good foundations for my duties as Colfax Probate Judge,” he said.

Quint said his candidacy in this June’s election is motivated by his desire to help family members through difficult times by following the rule of law and providing detailed explanations to the people he serves.

- John Miller

oy P. Fernandez, the first-term Colfax County commissioner for District 1, is hoping the voters will give him an opportunity to serve another four years, so he can continue to push for needed improvements to local infrastructure and the regional detention centers.

Fernandez graduated from Raton High School and was previously employed as a coal miner, he said.

These days, Fernandez works as the “international auditor” for the United Mine Workers of America union.

This primary is not Fernandez’s first time in the political spotlight in Colfax County. He was elected to his current seat in 2014. He won against Independent Robert J. Horner, taking 53 percent of the vote in the

general election. This go-round, Fernandez faces off against fellow Democrat Jim Maldonado in the June 5 primary; the winner of that race faces no challenger in November.

Among the projects he wants to put his energy toward are rebuilding the Gardener Road Bridge in Raton, completing the renovations to the county’s detention center and working with the state corrections department to create a firefighter training program at the women’s facility in Springer.

Fernandez does not have social media, but will respond to any phone call, he said, at (303) 887-0196.

- Cody Hooks

years. According to the New Mexico Secretary of State’s website, he won the commission race in 2006 and again in 2010, beating two challengers in the primary the first time around and besting a Republican contender for the seat in both elections.

He is the former chairman of the board and one of the namesakes of the county’s 42-bed

detention center.

Maldonado also won at least one election, in 1998, to become the county sheriff.

Maldonado did not respond to a Taos News questionnaire sent to all candidates.

- Cody Hooks

COLFAX COUNTY COMMISSION • DISTRICT 2 BOBBY LEDOUX Age: 67 Occupation: Nonprofit director Education: High school, some college Political experience: Raton City Commission (two full terms), Raton mayor (partial term) Convicted of a crime: No Political party: Democrat Social media: None

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hough he faces no challenger in either the June 5 primary or the November general election, Bobby LeDoux, candidate for the Colfax County Commission District 2, is looking forward to working on the challenges he knows lies ahead, such as a dwindling population and the tax base that’s intimately tied to it.

Since 1980, LeDoux has been the executive director of the Citizens for the Developmentally Disabled. He attended New Mexico State University for two and half years before taking his current job.

The 67-year old Democrat has quite the profile in Raton and Colfax County. He was first elected to the Raton City Commission in 1986 and served two terms, he said. During that time, he served on the board of the New Mexico Municipal League, he said. LeDoux was again appointed to that commission in 2012 for an unexpired term. During that time he served as mayor of the city for about a year. LeDoux lost to Donald Lee Giacomo in the 2014 election to retain his city commission seat.

- Cody Hooks

COLFAX COUNTY ASSESSOR KRISTI E. GRAHM Occupation: Colfax County chief deputy assessor Political party: Democrat Social media: On Facebook as “Elect Kristi Graham

SUZANNE M. VALDEZ Age: 46 Occupation: Colfax County Manager’s Office Education: High School Political experience: None Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: On Facebook as “Suzanne M. Valdez for Colfax County Assessor”

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risti E. Graham, a lifelong resident and the chief deputy assessor for Colfax County, has thrown her name in the hat to replace the outgoing county assessor in the June 5 primary races.

Graham is joined in the Democratic primary race by Suzanne M. Valdez. The winner will go on to an easy race in the general election, as no Republican is running for the seat.

Graham didn’t respond to a Taos News questionnaire distributed to all candidates in Taos and Colfax Counties.

However, according to a post on her campaign

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usan M. Valdez, an employee of Colfax County for the past 18 years, is one of two people running to replace Linda L. Gallegos as the Colfax County Assessor.

Valdez graduated from Raton High School. In her time working for Colfax County, she spent nine years in the assessor’s office, seven in the treasurer’s office and is currently working in the county manager’s office doing payroll and coordinating solid waste services for the county with a population of about 13,000 people.

Valdez will face Kristi E. Graham in the June 5 primary.

