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Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Rio Rancho Hopefuls Discuss UNM Issues

By Rosalie Rayburn
Journal Staff Writer
    An informational weekend coffee klatch with University of New Mexico's president stirred new ideas among some of the Rio Rancho candidates running for election.
    Mayoral candidate Bill White, previously opposed to raising the city's gross receipts tax to help fund infrastructure for UNM's proposed campus, has had a change of heart.
    The get-together strengthened City Council District 6 candidate Lonnie Clayton's opposition.
    District 6 candidate Kathy Colley supports the increase, as does District 4 candidate Steve Shaw.
    Mayoral candidate Jim Owen opposes the increase but suggested new approaches.
    Another mayoral candidate, John McKinney, was upset District 6 candidate Todd Hathorne sent someone else in his place.
    Kim Rytter, who is running for mayor, did not immediately return a call asking for comment.
    UNM President David Schmidly attempted to invite all candidates running in the March 4 municipal election to a meeting at Weck's restaurant Saturday. He was unable to reach some candidates, while some others were unable to attend.
    Schmidly invited the candidates to explain how a quarter-cent gross receipts tax increase will enhance higher education in Rio Rancho.
    The March 4 ballot will ask voters to approve the tax increase to raise money for infrastructure, such as roads, water and sewer lines, for a proposed UNM campus in the downtown area.
    The Saturday coffee meeting convinced White that he should support the increase.
    "It was politically a 'natural' thing to be against any new or additional taxes. ... I couldn't have been more wrong in my decision," said White in a news release after the meeting.
    Clayton remained unswayed.
    The country is facing an economic downturn, he said. Many Rio Rancho residents face heavy expenses for the Special Assessment District 7 flood control projects and higher property taxes.
    "I will never encourage any citizen to vote for such a duplicate/triplicate/quadruple tax for any reason," Clayton said in a news release e-mailed to the Journal.
    Owen suggested UNM could lease space in a proposed office building between City Hall and the Santa Ana Star Center.
    That would be better than raising the gross receipts tax, and Schmidly appeared interested in the idea, Owen said Monday.
    McKinney said he remained opposed to any new taxes. But the meeting convinced him that a UNM campus would be valuable for Rio Rancho.