KRWG Public Media is covering contested races around the region. Scott Brocato spoke with Martha Mulvihill, who is running for Town of Mesilla Trustee. KRWG has invited the other candidates for Town of Mesilla Trustee for an interview. You can find other candidate interviews at krwg.org under the KRWG Election Center tab.
Scott Brocato:
Martha, what in your background has prepared you for the Office of Town of Mesilla Trustee?
Martha Mulvihill:
Well, I come from a very large family of eight children. Being the youngest of eight, I learned early in my childhood to be honest, transparent, and have integrity. These values have been a very big part of every aspect of my life.
I also went to college. I started in Roswell, New Mexico, where I was then transferred to the University of Texas Health Science Center, where I obtained my degree in Occupational Therapy. I've worked in occupational therapy for 35 years in a variety of settings to include inpatient and outpatient, work hard needs, home health, and the school. This has given me really great opportunities to be able to identify problems and solve problems both by myself and in a group setting.
I've had the opportunity to work on policy and procedure committee for the hospital and the home health setting. Currently I am a member of the Angie Ramirez Memorial Foundation. As a member of the foundation, I have written their policies and procedures, which were approved by their board. I am also on the selection committee for the Angie Ramirez Foundation, and we select recipients who are suffering from cancer to receive scholarship money.
I am currently on the Planning and Zoning and Historical Appropriateness Commission for the Town of Mesilla. I have served in the Commission since July of 2024. I have learned a lot, and I know there's a whole lot more for me to learn.
I've attended three trainings with the with the New Mexico Municipal League, and I'm currently working on my certification with them. I just returned from a conference in Red River where I learned, for example, about variances and abatements. Each conference offers new topics and another chance for me to learn more.
Scott Brocato:
What do you see as the top issues facing Mesilla today?
Martha Mulvihill:
In my opinion, the top issues are the infrastructure, the green belt, the historic district, and the water shortage.
The infrastructure for the town of Mesilla, for example, I think that we need to restore our streets. We need to replace street signs that are difficult to read; and also repair or replace fire hydrants that aren't working, keep the water wells running properly, and ensure the safety for all Mesilla residents. Some of these issues, I think, are currently being worked on, and I'm hoping to be able to continue to get these projects completed.
Scott Brocato:
And how would you propose to do that if you were elected?
Martha Mulvihill:
I think that the biggest thing is that we need to look for money, funding through grants, and maybe increasing the gross receipts, I know that doesn't bring in a lot of money, but every little bit helps.
After speaking to many of the farmers, preserving the green belt,to me, means that number one, thegreen beltis a buffer between Mesilla, and Las Cruces and then also between Mesilla and Dona Ana County. I think it's really important for us to continue to preserve that so that our town is able to identify itself as its own municipality. And then thegreen beltserves also as a place for our farmers to continue to produce their crops, provide jobs, and feed people in our community and in other places.
After speaking with some of our farmers, I learned that they also want to preserve the green belt. They indicated to me that the ordinance on thegreen beltsets up opportunities to protect Mesilla. One of the farmers expressed to me his concerns about the green belt. What he is telling me is that thegreen beltwas set up to keep subdivisions from coming in, and by doing this, that we protect Mesilla. His belief is that if we lose the green belt, we're going to lose the character of Mesilla. And he indicated he didn't feel like we would be able to get that back. This sentiment was also expressed by many of the farmers that I talked to.
And then third, we need to ensure that the quality of life is maintained for all the residents in Mesilla. We can do this by increasing funds through grants for our infrastructure to help restore homes and to update and/or add to our existing water wells.
And then the preservation of the historic district for the town of Mesilla. To me, this means to restore the historic sites by working with federal and state agencies to get grant money and so that the also by getting signages put up at our historical sites that we're able to identify their significance. I believe it's really important for us in the town of Mesilla to obtain services from a grant writer so that they can help us obtain the money for Mesilla and for historical preservation.
And then the water shortage. There is a water shortage as indicated by the farmers that I spoke with. But after speaking to them, they indicated to me that there is nothing that we can do. It's already out of our hands, it's out of the hands of Mesilla. And so currently there's a Supreme Court case that's between Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, along with the Bureau of Reclamation. This case has been heard already and it's been turned over to what they call a Special Master, who will be making the recommendation to the court. I believe that the farmers are waiting on the ruling, and I'm looking forward to getting the information and being able to pass that on to our community.
Scott Brocato:
And final question: what else do you think is important for voters to know about you?
Martha Mulvihill:
I aim to be positive, to be able to contribute positively as a trustee to the town of Mesilla, for the development of Mesilla, while still preserving the historic district and the green belt, to improve our infrastructure for sure, and to ensure the safety for all residents.
My values are transparency, honesty, and integrity. I also understand the importance of following our ordinances and codes and the state statute in order to be compliant with our state regulations. And being compliant means we avoid litigation, and it also ensures that there's transparency, fairness and honesty that's given to all of the persons presenting cases before the town of Mesilla. I want to work with the department heads to help them determine what their needs are--I don't need to help them determine what their needs are, they know what their needs are--but help them get some kind of funding to meet their needs. And I would also like to see an increase in our finances through an increase in the gross receipts and grant money to help meet the needs of our community and provide safety for all of our residents.