Bosque Farms voters hear from council candidates

BOSQUE FARMS—A packed crowd listened in full focus at a recent candidate forum for five members of the Bosque Farms community who are running for two seats on the village council.

Because incumbent Councilors Michael Cheromiah and Tim Baughman did not file for re-election, two new members will be elected in November.

During the forum, which was hosted by Bosque Farms Councilor Erica De Smet, the candidates were asked multiple questions by audience members. Resident Janice Smith organized the questions and presented them to the candidates.

The candidates for the Bosque Farms Village Council are James “Opie” Bruhn, Clinton “CJ” Kettle, Stefanie Scanland, Dolly Wallace and Manuel “Manny” Zamora.

The first question asked of the candidates was if they were elected, how would they balance growth with keeping the unique lifestyle cherished by many in the rural community.

Kettle, service manager at Wagner Equipment, said keeping everything in balance is “the trick,” saying the village was founded on having a small, rural lifestyle.

“But we need some commercial growth to produce gross receipt taxes,” Kettle said. “What we get from federal and state is minuscule. We either need an economic development committee to facilitate to bring business in that are selling a physical good.”

“Economic growth is extremely important to the village but it must be the right kind,” Wallace said.

She took credit for making initial contact and bringing in Tractor Supply to Bosque Farms, and pointed to a local assisted living facility.

“These are types of businesses we need,” she said. “There should be more of what our people need here.”

Scanland, who is an HR professional who owns a mobile catering business, said the village needs to collaborate with other municipalities and counties to get good ideas for economic development.

“In order for us to thrive we must bring in new business,” Sandland said. “We need to be business friendly, which I don’t think we are.”

Bruhn, a contractor with a bachelor’s degree in structural engineering, said the village has too many used car lots, and not one RV lot or motels.

“We need to (have an) incentive for people to come to Bosque Farms,” Bruhn said. “If we bring them in, spend a couple of days, maybe they’ll come back or even move here.”

He also said the rent on some of the empty buildings on the boulevard is too high, and the village should “make those people put something in those buildings.”

Zamora, a retired Albuquerque firefighter and a fire protection engineer, said he moved to Bosque Farms four years ago because of the same reasons, including the rural atmosphere of the village.

“We need to start with a cost analysis to find out what we need,” Zamora said. “I think we need to preserve what we have ... but we need to attract businesses to contribute to our GRT.”

The candidates were also asked if they would be willing to work with the rest of the council and put differences aside.

They all said they were committed to work with one another for the benefit of the village.

“The councilors aren’t going to get our way all the time; we have to work together for a common denominator,” Wallace said.

“It’s pretty evident that the current process is not working because nothing is getting done,” Scanland said. “Collaboration on the board and the community is needed. We all have to work tighter to get things done.”

“The system we have is absolutely broken ...,” Bruhn said. “We need to run the village like a business. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

“I’m not here to bad mouth the sitting council and mayor but it is clear there is division,” Zamora said. “We need more transparency and input from the community is needed. Bosque Farms has been absent from Santa Fe, and important to go up there and ask for grants.”

“I have not had a problem working for everyone, and I’m open to suggestions,” Kettle said. “I agree there are some steps to fix; it’s not completely broken, but it needs some work. I agree we all need to work together ... to talk to each other in a civil way.”

The next question asked of the candidates was if they thought the councilors should speak up regarding “lack of transparency” of the village as well as the alleged “back-door deals.”

All five candidates said they couldn’t confirm there have been any back-door deals, but said there should be more transparency from the village.

“This is one of the reasons why I decided to run,” Scanland said. “Transparency is extremely important and nothing is being done and, as a resident, I don’t know why.”

Scanland suggested the village be more active on social media, letting residents know what is happening in Bosque Farms.

Bruhn said while they don’t have to agree on everything, they can all agree that transparency is important.

“We used to have virtual meetings, and once that stopped, we couldn’t watch,” he said. “Everyone feels kind of lost and uninformed. If we bring it back, you can log on and watch the meetings.”

Zamora said he is a firm believer that an elected official isn’t there for their benefit but for the benefit of the community.

“The executive branch has powers that the council does not have, that’s why we have checks and balances,” Kettle said. “Village staff has answered all the questions I had, and all you have to do is ask for it.”

Wallace said when she was on the council years ago, she would study the council packet before the meeting and was prepared to consider any issue in front of them.

When asked what the most important issues are to them, the candidates answered varied but, for the most part, on the same page.

Zamora said his top priorities was to find a solution to the arsenic problem in the village’s water system, the need for major improvements to the wastewater treatment plant and replace and repair the streetlights on N.M. 47.

Kettle said the most important issue facing the village is finding a new clerk/administrator and a deputy clerk. He also said the wastewater treatment plant needs more funding, and arsenic removal is a priority.

Wallace said the village needs to focus on bringing back EMS service to Bosque Farms. She also said they need an additional clarifier at the wastewater treatment plant, and the lights on the boulevard are important to her as well.

Scanland agreed that EMS is the top priority, and said the wastewater treatment plant is “hanging on by pins and needles.” She also said, “holding people accountable is very important.”

Bruhn noted that employee retention is important, as well as the wastewater treatment plant and arsenic removal. He noted village employees need to be paid more, and replacing the streetlights is important because darkness attracts crime.

All five candidates also committed, if elected, to attend training for elected officials by the New Mexico Municipal League.

The regular local election is set for Tuesday, Nov. 4.