Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities

Crowded field at forum

CLOVIS - It's pretty rare for a political forum to be held for one specific district on the Clovis city commission. But it's just as rare to have a candidate field as crowded as this District 1.

All seven candidates made their case Thursday as the Clovis Rotary Club held its second of three political forums on the March 3 municipal election.

The seven candidates are the most for any municipal race since 2002, when 10 people ran for the open municipal judge position.

The audience of about 60 was, by an informal show of hands, roughly 80 percent District 1 residents.

In ballot order, George Jones, Ken Lindsey, Leo Lovett, Marcus Smith, James "Matt" Whittington, Rhonda Bargman and Eric Collings are all vying for an open seat. The seat was won by Ladona Clayton in 2016. When she announced she was moving to Dallas for a job opportunity, David Robinson was appointed for the final eight months with a vow to not run for the seat.

With the large candidate field and the one-hour window, moderator Vince Tyson was able to ask a pair of questions between opening and closing statements.

Opening statements

• Jones said he arrived in Clovis in 2004 due to an assignment with Cannon Air Force Base and didn't anticipate loving the community like he did.

"I really want to serve, and just make some change," Jones said.

He said his five key issues were economic development, education, first responders, infrastructure and water supply.

• Lindsey said he has been a chiropractic physician for 41 years, and previously served two terms as a district commissioner in San Bernadino. California. He believes a commission's biggest responsibility is to manage the city's money responsibly.

• Lovett, a 1985 Clovis High graduate, said communities thrive when people step up and serve, and he wants to make his years of financial knowledge an asset to the city.

"I don't have an agenda, I don't have an ax to grind," Lovett said.

He believes economic development is vital for Clovis, and that it should look for singles and doubles while it chases home run businesses.

• Smith came to the area through a football scholarship at Eastern New Mexico University, and the Hereford native would always drive by Clovis Community College on visits home. He worked his way from an unpaid internship there to his current position as director of counseling and advising and its government relations

"I want to bring a younger voice," Smith said. "It's not to push out the older voice. It's to get everybody involved."

• Whittington has moved back and forth between Lubbock and Clovis, and has become a lieutenant through his six years at the Curry County Sheriff's Department. He believes the commission should approach their positions as ones of servant leadership and to be careful with city dollars.

"We as a city need to understand the difference between needs and wants," Whittington said, "and pay for the needs first."

• Bargman noted she's been Chamber of Commerce president and chair of the Committee of Fifty, and that she's worked to help promote many of the businesses the Rotary Club members operate.

"I've been there and I've been working with Cannon and business leaders such as yourselves. I know what you're going through in business, and I want to help."

• Collings, owner of Zip Print and Design, echoed Smith's sentiments about bringing a younger voice into Clovis government, and felt like it was his duty to step forward.

"I love this city," Collings said. "I have a business here, I'm probably going to retire here. I want to be a part of where Clovis goes."

What is the most critical action that needs to be taken to address crime?

• Lindsey said he supported District 4 Commissioners Rube Render and Chris Bryant in their mission to restart a neighborhood watch program, noting, "people don't do crimes when they're being watched."

• Lovett said a sign of difficulties is that a majority of officers in the Clovis Police Department have less than three years experience. He believes officer retention is key, and that Clovis needs to get away from a culture that vilifies police. He noted the city was working on a study for police officer salaries in Clovis compared to other cities.

• Smith said the issue was multifaceted. One needed action was to find ways to introduce police to young people to establish a relationship, and to improve the overall culture so people have a rewarding job and home life and won't want to resort to crime.

• Whittington said the upcoming Census would help as long as Clovis was adequately counted. He noted law enforcement pay needs to increase, because a Clovis police officer currently starts at $10,000 less per year than a New Mexico State Police officer. He also noted cities should have 2.5 certified officers per 1,000 people, and Clovis is at around 1.1 currently.

• Bargman said a task force needs to be created to look at all of the issues, and that having neighborhood watch and DARE programs help the communities.

• Collings said part of the issue was changing the culture both in the police department and the city as a whole, but also brought up the prevalence of alcohol in most criminal acts. He said a program in South Dakota that forced sobriety for people convicted of a crime where alcohol played a role reduced recidivism.

• Jones said he agreed with all of the presented solutions, but noted, "if we don't get economic development, we don't get the funds" to do those things.

One simple solution he wanted to see to combat speeding would be to put unused patrol cars in problem areas, with the rationale the mere presence of a unit would dissuade people from speeding.

What is your position on a racino and how would you pursue other economic development?

• Whittington said although it would not be his decision as a city commissioner and it would not be "a magic bullet," he is not opposed to a racing as long as it is self-sufficient.

• Bargman noted that she helped facilitate the process when the New Mexico Racing Commission met in Clovis, and felt that if every community leader had been on board ground would already be broken.

"We let that slip through our fingers," Bargman said.

She added the commission should be supportive of the Clovis Industrial Development Corporation and the opportunities it gives Clovis.

• Collings said he was pro-racing, and his business was just one of many that would benefit. Regarding other economic development, he wants more events like Pioneer Days and the Draggin' Main Music Festival and a retooling of civic infrastructure.

"We don't have to reinvent the wheel," he said, "but we have to clean some things up."

• Jones supported the racino, and said he would encourage not only recruitment of large businesses but support for already-existing small businesses.

• Lindsey agreed with supporting small businesses, but was the one candidate who did not support a racino. He said gambling creates a devastating effect, and it's often mixed with alcohol.

Lindsey believed the city needed to clean up some of its blighted areas, and noted a fire that destroyed an old flour mill was on balance an improvement.

• Lovett said he believed the racino was a "good business decision for Clovis," and that the city should take advantage of numerous state programs to help bring in new businesses.

• Smith said the biggest key in economic development was to be unified and not be complacent.

"We need to make it look like we are ready for the next big thing to come in," Smith said, "and we need to find it."

He did not mention racino views in his answer, but said he was pro-racino when asked about it post-forum.

The club has previously held a mayor's forum, and plans on Tuesday to hold a forum for candidates In the other contested city races - District 2, District 3 and the municipal judge's race.