Santa Fe County Commission District 2 candidate questionnaires

Apr. 30—Lisa Cacari Stone

City or area of primary residence: Santa Fe.

Age: 58.

Party affiliation: Democrat.

Educational background: Doctorate in social policy, Brandeis University; post-doctorate from Harvard School of Public Health.

Occupation: Professor.

Political experience: Policy analyst for the state Legislature and U.S. Senate.

Relevant life experience: 35 years of public service.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? No.

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? No.

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? No.

What makes you a good candidate for County Commission? I am a Democrat, long-term resident of Santa Fe and have dedicated 35 years of public service to improving the lives of New Mexicans. I've worked in the front lines of health and social services including child welfare, community mental health and substance abuse prevention, Medicaid managed care and healthier communities' programs.

I am currently an educator at UNM and direct a national research center of excellence funded by the National Institutes of Health. My leadership work in government, public education, social service organizations and foundations has sharpened the skills that are needed for the job including: fiscal and grants management, strategic planning, civic engagement and policy development.

I attained a Ph.D. from Brandeis University in social policy, completed my post doctorate at the Harvard School of Public Health and served as a policy analyst for the state Legislature and as a congressional fellow with Sen. Edward "Ted" Kennedy.

What two or three issues do you view as most important to District 2 residents? If elected, how would you address them? In going door to door and listening to the residents of District 2, there are two major concerns that they share: lack of water and affordable housing.

With the growth in development comes an increased demand for water. New units are popping up, crowding out open spaces, creating more traffic on underdeveloped roads, devastating traditional cultural landscapes and threatening water sources.

New housing units are not affordable, and more and more residents are relocating or leaving Santa Fe, creating a shortage of teachers, health care workers and emergency responders. Some who are more financially vulnerable become homeless.

As a county commissioner, I will work to unify cooperation between our county, city and state in order to find solutions regarding safe water supplies, land development and tight public finances. I support short- and long-term actions such as implementing comprehensive water conservation programs that promote water-saving technologies, investing in water reuse and recycling infrastructure, and ensuring equitable allocation and management of water rights.

I will champion solutions to the rising costs of homes, high rents and homelessness and support tapping the profits from market-rate housing development. I will champion increased access to mental health and substance abuse services for our residents who are homeless.

Should Santa Fe County seek to expand affordable housing for residents, and if so, how? Yes, we need affordable housing, especially for low- and middle-income residents. As a county commissioner, I will work to find solutions to the rising costs of homes, increased mortgage interest rates and high rentals. I will assure that Santa Fe County's Affordable Housing Program is successfully implemented so that we increase housing opportunities to individuals, seniors and families. I will work with our city, nonprofits, faith community, neighborhood associations and those with the lived experiences to find solutions to homelessness in our Santa Fe region including increased capacities for emergency shelter, permanent supportive housing and affordable rentals and homeownership.

What capital projects would you prioritize as a county commissioner? I am a constituency-based candidate and will fund according to the needs of the district I represent. There is currently a 20-year Capital Improvement Plan for the county that includes all projects awaiting funding and those that are project ready. That would be a focus for projects in my district.

In addition, and perhaps more importantly, I will listen to the people in District 2 to learn directly from them what their needs are. Thus far, water, affordable housing, health, infrastructure and public safety are the concerns that I'm hearing when I go door to door and at community meetings.

Scott Fuqua

City or area of primary residence: Santa Fe.

Age: 48.

Party affiliation: Democrat.

Educational background: Bachelor's degree from Eastern New Mexico University (1997), law degree from the University of Chicago (2001).

Occupation: Attorney.

Political experience: In 2020, I ran for district attorney. I have also worked in varying capacities with congressional, judicial and statewide campaigns in New Mexico.

Relevant life experience: I am a husband and father with roots in Santa Fe going back three generations. I serve on the board of First Serve New Mexico and volunteer with The Food Depot and Kitchen Angels.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? No.

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? No.

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? No.

What makes you a good candidate for County Commission? I'm honest and willing to really listen to valid concerns and good ideas for addressing problems and, more generally, ensuring that Santa Fe County remains a great place to live and work.

My professional career is evidence of my exercise of sound judgment. I'm not aiming to "shake things up." I want to maintain what's working and change what isn't, and I am interesting in hearing from the members of the community which they believe is which.

But most importantly, I am genuinely motivated by a desire to serve the public and to put my skills and experience to work for the benefit of Santa Fe County and its residents.

What two or three issues do you view as most important to District 2 residents? If elected, how would you address them? Safeguarding our limited water resources is an issue for everyone, particularly with the discovery of PFAS in wells in the county. While most of the wells in which PFAS were found are in District 3, at least one is in District 2. But this is a countywide issue, one about which people in every district are and should be concerned.

To address the issue, we first need to know how widespread it is — people need to have wells tested, and they need the county's help with that.

The county also needs to take a very hard look at expanding our water recycling capabilities, including the recycling of effluent to potable water. I'm open to creative ideas about increasing the county's water portfolio.

