By PETE SHEEHEYPete Sheehey released the following statement after filing Tuesday to be a candidate on the June 2016 Democratic Primary Election ballot for reelection to the Los Alamos County Council.
Los Alamos has been a good home for me, and I think we can make it even better. When I ran and was elected four years ago to the County Council, I said that I would help County Government keep spending within reasonable limits, and yet go ahead with needed investments in infrastructure, education, economic development, and recreational amenities.
These are things that will make our town more inviting to everyone, from students and single people, to families with children, to retired people. I have lived here since 1986 as a student and then a scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory with a family. I retired in 2012, so I have had the time to give to the job of County Government and continue to learn about the issues affecting our town.
There’s a new generation of people coming to work here, and they see a lot of the same things I saw when I first came here: a healthy and beautiful environment, interesting work, and friendly, intelligent people. We need to ensure our community has the opportunities and amenities that are inviting to newcomers, and good services for all.
There are four areas I will continue to focus on: communication, prioritization, sustainability and fiscal responsibility. Communication means listening to people, and telling people honestly and clearly what our issues and choices are. Prioritization means making good, hard choices.
Sustainability is not just about how we use our natural resources, but also about using all our resources wisely. Los Alamos will remain a prosperous town, even with the frequent uncertainty of Lab budgets. We will be able to afford the important things for our community, as long as we make good choices.
Fiscal responsibility means spending our money efficiently. Tax revenues spent wisely on good investments for Los Alamos will pay off for all of us in the long run. County government must earn people’s trust if support for such investments is expected. That trust is earned when everyone in county government does business with integrity and treats all people with respect.
I knocked on thousands of doors in 2012, asking people what they think about County Government. I have continued to listen since then. I will be happy to share my ideas, and listen, in the coming campaign. To see more of my ideas and record, I invite people to visit my website, www.petesheehey.com.