Valdez told The Taos News that choosing to run

COLFAX COUNTY MAGISTRATE JUDGE • DIVISION 2 FELIX PENA

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THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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elix Pena is seeking re-election as Chief Colfax County Magistrate Court Judge, a position he has held for at least three terms.

He was unopposed in 2010 and 2014 when he ran for reelection to the post.

This year, Pena is again running unopposed.

Pena did not respond to inquiries regarding his candidacy.

- John Miller

Facebook page, Graham is a lifelong resident of Colfax County and is running to on the legacy of Linda Gallegos, the current assessor.

“In our time in office, [Gallegos and I] have accomplished our goals through the quality customer service that we have provided and expected from our staff and ourselves. We have provided public service announcements on the radio and through our yearly assessor’s outreach meetings and meet-n-greets in Raton, Springer, Maxwell, Cimarron, Eagle Nest, and Angel Fire,” according to the Facebook post.

- Cody Hooks

for the elected position “is something that I have put a great deal of thought and consideration into and is not something I take lightly.”

One of the main priorities Valdez brings to the race is getting software that is compatible between the assessor’s and treasurer’s offices.

“The two offices work hand in hand with valuation and taxes. Of course, this would have to be done in consideration of the budget, the current software contract and making certain of the essentials that allow the county assessor’s office to run effectively as well,” she said.

- Cody Hooks

Occupation: Chief Colfax County Magistrate Court Judge Political experience: Colfax County Magistrate Court Judge Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

PA I D P O L I T I C A L A D V E R T I S E M E N T

VOTE JUNE 5TH “Born and raised in northern New Mexico, I take great pride in representing the communities where my family has lived for generations, where an appreciation for our beautifully diverse cultures brings us closer together. I’m seeking re-election on a record of proven leadership and results and I’m grateful for your past, present and future support.”

- Representative Debbie Rodella

ENDORSED BY:

Paid by The Committee to Re-elect Rep. Debbie A. Rodella, Kara V. Rodella Treasurer, 16 Private Drive 1156, Espanola, NM 87532

THE TAOS NEWS

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

COLFAX COUNTY SHERIFF LEONARD M. BACA Occupation: Colfax County Undersheriff Political experience: Colfax County Undersheriff Political party: Democrat Social media: facebook.com/forColfaxCountySheriff/

STEVE A. MARQUEZ Occupation: Investigator, 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office Education: Clovis Community College Political experience: Colfax County Sheriff candidate (2014) Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: facebook.com/Elect-Steve-Marquezfor-Colfax-County-Sheriff-623746717967478

COLFAX COUNTY PROBATE JUDGE PATRICK L. CASIAS Political experience: Colfax County Sheriff Political party: Democrat Convicted of a crime: No Social media: None

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eonard Baca, the current undersheriff at the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department, is seeking to take one more step to the position of sheriff this June.

Baca has been involved in law enforcement for more than two decades in Colfax County. His career began with the town of Raton, which sent him to the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Training Academy.

During his time in law enforcement, Baca has served as a field training officer, emergency response team operator, traffic crash instructor and crime scene investigator.

Sheriff Rick Sinclair chose Baca as his under-

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ormer undersheriff at the Colfax County Sheriff’s Department Steve Marquez is making a run at sheriff this year.

After an almost 30-year career in law enforcement, Marquez became an investigator at the 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, where he currently works.

He made an unsuccessful run for sheriff in 2014.

Throughout his career, Marquez served the Raton City Police Department, the Las Vegas

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atrick Casias, who served two terms as Colfax County Sheriff and termed out in 2014, is hoping to make a transition to a new role in the county as probate judge.

sheriff, Baca said, as part of what Sinclair saw as a “transformation” of the department, aimed at better response times and proactive policing.

In a post on his campaign Facebook page, Baca wrote of his campaign: “I humbly seek you vote in electing me as your next Colfax County Sheriff. I will continue to ensure the equitable law enforcement Colfax County has become accustomed to and deserves. I will continue to fight against the drug problem and the rise in crime affecting Colfax County.”

Baca did not respond to inquiries regarding his candidacy.

- John Miller

(New Mexico) Police Department and also spent time as a correction officer at the New Mexico Boys School in Springer.

