The town's election clerk, Mary Andersen, said 72, or .3 percent, of the 2,173 eligible voters, went to the polls on Tuesday.

Councilor Michael Leon Otero received 62 votes, and Joseph Romero received 63.

Voters were allowed to vote for both of the candidates, but some voted for one or another, Andersen said.

Otero said he is proud of the accomplishments the town has made since it incorporated, such as securing police and fire services for Peralta.

He said the town has been able to operate "in the black," and now has a small staff, a court and a new town hall.

"When we started, we ran on getting police and fire and maintaining roads," Otero said. "We are working on that right now."

Otero said there is a dust problem that arose from fixing the roads, but the council will continue to work on it.

Romero said he wants to continue working on Peralta's roads, and would like to see the town get its own police department, but added that is a long way off.

He also wants to see a turning lane on N.M. 47, which he says is presently a "death trap." Romero said he wants to stay on the state to make sure it gets done.

Otero said getting a sewer system along N.M. 47 will help bring in business. He would like to see it spread into neighborhoods as the mix of septic systems and wells is beginning to pollute the ground water.

Romero said he wants to recruit "desirable businesses" into Peralta.

Romero said one of his big goals for his upcoming term is to finish the town's comprehensive plan, which helps guide Peralta into the next several decades. He said the plan hasn't been adopted and needs more work.

"It gets pretty detailed," Romero said.

Otero said part of the reason for incorporation was to control growth as most of Peralta's residents want to live in a rural setting.

"We don't want mega housing developments," he said. "We would like to improve our business corridor."