Accomplishments

While we have had many important accomplishments during my first term, these have had the most significant impact on our village:

  • Restored financial strength and audit integrity of the Village; $3.3 million more cash.
  • Stabilized public safety departments with competitive officer wages and empowered all department heads to accomplish their missions.
  • Made repairs and improvements in Parks and Public Works to benefit all Corraleños.
  • Updated and championed the formal adoption of the Master Trails Plan including access to MRGCD ditch banks.
  • Repaired and reestablished key relationships with State, Federal, and Regional agencies.

When you elected me 4 years ago, I promised to focus on 7 things to improve our government. Here are the results:

RESPONSIBLE MANAGEMENT OF VILLAGE FINANCES
  • Net Financial Position of the Village increased by $1.48 million.
  • Cash and Equivalents increased by $3.3 million.
  • Paid off the State loans for construction of the wastewater system.
  • Capitalized on retirement of key employees to merge departments, i.e. Parks and Public Works is now one. Eliminated one director and cross-over of labor in several positions.
  • Eliminated our 16th, perpetually vacant, police officer slot allowing for redistribution of departmental pay. CPD is now positioned more competitively, promoting quality recruitment and longevity.
  • Captured savings to also reconcile the Fire Department wages to make us more competitive with surrounding communities.
RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING
  • Ended the practice of tallying up spending priorities, then adjusting revenue projections to match them.
  • Established practice of budgeting based on community priorities by using Town Hall meetings and community surveys for Villagers to tell us what’s important.
  • Empowered and encouraged staff to set priorities based on Village responsibilities balanced with community priorities, creating a more efficient and effective administrative team.
  • Implemented best practice of submitting balanced budgets on time which were quickly approved by the State.
  • Established a surplus due to conservative projections and management of expenses.
ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING
  • As I took office, Corrales’ financial reporting was in such poor condition, we were required by the State to hire a “fiscal agent” to manage our contracts and payments. This 2% budget expense is no longer required.
  • We tightened our belts to provide adequate staffing and support to accounting and improved all internal reporting and controls.
  • Established New Mexico precedence for clean audits by sending not one, but two consecutive audit reports to Santa Fe with no problems of any kind!
COMMUNITY PRIORITIES
  • Listened to public input on the importance of our recreational facilities.
    • Addressed safety issues with new play structures at La Entrada Park.
    • Approved sprinklers and reseeding of the Rec Center Field.
    • Replaced water play facilities at the Corrales Pool.
  • Worked with staff, volunteers, and expert advisors to address and resolve the homeless animal issues.
  • Acquired the Jones property to house the Public Works Division, protect our equipment, and free up space for community activities.
  • Rescued State funding for the Old Church roof project by working with State Leadership and Historical Society to restructure their contract which created opportunities for them to earn more money for their organization and the Village.
  • Extended wastewater collection and fire protection to Casa San Ysidro and the Old Church.
  • Rebuilt relationships with MRGCD and other Bosque partners.
A CULTURE OF OPENNESS
  • More efficient meetings encourage participation and make it easier for people with jobs and families to attend.
  • Modernized Village information systems for simple online access to essential information.
    • New Village website with many enhancements and expanded information availability through links to other sources and media.
    • Implemented a new Social Media Strategy with enhanced Department Facebook posts, Twitter, and Nextdoor communications
    • Online searchable Village Code is updated twice a year for ordinance changes (instead of once every 10 years) and contains key-word search capability. In between updates, ordinance changes are at your fingertips.
  • Adopted a “Front Porch Policy” for better community involvement; people routinely visit my front porch.
  • Made myself available to meet at either my office or outside locations.
ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY
  • Reinvented our Corrales MainStreet relationship supporting their need for a full time Executive Director and including hard contract deliverables including business surveys, new business recruiting goals, commercial property inventory tracking, and monitoring commercial vacancy rates.
  • Hands-on economic development work includes regular personal meetings with MainStreet leadership. We visit developers of prospective new businesses, invite them to come here, and advise them on key issues and how to navigate our processes.
  • Reorganized the “Planning and Zoning Department” into the new Community Development Team to improve the accuracy and clarity of ensure that rules are applied fairly and evenly to everyone.
  • Encouraged the Planning and Zoning Commission to undertake the important work of reviewing and updating our land use codes.
QUALITY OF LIFE
  • Increased safety from fire and crime by supporting, stabilizing, stabilizing and equipping our Police and Fire Departments.
  • Continuous improvements in our recreational facilities as well as our road and drainage infrastructure.
  • Reduced visual pollution from excess signage and to rationalize our policies to keep traffic flowing smoothly.
  • Worked directly with our Bosque Management Partners to support progress and improvements there.
  • Rescued the Bosque Restoration Project and over $3 million in funding for safety and habitat improvements in the Corrales Bosque which is critical to preserving it as a safe and beautiful resource for the entire community and visitors to enjoy.
  • Established clear protocols for administrative versus legislative approval requirements making Corrales easier to get things done.
  • Continued efforts to support our farmers and preserve farmland by keeping it in the hands of farmers.