Opinion

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GERALD SANTOS
Los Alamos

Mr. (George) Chandler, I am not a former utilities board member but I adamantly do not support our charter being changed for the following reason.

Our city government i.e.: the County Council has absolutely no restraint in spending. They are so much like our federal government that it boggles the imagination as to how they can campaign and lie to the people of Los Alamos that they will be fiscally responsible. How can someone claim to be fiscally responsible when they spend our tax dollars like a spoiled teenager with daddy’s credit card. And you want to give then the keys Read More

If you’re paying attention to the ongoing battle over the utilities charter amendment, Question 2 on the upcoming ballot, you may wonder at the fervor of those who oppose the amendment. All are former members of the utilities board (Wismer calls them Utilities Board Alumni, or UBA), or former managers of the utilities department. 

Three Charter Review Committees (1994-1995, 2010-2012, 2013) recognized problems including accountability and liability, ambiguous language, the need for a process of dispute resolution between the council and a too-independent Read More

We urge you to vote for the proposed changes to the Los Alamos Charter.    

We are writing as private citizens though one of us (Hopkins) was chair of the original Charter Review Committee (CRC1) and the other (O’Leary) was chair of the Utilities Charter Review Committee (CRC2).

We will focus primarily on the second of the two ballot questions. This is an important question since it involves changes to Article V, the utilities section of the Los Alamos County Charter. The most comprehensive change recommended Read More

By ANITA SCHWENDT
Los Alamos

Never in my life did I ever think I would care about a county’s utilities charter.

But I’ve started to pay attention to the issue now that there’s a question on the ballot about how the utilities department should operate within county government. I’ve realized that citizens have very little ability to impact our utilities based on how the operation is currently structured.

To me, it comes down to this: You can chose to listen to the folks sending in letters against the proposed changes, most of whom are former utility board members. (To me, those letters seem fear-based.) Read More

 

 It seems that every turn in Los Alamos leads to road closure and detours, which frustrate our daily errands and enjoyment of getting about in our own community. 

The four to six week delay in the construction closing Central Avenue announced on the front page of the July 30, 2014 Los Alamos Monitor has overrun its deadline and community patience. As the County Council leads the community in a party to celebrate the construction on Central Avenue, I hope they will consider Read More

As a candidate for the County Council, I’d like to share my thinking about one of the Council’s most important responsibilities – the stewardship of our precious tax dollars. This is something we all care about because we all contribute to the County coffers and we naturally want to know that our hard-earned contributions are being spent wisely. 

While the County’s day-to-day spending decisions are in the hands of the County staff, the ultimate responsibility for good stewardship of County money lies with the County Council. As I see it, Read More

This is how I see the tax/fee operations in Los Alamos County. The school system is autonomous and separate from the rest. The Utilities Department is separate from the other departments of the County’s operations that are under the ultimate jurisdiction of the county council.

Per the LAC website “The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) operates the county-owned electric, gas, water & wastewater systems under the jurisdiction of the Board of Public Utilities.  Established under Article V. of the Read More

By KIM BALDWIN, Member,
Frank G. Frainier, Post 90 American Legion

Sept. 20, the American Legion, Post 90 had a parking lot sale hoping to raise money for our community projects and services.

So many members and friends donated their goods and their time. The sale was a grand success. A special thanks to the public for supporting us by coming out and buying our goods. You all make this a great community.

See you at the Veterans Day remembrance ceremony in November. Read More