I am also interested in finding ways to harness the tremendous alternative energy potential in Santa Fe County and would like to explore creative avenues for both collecting and distributing energy to county residents and helping residents with the personal installation of solar power systems in particular.

Should Santa Fe County seek to expand affordable housing for residents, and if so, how? Yes. This highlights another important issue. The county owns land and should consider how that land can be used to develop additional housing. Because housing supply is a huge component of the cost of housing, every additional unit helps make housing more affordable.

More directly, the county should encourage development of specifically designated affordable housing. That can take the form of development incentives and possibly regulation requiring that a development include a specified number of affordable units. It is also important to ensure that such development is done sustainably, particularly regarding water usage.

What capital projects would you prioritize as a county commissioner? Infrastructure, such as road maintenance, should always be a priority. The county has done a good job with that and I would work to ensure that it continues doing a good job. I would also prioritize the expansion of the County's water recycling capabilities.

Benito Martinez Jr.

City or area of primary residence: Santa Fe.

Age: 61.

Party affiliation: Democrat.

Educational background: Santa Fe High School grad, 1980; College of Santa Fe ,1981; New Mexico Highlands University, 1982; New Mexico Certified Real Property Appraiser International Association of Assessing Officers, 1989; Local Government Leadership Program, 2006.

Occupation: Retired, artist, jewelry/traditional and contemporary woodwork.

Political experience: Santa Fe County assessor 1996-2006, elected president of the New Mexico assessors association, elected president of the New Mexico Association of Counties.

Relevant life experience: Board member of the Santa Fe Community Housing Trust, president of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Santa Fe/Del Norte, area council chair of New Mexico Boys & Girls Clubs, youth coach for soccer and wrestling and certified wrestling official.

Have you ever been charged or convicted of a crime, including drunken driving? Yes.

If yes, please explain. 10/21 DUI. It was very costly and trying to all involved, including my family. However, a great amount of positive results have since come from this incident as alcohol is no longer a part of my life. [It occurred after my son's death in 2021.] This is not an excuse. It played out heavily on my heart, soul and mind and I was taking the wrong path at that time. It is being corrected every day. Thank you.

Have you ever filed for bankruptcy or been involved in a bankruptcy proceeding, either personally or in business? Yes.

If yes, please explain. 25 years ago.

Have you ever been the subject of liens for unpaid taxes? No.

What makes you a good candidate for County Commission? In addition to a dedicated and energetic style, I bring a diverse-minded background to our community. I have a proven track record of solid, meaningful achievements on a multitude of levels, assisting low-income and disabled senior citizens and our treasured veterans.

I am an advocate in working directly with our legislators and on both sides of the aisle for positive results and for nearly three decades. In the capacity as Santa Fe County assessor, my peers recognized me for contributions. I was elected and served as president of both the New Mexico chapter of the International Association of Assessing Officers and the New Mexico Association of Counties, where I have been a fixture.

Make no mistake, the institutional knowledge that I possess is invaluable. After all, what is valuable about any experience is that which, although intangible, is what is left as a part of others or carried away as a part of your self.

What two or three issues do you view as most important to District 2 residents? If elected, how would you address them?

* Health, safety and accessibility to county by the public and electorate.

* Recognize and protect property rights.

* Protection of valuable and precious water resources.

* Effective management of county staff so that the taxpayer realizes a positive experience in working with staff on important issues to the taxpayer.

Major focus on distribution of the Statewide Fire Protection Fund to Santa Fe County fire districts, both county and volunteer, is a priority to my commission campaign. I was president of the New Mexico Association of Counties as we collaborated, lobbied and we realized an $11 million fire fund appropriation in 2006.

We can assist the public in these areas (forested and wild land fire susceptible areas) in mulching said fuels with county resources. At a recent interview with a local professional association, this idea was presented which would produce a protection product (mulch) which is valuable as a bedding resource in order to reduce evaporation and conserve water in irrigating scenarios.

Assist traditional communities in modernizing community water systems as they have become functionally obsolete or simply unusable. Maintain better service in all departments of county government.

Should Santa Fe County seek to expand affordable housing for residents, and if so, how? As a previous board member of the Santa Fe Community Housing Trust in the founding and early years, we realized a multitude of examples in which local governments may engage in more influential collaborations with potential homeowners such as homebuyers training, teaching about reserves for replacements in the home and the function of local governments in training scenarios. In the land use arena and code, expand subsidy assistance from all of those involved in homeownership and expand densities from planned unit developments in order to reduce the burdens of closing costs and debt ratios of first-time homeowners.

What capital projects would you prioritize as a county commissioner? Again, community water systems and sewer systems. Prioritize road maintenance on a daily basis, achieve improvements of said roads, public parks, trails and community centers. Increase delivery outreach to potential recipients of food programs. Establish satellite county offices from various county departments. Improve better service to the public both on the phone and in person. The wait time and cost of land use permitting must be examined. Time is costing the constituency unnecessary investments and must become a priority. Simple, courteous and respectful handling of all aspects of county business is paramount.