Candidates speak up

Feb. 26--Water, Clovis' failed business venture and questions centered on a political feud between Mayor David Lansford and former Mayor Gayla Brumfield on Tuesday kicked up a local radio station's candidate forum.

All 10 candidates seeking office in the March 4 municipal election took the microphone at KTQM Radio. Host Grant McGee said questions were submitted by listeners either by telephone or email before and during the 90-minute broadcast.

CNJ staff photo: Tony Bullocks Grant McGee, the moderator of Tuesday's candidate forum, goes over the time signals with the candidates before the start of the forum held at the KTQM radio station.

The city's $1.8 million failed investment in a cosmetics plant dominated much of the candidate chatter. Beauty Health and Science Innovations (BHSI) was supposed to create 350 new jobs. Instead, it closed its doors after seven months, owing thousands to local vendors and having never produced a product.

Four candidates jumped on a question asking if they agreed a recent investigative report had concluded vital information about BHSI CEO Brian Sperber's finances was withheld from the Clovis City Commission.

District 3 challenger Jose Griego said it was clear Sperber's poor credit report was withheld. He said the lesson for the city was to check "the bumps in the road..." before ever getting involved in financing any such deals.

Failing to assess risks again, the city would only hit and get mired by the same bumps, he said.

District 2 challenger Gary Elliott said the report -- the Underwood Report -- was "spot on." Elliott said there was no due diligence and there was a lot of blame to go around.

"It was just something that sounded too good to be true and it was," said Elliott, who spent much of the night saying he wanted to bring some business sense to the city.

District 2 incumbent Len Vohs agreed there was plenty of blame to go around. He said five different entities were involved in the BHSI process. If any one of them had stepped up and done their jobs the failure never would have happened, Vohs said.

"Everybody thought that everyone else had done due diligence," said Vohs, "and it just wasn't done."

Vohs also argued that Sperber didn't make any money off the failed venture, prompting Commissioner Juan Garza to challenge his statement.

"I hate to disagree with the commissioner," said Garza, "but this guy did make some money off this."

Garza accepted blame for the BHSI debacle, saying neither he nor any other commissioners asked enough questions.

"I will ask next time," said Garza, the only candidate running unopposed. "If credit reports need to be made public, then we will make them public."

To a one, candidates for City Commission singled out water as the city's most important need.

District 4 candidate Thomas Martin repeated his "Water, water, water" mantra. His opponent, crop insurance agent Jennifer Williams, said her work with farmers the past 20 years has driven home the importance of water.

Williams said the city needs to push forward with the Ute Water Project as well as purchasing ground water from area farmers in the interim. It was a statement repeated again and again by the other candidates.

Martin was also asked about his "close personal relationship" with Brumfield and how -- should he get elected -- that might affect working with Lansford. Martin served as Brumfield's campaign treasurer and has acknowledged the two are friends.

"I voted for David Lansford for mayor three times and I voted for Gayla twice," said Martin, adding he has respect for both and knows he can work with Lansford.

Several questions for Municipal Judge Jan Garrett and challenger retired police chief Ray Mondragon centered on qualifications. Both responded with a litany: Garrett with her more than 20 years as a court reporter and eight years on the bench; Mondragon with his police experience, national security clearance and graduation from the FBI academy.

But it was a question about previous jobs that drew a short breath around the room. Both were asked if they had ever been dismissed from a job, an apparent jab at Mondragon, who resigned as Plateau's lobbyist four years ago after being beaten and robbed in an Albuquerque hotel.

"No," said Mondragon, "I have never been dismissed from a job. I have resigned but never been dismissed."

Garrett also said she had never been dismissed. Then in an apparent gesture to lighten up the mood offered, "If I lose next Tuesday that will be the first time I have ever been dismissed from a job. Please don't dismiss me."

Mondragon was also asked if he planned to seek retiring state lawmaker Anna Crook's job.

"Many people have asked me (to run)," said Mondragon. "No, I will not. I want to be municipal judge ... that is my background and training."

District 3 incumbent Fidel Madrid said he deserved to be re-elected to a second term because he had spent considerable time focusing on quality of life issues and pushing for a new and larger capacity sewer line along Martin Luther King Boulevard that will lead to development for the district, primarily the west side of Clovis.

District 3 challenger Gloria Wicker said she has served as a city commissioner in the past and wants to give it another shot. She said she would work to bring any concern voiced by a constituent to the commission.

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