Curry County Commission candidate profiles

Editors Note: The Clovis News Journal asked the Curry County Commission candidates to answer the following questions in 200 words. The answers were edited for spelling and style. The general election is Nov. 4.

Commissioner District 2

Democrat

Charles Benny Adams

Age: 55

Occupation: Retired human resources, training and manufacturing manager in the computer chip industry

Previous elected offices: None

• What should be done to address staffing, security and administration issues at the county jail?

In addition to our acting warden we now have a number of excellent candidates from around the USA to fill the permanent warden position. That should be prioritized. The current commission has also approved additional staffing for the detention center. At the last commission meeting we heard there is renewed interest in qualified officers to fill our open positions. We will have addressed the staffing problem with these additional officers and more effective interviewing tactics. If after I join the commission and the turnover/quality problem still exists I will volunteer to spend time with the staff and help ensure the retention issues are resolved. I spent most of my career hiring and retaining outstanding employees and I know I will be able to add value to the process. Regarding security and administration, progress is being made. Using our own eyes as well as those of outside professionals we must identify and scrutinize every potential weakness in the system and react now. It is unfortunate and unacceptable that we ever got into this situation. I believe we have learned from this painful experience, if it happens again our county officials must be held accountable.

• Should the sheriff’s department operate the jail?

No. The sheriff’s department should be focused on apprehending people that break the law. That requires very specific skills and knowledge. The detention department should focus on keeping people detained until the courts release them. That too requires different, very specific skills and knowledge. The theories and science behind these two departments are different and I believe they should be managed separately.

• What should the county commission do to minimize losses from operating the special events center during its first years of operation?

Many of the citizens I talk to expect the special events center to lose money indefinitely. I do not believe we can afford that mindset. We must, at least, pay the bills of it being there and have a goal of making it profitable. We need to establish very specific revenue goals and work with the management firm to meet those goals. One subject that has been talked about is allowing beer to be served at the events center. We must get to the bottom of that subject as soon as possible. I cannot imagine how we can build a realistic vision and plan of how to manage this facility without knowing who we can count on for sponsorships. I believe beer sales at the events center should be decided by the citizens as soon as possible, so solid plans can be made. We will minimize losses, in the short term, by implementing a strategic plan and, again, holding ourselves accountable.

• Should the county implement a nuisance ordinance, and if so, what would be the key components?

Yes. Beyond Cannon, growth in our county is dependent on the economy (good jobs) and the desire of individuals and environmentally sensitive industry moving here. The value of all our property is impacted by that growth one way or another. I have served on site selection committees for large corporations in the past and there is no doubt that first impressions make a considerable difference. The key component to a nuisance ordinance I would support would be the entrances to Clovis. So far we have drafted an ordinance and it has been wordsmithed to death. We must take on tough issues and get the hard work done.

• What other issues do you think the county commission should address? List your top three priorities.

The youth of Curry County: I believe the highest priority we have in Curry County is to support in building the mind, spirit and bodies of our youth. Half our county budget goes toward catching and housing people who break the law. We must stop feeding that system. Among other work I will prioritize extracurricular alternatives for our youth in Curry County.

Leadership and fiscal responsibility: County commissioners should provide exemplary leadership to our employees, spend money responsibly and plan for an economic future that may be very different from the past. We must be worthy of our citizens respect and not be driven by special interests of our own or those that helped get us elected.

Plan and manage our future: We will achieve what we plan to achieve, conversely, we will not achieve what we do not plan to achieve. We must work with the city of Clovis to plan our future. We must have a solid plan to protect our natural resources while attracting industry. Starting with the special events center we need to build a vision of Curry County as a weekend destination for people from eastern New Mexico, West Texas, and beyond.

Republican

Daniel J. Stoddard

Age: 48

Occupation: Owner of Fairhaven Assisted Living Facility

Previous elected offices: None

Declined to participate.