Candidates seeking office for Southeast New Mexico Community College Board, Carlsbad Municipal Schools Board of Education and Carlsbad City Council gathered for a candidate forum tonight at the Lucky Bull Restaurant.
5:46 p.m. Carlsbad Municipal Schools Board of Education candidates, SENM Community College Board candidates and Carlsbad City Council candidates gather for forum at the Lucky Bull Restaurant.
6 p.m. Forum has started with those seeking seats for the SENM Community College Board.
6:06 p.m. Candidates take opening questions.
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Ned Elkins, Frances McCarthy, Cherry Frintz, David Rogers, William Murrill, Mark Cage and Doris Carleton are running for the Southeast New Mexico Community College Board.
William Murrill is absent from tonight’s forum.
Eddy County Sheriff Mark Cage said the college is important to him and that is why he is running for the College Board.
Candidates are given one minute to answer a series of questions.
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Cost of living and a fair wage for faculty and staff discussed.
CMS Board of Education candidates turn
CMS Board of Education candidates now taking questions. Thomas Hollis, Tiffany Shirley, Jason Burns, Clancey McMillan and Simon Rubio are the candidates.
Clancey McMillan and Jason Burns agree transparency is the best way to build trust.
“The relationship between the district and our teachers is needed,” McMillan said.
Rubio said school boards have to follow mandates from the State of New Mexico.
“That is something that has come down,” he said.
Hollis said there is a lack of communication.
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“As a board we have to sit down with the teachers,” Hollis said.
Candidates asked about critical race theory.
“History is important. We need to teach history accurately,” Shirley said.
“I am 100 percent against critical race theory,” he said.
Hollis said it has no place in a public school setting.
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“This is a sensitive topic,” Rubio said. He is an incumbent. “I don’t know enough of the facts on it.”
Candidates asked what role is of school member and superintendent.
“The superintendent is an employee of the school board,” Shirley said. “It’s important to be open and listening to every area of our educational system.”
“As a school board we have to make the superintendent is following the vision of the community,” Hollis said.
City Council closes the forum
Mark Walterscheid, Karla Hamel, Dick Van Dyk, Jeffrey Forrest and Edward Rodriguez and Leo Estrada are running for Carlsbad City Council. Estrada is not at tonight’s forum.
Candidates asked about relationship between New Mexico State Government and the City of Carlsbad.
“It’s really hard to know we’ve got to suck it up and work with them,” Walterscheid said.
“I believe our relationship is less that ideal,” Rodriguez said.
“I feel like they don’t give us the respect that we deserve,” Forrest said.
Candidates asked what they cherish about Carlsbad?
“I’ve been in Carlsbad for more than 20 years. We’re a diamond in the desert,” Hamel said. “We need to go back being a tourism community.”
Van Dyk arrived in Carlsbad in 1975 and said people can get involved anyway they want.
“This is a great community. I come from back east and this will be a great community,”
City Council candidates talk about government transparency.
“We need to be open with what we’re doing,” Forrest said. “We have to represent all of Carlsbad not just our wards.”
“Our city government is very transparent in what we do,” Walterscheid said.
Candidates asked what they cherish about Carlsbad?
“I’ve been in Carlsbad for more than 20 years. We’re a diamond in the desert,” Hamel said. “We need to go back being a tourism community.”
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Mike Smith can be reached at 575-628-5546 or by email at [email protected] or @ArgusMichae on Twitter.
