FROM THE MAYORS DESK
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

This past March, Rio Rancho voters approved adding several duties to the mayor’s position in the city charter, the city’s constitution.

One of these new responsibilities is to annually convene and lead a meeting of the mayor and city council to discuss and identify local government goals and priorities.

The purpose of this meeting is to provide guidance for the city manager, who oversees day-to-day operations, and to serve as a public information tool.

On Saturday, June 18, city councilors and I met for five hours and reviewed a variety of topics including economic development, water, roads, public safety and quality-of-life matters.

Regarding these very important community issues, your local elected officials discussed where we have been, where we want to go and offered ideas and suggestions.

I believe this meeting was very productive for a couple of different reasons.

First, this type of meeting created a different and more relaxed venue for elected officials to communicate.

And second, all of the participants were committed to collaborating with each other and treating each other with courtesy and respect.

 

While a charter mandate has been fulfilled, the actual work has just begun. I look forward to following up with city councilors and the city manager on the subjects and ideas covered at this meeting in the coming weeks and months.

I am confident that with the elected officials and city manager currently in place, initiatives and actions will derive from this meeting that will support and promote local government’s established mission: To ensure the health, safety and welfare of the community by providing excellent service to achieve a high quality-of-life for residents, businesses and visitors.

Now and in the future, I encourage residents to check out the city’s website (rrnm.gov) and social media content for all kinds of information, ranging from work being undertaken to enhance the community and different programs and services that are available.