The hard truth is that, if I had to bet, Santa Fe has lost trust in its elected and appointed officials. In order to help rebuild trust (IF I’m elected), I hope to hold regular town halls with, not only with my constituency, but also with the greater Santa Fe community.
I hate to say, “if I’m elected,” but there’s really no other way for me to be a part of the solution. As a community member, I do my best to stay informed and involved. However, among the reasons I chose to run for school board is that I believe that I can help re-build a community that was once connected with each other. While I realize that disagreement is natural, I also know that Santa Fe doesn’t really disagree, it feels like we simply don’t care. Part of the reason we don’t care is that we all to often feel excluded from decisions.
Several issues plague our schools: safety, declining enrollment, cost of living. But when elected officials meet without input from the community, the we only feel like we have to suffer through whatever the governing bodies decide. This isn’t ok. I, for one, do not like feeling like an outsider in my hometown. I want, very much, to believe that I have a voice within my city. Sadly though, I don’t.
Which then led me to run for office. I know I can be a force for positive growth. The first step, though, is to be open and communicative with my city. The reality is that I can’t solve all the problems by myself. But I do know that we are smarter together and if I do get a chance to serve on the school board, I will do all I can to include as many voices within my policy and budget decisions as I can.
There are no easy answers, but if I do win a seat on the school board, I will include people and incorporate as many views as I can. Santa Fe is stronger together and it’s time we trust each other again.
