BY SUZIE HAVEMANN
Los Alamos County Councilor
I appreciate Councilor David Reagor shining a light on the role government plays in the quality of life of our communities just as I appreciated Bill Enloe offering thoughts from his vast business experience in our region.
While I do agree the federal government under the current administration has taken action that is detrimental to 90% of our population, including the middle class, I don’t think this carries over to our local government.
I firmly believe there is no wealthy cabal being served by County staff here in Los Alamos.
Over the past several years the County has put additional funding into social services, low income and workforce housing, recreation and trail amenities, traffic safety measures, and improved broadband that will provide much faster and less expensive internet options to every address in our county — not to mention all the other services everyone benefits from including reliable utility services, our libraries, summer concerts, wildfire mitigation, assistance to our schools and regional neighbors, etc. Survey after survey says our residents value these investments.
As with any organization (public and private sectors alike), there is room for improvement; cost efficiencies and continuous process improvement are key drivers for Council and County staff. We saw evidence of this during our Budget Hearings last month. Yet, when I talk with people about their concerns, I often hear about issues and personnel from several or more years back. This doesn’t mean we don’t mess up today. But let’s learn from past mistakes and not let frustration sour our potential to make progress. Seek to learn the whole story, ask for timely examples, and help in the offering of solutions.
Going forward, stay tuned to press releases and invitations from the County to offer feedback; there are numerous opportunities! Offer public comments during Board and Commission meetings, County Council, and Board of Public Utilities meetings. Small business support often entails public / private partnerships and your participation and solution-driven outlook will go a long way in making these opportunities succeed for the benefit of our entire community.