BY DENNY ERICKSON
Los Alamos

I have known Council candidate Steve Lynne for 20 years. When he was the County’s CFO, was serving as a citizen advisor on the Trinity Site Project Advisory Committee and as a citizen member and leader of the White Rock Master Plan Committee. Both initiatives involved multiple solicitations, land transfers, and contracts, which Steve handled with outstanding expertise. He immediately impressed me by his ability to listen before offering thoughtful feedback and solutions. These efforts produced important improvements in the Townsite, including the joint County/Schools Airport Basin infrastructure facilities and Smith’s Marketplace, and in White Rock, including the Visitor Center, Branch Library, renovated White Rock Civic Center, and Mirador Subdivision. Over that decade of work, I saw Steve provide well-respected advice, guidance, and consistently sound judgment to County Councils, County staff, and advisory committees, including those on which I served. I remained equally impressed as he advanced to Deputy County Manager and then Council-appointed Los Alamos County Manager, retiring in 2024. To our community’s benefit, Steve and wife, Suzanne, chose to remain in Los Alamos post-retirement.

Now a County retiree, Steve hopes to continue his community service as an elected official. As just mentioned, Council candidate Steven Lynne is exceptionally qualified to serve in this capacity given his demonstrated skills and proactive leadership involving County administration. He fully understands the importance of productive relationships within the County politic, with the Laboratory, and with state and national entities. As a successful negotiator, Steve brings a working appreciation for alignment within these relationships when dealing with difficult issues.

Candidate Steve has stated publicly his “main focuses” if elected—Housing Affordability, Economic Development, and Downtown Revitalization. More specifically, he aspires to use his skills and experience to find a way through the many challenges that continue to defy our community in creating affordable housing for people (and their families) critical to staffing the many functions and services necessary for Los Alamos. As to economic development and revitalization, Steve is adamant about implementing the active Master Plans for Downtown Los Alamos and the White Rock Town Center. In this regard, Steve would proactively push and incentivize more retail and dining in the downtown corridors of the Townsite and White Rock.

Bottom line—Steve cares about our community, our people and quality of life, our needs and challenges, our strategies and objectives, and serving Los Alamos. Given his outstanding credentials, candidate Steve asks for our vote. In response, I strongly recommend we give him that vote and elect Steven Lynne to the Los Alamos County Council.