BY ANNE LAURENT
Los Alamos County Manager
I would like to wish the community a safe and happy holiday season and take a moment to publicly thank the County staff for their hard work and dedication. I often say that I do not want to be the manager of just any city or county, but this county.
It is true the community members of Los Alamos County have high expectations. However, if you put the expectations in context with the main topics of debate – regulation and economic development – it is clear that these issues represent only a very small fraction of all the County operations.
For the most part, because of course no one is perfect, the County offers top-tier services, and the community greatly appreciates it.
How do I know this? This year’s National Community Survey is a statistically valid survey and ranked safety (97%), natural environment (94%), parks and recreation (84%), and mobility (74%) as good or excellent and higher than the national average, with the public libraries (97%) also rated positively by all respondents. Ratings of utilities was up by 22/23% from 2022 and overall confidence in the County government, the job County government does welcoming resident involvement, and informing residents about issues facing the community were all trending upward between 5 and 10% and are similar results to the national average. The areas related to the local economy and business remain lower than the national average including the overall quality and variety of businesses and service establishments and the vibrancy of the downtown/commercial area and shopping opportunities. Affordability stood out as a priority for housing, health care, and health care services.
As we strive to improve, the County continues to invest in tools that promote transparency, accessibility, and community engagement. In 2024, the new eComment feature for County Council meetings was enabled to allow written public comments to be submitted as part of the meeting record. The performance dashboard was launched and will be relaunched in 2025 with Council’s updated strategic goals and objectives – tracking relevant actions. The Los Alamos Now app will also be promoted and expanded to track the reporting of issues and responses in 2025.
Of course, one can argue that where we struggle – vacant properties and a need for business and service establishments – is proportionate to the limited level of influence and direct control the County has in these areas. Although there may be a perception of Los Alamos being a government run town, the reality is the role of local government in influencing and assisting the private sector requires careful evaluation of specific circumstances and understanding of the applicable laws that govern.
As 2024 comes to an end, I offer my gratitude to the community of Los Alamos County and am looking forward to continued discussions in 2025 about how we can maintain a high level of service and make even greater positive impacts in the years to come.
Thank you, and best wishes for a wonderful holiday season.