CITY OF GRANTS, N.M. - Election Day is March 1, and many of the hopeful candidates for Grants City Council are preparing for the big day. For months the Grants City Council has stood stagnant as internal turmoil left the government fractional and barely operating, District 2 is currently served by City Councilor Rick Lucero who is running for reelection. District four is currently served by Councilor Fred Padilla who is not seeking reelection, Richard Jones is seeking election to this seat.
These responses did not come in time to make the Feb. 9 edition of the Cibola Citizen where the other candidates running for these positions were discussed. Because they were just short of deadline, they are being printed in this edition. All Grants City Council candidates were asked the same set of questions, candidates who are incumbents in other seats were asked additional questions.
District 2
Rick Lucero is the current Mayor Pro tem of the City of Grants and has served one full term as councilor, four years.
“I want to help build Grants to a better economic city, I was to help rebuild the infrastructure and increase the gross receipts tax we receive,” Lucero said when asked why he wants to continue serving on the council. In his time on the council, Lucero said that some of his greatest accomplishments come from approving projects like the rehabilitation of First and Second Streets in the city; and working on fixing the water line infrastructure.
When asked about the transparency of the City of Grants, Lucero said, “It’s valid, we need to give citizens all the information they want, its important they get what they want. Whether its finances or anything else, I believe in transparency. We have to work with the citizens.”
Lucero explained that he is looking forward to a new mayo and administration in the city, hoping that the council will be able to accomplish more work.
For his part, Lucero said that he appreciates the work of the city’s nonprofits and has participated in community clean ups put on by the Grants MainStreet Program, and he pledged to participate more in non-profit work in the future.
District 4
Richard W. Jones is currently serving on the Grants/Cibola County School Board, and is looking to advance to municipal government. Jones works for professional bull riders and is a Live Event Producer and Music Director, owning a production company that works on trade shows across the country. When asked why he wants to be a city councilor, Jones explained, “I grew up here, my kids live here, and my grandkids live here. I want Grants to be the best city it can be. I see a lot of potential for industry. I believe I can help turn Grants toward a positive future.”
Some of his biggest priorities are cleaning up the city, and fixing up the “dilapidated structures that are just taking u space in possible commercial real estate.” Jones seeks to bring respect and integrity to the council, “I am all for a spirited debate, but everyone should remain civil,” he explained. When asked about transparency, Jones said that transparency should be simple. “Everything that a city councilor does should be in front of the public or should be on public record,” he said. Ensuring that the city stays transparent should be simple, he explained, saying that it’s easy to be transparent if “someone always follows the rules.” For his part, Jones said his dealings will be 100 percent transparent. Being a current member of the Grants/Cibola County School Board, Jones said that if he wins, he will not step down from his school board seat. “I have no intention of vacating my seat. I still have lots of work to do there.”