In an interview four years ago with the Sangre de Cristo Chronicle, Marquez described himself as a “hands-on undersheriff,” and stated he would bring that same approach to the job if elected sheriff of Colfax County.

Marquez did not respond to inquiries regarding his candidacy.

- John Miller

Casias did not respond to inquiries about his candidacy.

- John Miller

WHAT THEY DO AND WHAT THEY EARN Taos County Assessor

The county assessor is one of three elected positions (that also include the treasurer and clerk) that oversees an office of county employees. The assessor is responsible for determining the property values of homes, businesses, land and other properties.

They do this so the treasurer’s office, which actually bills for and collects property taxes, knows how much to collect from each property owner.

Length of term: 4 years Salary: $65,855 Number of employees: 23

Taos County Commission

The five-member Taos County Board of Commissioners meets every two weeks, and sometimes more frequently, to vote on

county policy, make budget decisions, approve contracts and pass resolutions that, on occasion, are more politically symbolic than actually impactful. Taos County Manager Leandro Cordova oversees all operations at the county and is the only employee that answers directly to the commission.

Length of term: 4 years Salary: $26,257 Number of employees: 305 (all Taos County employees)

New Mexico and Taos County urgently need progressive changes to increase revenues to pay for safer schools, better roads, and more affordable housing, without raising taxes on working families. Here are seven ideas for reducing economic inequality in our community that are long overdue.

• County commissioners should demand state • Fees on short-term rentals in Taos County. legislation authorizing local carbon taxes, • An aviation fuel tax surcharge on jets with generous rebates to Taos residents and operated by the superrich at the Taos airport.

• A 10% inheritance tax on stocks and bonds • A county-owned gas station to increase worth over $1 million. county revenues and lower gas prices.

• Increase exemptions to protect homeowners, • Commissioners should work for home rule ranchers, and farmers from higher property status to allow a local living wage. taxes, while raising taxes on out-of-town owners.

“I’m on your team!”

Progressive Democrat For Commissioner For District 5

Paid political advertisement. Paid for by Jerry Yeargin

Taos County Sheriff

The sheriff supervises a department that’s tasked with keeping the peace across an expansive county that stretches from the Colorado border to Pilar. According to the Taos County website, Taos County Magistrate Judges the sheriff is responsible for enforcing all state and county laws, The New Mexico Magistrate Court for Taos County is one of 54 apprehending and arresting criminals and lending a helping hand such courts around the state in a judicial system that include 67 in managing certain events. judges, according to the state court website. It’s a court of limited Length of term: 4 years jurisdiction, handling DWI and DUI offenses, traffic violations, tort Salary: $68,654 cases, contract disputes, landlord-tenant rights, misdemeanors Number of employees: 26

M ee t & G re et Seven ways to give Taos Ta os D em H ea dq ua rt er s M ay 25 , 6- 7: 30 pm working people a better deal

Jerry (Gerald) Yeargin,

and preliminary felony hearings.

Length of term: 4 years Salary: $84,344 Number of employees: 4 (not including 2 judges)

ELECT JAKE CORDOVA FOR SHERIFF Committed to the community: * Dedicated to Progress * Swat Certified * NM Certified Law Enforcement Instructor (Firearms & Officer Survival) * Life long Taos County Resident "PAID POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT" Paid for by Jake Cordova

PRIMARY ELECTION 2018

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THE TAOS NEWS

Candidate Forums Taos County Sheriff Magistrate Judge County Commission

THURSDAY, MAY 17 | TONIGHT! UNM Bataan Hall on Civic Drive For all sheriff and magistrate judge candidates Doors open at 5 p.m. Forum begins at 5:30 p.m.

Judge candidates will go first from 5:30 to 6:20 p.m.

Sheriff candidates will follow, from 6:25 - 7:30 p.m.

Monday, May 21 KCEC Board Room For all county commission candidates Doors open at 5 p.m. Forum is from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Thursday, May 24 Picuris Pueblo gym District 5 county commission candidates and all sheriff candidates Doors open at 5 p.m. Forum from 5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.

SPONSORED BY

THE TAOS NEWS