Returning Taos mayor aims to drive capital improvements, boost public safety under new administration

TAOS — The mayor of this historic arts and culture community will once again serve pancakes to his constituents over a hot griddle in Taos Plaza on the Fourth of July.

While that might seem rather quaint in the often fraught, Byzantine and weighty scheme of small-town politics, Taos Mayor Dan Barrone said that's exactly why it matters — an example of the sort of genteel, amiable leadership he hopes to restore to the town of Taos after returning to office this year.

"It's a wonderful opportunity," he said, speaking to the Journal alongside Town Manager Lupe Martinez inside Town Hall this month. "We are open to all, and we don't close our door. I've always posted my phone number. People know where I work."

In the 2025 local election, Barrone earned a nod from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and received 897 votes in the final tally, winning handily over Marietta Fambro, a town councilor, and Judi Cantu, chair of the town's Historic Preservation Committee.

The Pojoaque native previously served two terms as mayor of Taos, from 2014-2022, before losing his bid for a third to Pascual Maestas, who announced early in his tenure he would not seek re-election.

Martinez, whose work in local and county politics stretches back nearly three decades, became the first woman town manager of Taos in 2024, when she was chosen to replace Maestas' first pick for the position, Andrew Gonzales, one of several key staffers who departed under the prior administration.

Old business

As ever, the prior administration and current four-person town council left a full plate of business currently occupying Barrone and Martinez's attention as they strategize how they'll work together to shape the next four years.

One of those key matters, which drew consternation from local constituents, particularly business owners, is paid parking, which went into full effect last year after a period where parking was gratis in the municipality.

The town reintroduced the concept downtown in 2024, purchasing parking kiosks for Taos Plaza, John Dunn Shops and several surrounding lots, which had previously offered effectively free parking due to coined meters that had either ceased working and were no longer enforced.

Now, Barrone said he'd like the Town Council to consider modifying the new paid parking policy to include two hours of free parking. He said that would help ease the cost burden on locals looking to make quick pitstops downtown.

"I always use the example of going to get a cup of coffee," he said. "Because if you run down to get a $6 cup of coffee and then have to pay $2 for parking, that makes it an $8 cup of coffee."

Town Councilor Darien Fernandez, who also serves as executive director of Taos Land Trust, estimated this fall that the town expects to generate between $100,000 to $120,000 in fees and fines each year, monies that Martinez said would be put toward needed maintenance and upgrades.

"We want to maximize the improvements that we can do within the historic district," she said, "and so any revenue that's generated from these kiosks we put right back into the historic district, which beautifies the area, allows for more walkability within the community and allows for more economic growth."

On the affordable housing front, the town of Taos continues to work with a local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to develop 10 affordable single-family homes in the Chamisa Verde subdivision.

The New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority is serving as the fiscal sponsor for Habitat's planned $1.5 million ask from the state Legislature to complete construction for the homes at E. Sunset Street and Paseo del Cañon East, near the Taos Youth and Family Center.

"We're looking at that for how many houses we can develop there, what the capacity is there," Barrone said. "That's our contribution to the affordable housing initiative that we're trying to keep moving forward."

With a median annual income level of approximately $46,000 among its roughly 3,000 households, Taos residents typically earn far less than what would be required to purchase a home averaging $539,000 in the area, according to realtor.com.

At the nearby Taos Youth and Family Center, Barrone said the town is also laser-focused on repairing its ice rink, which was rendered unsafe after a rooftop fire in 2024, leaving the championship-winning Ice Tigers without a place to practice and host money-making tournaments.

At the tail end of Maestas' term last year, the town council also approved just under $7.1 million to create a softball complex at Filemon Sanchez Park, a local greensward that has fallen into disrepair over the years.

The town is knee-deep in several other high-dollar infrastructure projects, including a $1.8 million contract for solar streetlights and upgrades to park lighting, as well as an agreement with the El Prado Water and Sanitation District to funnel water to Taos Regional Airport, where a new 7,500-square-foot terminal has been in the works since February.

Barrone's new administration also inherits the shuttered U.S. Bank building in Taos Plaza, a purchase the Town Council approved in late 2023 for $2.1 million without any clear plan to make use of the space, raising questions from voters over fiscal responsibility of public funds.

Public safety

Barrone and Martinez both agreed public safety is their top leadership priority at the town, which saw one homicide last year, according to the Taos Police Department.

Taos County overall saw a colossal spike in drug overdose deaths last year, with the New Mexico Department of Health noting a 340% increase over 2024. Barrone said he viewed the problem as intertwined with the town's homeless population.

"We have to have a place for our homeless to go," he said, noting that the town will continue to work with Taos NEST, a local homeless shelter, to try to keep tabs on the issue. "But the drug problem will continue to bring that to the forefront. Can we address that? Can we get that calmed down?"

Barrone and Martinez will be looking to recently hired interim police chief Ronald Montez Jr., who formerly served as the chief of Questa Police Department and began his career in law enforcement with the Taos County Sheriff's Office 20 years ago.

Law enforcement, they said, will be coupled with more proactive managers meant to address the root causes of many public safety concerns, with the town soon to discuss how it will direct cannabis tax revenues it has generated since recreational marijuana sales began statewide in 2022.

"We haven't touched any of that revenue because we were wanting to issue an RFP for social services and social programming in the community," she said. "And that will be the first time the Town of Taos has ever solicited for that type of service."

Capital outlay targets

During his first stint as mayor, Barrone briefly served as a member of the New Mexico House representing District 42, an experience that he said will help him attract state funding to Taos.

"It's a great opportunity because you can look at those senators and representatives, and a lot of them are still seated," he said. "I've built a rapport with them."

In the 30-day session starting Tuesday, the town will be seeking $4.35 million for new vehicles and equipment at Taos Fire Department; $3.47 million for heavy equipment for its Public Works Department; $1 million to design and replace water infrastructure; $1 million to plan and reconstruct Las Cruces Dam, a key flood control located on Taos Pueblo; $4.5 million for improvements to Red Willow Park, formerly known as Kit Carson Park before it was renamed; and $990,000 for a new septage receiving station.

John Miller is the Albuquerque Journal’s northern New Mexico correspondent. He can be reached at jmiller@abqjournal.com.