SUN Staff Report

The event center at Northern New Mexico College was packed Saturday afternoon, as residents gathered to hear what their District 1 and District 2 County Commission candidates had to say about various issues affecting them and their neighbors.

The candidate forum, hosted by KDCE Radio, the Española Valley Chamber of Commerce and the Rio Grande SUN, was moderated by KDCE Chief Marketing Officer and Promotions Manager Adam Enciñas, SUN Managing Editor Jennifer Garcia and former Española city manger Mark Trujillo. Garcia and Trujillo asked each candidate a series of questions, ranging from unfinished county projects and transparency in contracts, to where they stood on a regional jail and the prospect of uranium mining in the Carson National Forest.

The forum began with questions directed at District 1 County Commissioner Brandon Bustos, who faces two challengers, former county commissioners Barney Trujillo and James Martinez. In his opening statement, Trujillo said he’s ready to get to work, is ready to give back as a county commissioner and wants to strive for change.

“We need a plan to fix our roads, to fix our budget and to actually make sure every resident in Rio Arriba gets served correctly,” he said.

Martinez gave a brief rundown of his background, education, family life and credentials.

He also talked about the $30 million bond that voters passed in 2019 to fund road improvements, the nursing home and a recreation center.

Bustos also gave a summary of his background and said he wants to continue the work he and fellow commissioners have done and continue to do.

“We’ve made a lot of progress,” he said.

When asked what motivated them to run, Trujillo said Chimayó residents approached him and asked him to run because of the state of the roads and parks, but also because they are tired of not having anything to do because the senior centers are closed.

“When I take a look around the district, in eight years, there are no results,” he said. “The roads are deteriorating, the parks are being neglected …”

Martinez said his motivation for running is so he can help people.

“That’s what God has called me to do,” he said. “As a pastor, a therapist, a former county commissioner …”

He said over the last four years, there’s been a change in direction and his constituents told him they need his leadership, character and integrity.

Bustos said the commission has made a lot of progress.

“I’m running because I like to serve people and I feel good seeing the community strive,” he said.

Trujillo said some of the most pressing issues the county faces are safety and lack of activities for youth.

“Youth has always been passionate to my heart,” he said. “We need things for youth to do.”

Martinez said each community within the county has different concerns that they feel are important because each community is diverse.

“People in Española feel public safety is a concern,” he said.

He pointed to the lack of a post office in Chimayó as being that community’s major concern, while the residents in Ojo Sarco are concerned with a lack of natural gas available to them.

Bustos pointed to the drug epidemic as a major issue for his constituents.

“We’re trying to tackle it,” he said. “The OD rate has gone down tremendously.”

He said the Rio Arriba County Detention Center is another issue, as well as the lack of post office in Chimayó.

District 2

District 2 County Commissioner Alex Naranjo is facing two challengers: current School Board Member Dale T. Salazar and political newcomer Kedrick Mendez.

Each gave brief summaries of their backgrounds during their opening statements, with Salazar talking about his work in his family’s business, Leroy’s Excavating, which he currently owns and runs. He cited his current position on the Española School Board and his volunteer work with the Young America Football League.

Naranjo also spoke about his time as a school board member and his 15 years on the bench as a Rio Arriba County Magistrate judge.

Mendez spoke about his work at Los Alamos National Laboratory as a facility manager, where he oversees operations, infrastructure and budgets. He previously worked as a utility superintendent and oversaw major infrastructure projects.

When the question regarding unfinished county projects was asked, each candidate had a different answer on what they would do if elected, to make sure they get finished.

Salazar said holding contractors accountable and to their prices is important to get the projects finished. He pointed out that the nursing home, which received money from a bond that was approved in 2019, is still incomplete.

Naranjo seemed to agree with the nursing home timeline and said it really irked him that the project was not started immediately after the money was received; as a result, the cost of construction went from $90 a foot to $900 a foot, a $20 million difference because of the delay, he said.

Mendez wants to be a “boots on the ground commissioner,” and follow the projects to make sure they get completed on time.

One topic all three candidates agreed on was the possibility of uranium exploration in the Carson National Forest. None of them agree with it.

Salazar said it’s detrimental to the environment. Naranjo said the current commission is in the process of drafting a resolution against the prospect.

“I’m totally against it,” Mendez said.

The Rio Grande SUN, KDCE and the Española Valley Chamber of Commerce will host a forum for Rio Arriba County sheriff candidates and Rio Arriba County assessor candidates on Saturday (4/25). Doors open at 3:30 p.m. and the forum will begin with the assessor candidates, followed by the sheriff candidates at 5:30 p.m. at the events center at Northern New Mexico College.

Early voting begins on May 5, with the primary election slated for June 2.