Gilbert Guadiana discusses campaign for Grant County Commission District 2

Susan Morée: 
Tell us about how your background has prepared you to serve in this office. 
 
Gilbert Guadiana: 
Sure. I was born and raised here. I went into the military, served in the Air Force, came back, worked in the mines for 10 years. And I did my undergraduate study in computer science, minoring in political science and got a bachelor's for that. In 1987, I left to go to attend Harvard University, and I completed my studies there and got a master's in public administration. I worked in California in a variety of different positions, one working for the Auditor General's Office where we did a performance audit of state entities. Later, I went into a county and did performance audits in health services, environmental controls, a number of different things. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Next question, why are you running for this office? 
 
Gilbert Guadiana: 
I think my qualifications can bring a little bit more to the position and tie with the community, as well. I'm very concerned about the healthcare system that we have that really ends up flying people out of the hospital for higher acuity issues. And that's because we have a critical access hospital which limits the stay of patients for four days and keeps it at a lower acuity. Our citizens are being thrown out. We're not being able to get doctors to come here locally because they won't be able to perform surgeries. I'm concerned about the water use, the mines are intensifying their use with different processes. And I want to ensure that our communities come first in a priority for use of water. I want to see economic growth so that we can have a better standard of living in the county and for that coordinating with the university. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Next question. What are the top issues in your district for this office? 
 
Gilbert Guadiana: 
Water security is the highest one and health care, as mentioned earlier, economic growth. Those three are my highest, but also there are mental health, homelessness, addiction. There's being able to coordinate services within the county to promote the childcare initiative that's in the state so we can have childcare available to all people working. The access to county services is also something I want to extend, especially out more towards Mimbres and the coordination of emergency services also heading out that way towards Mimbres. Mimbres is a very rural area, but primarily water security, healthcare, and economic growth. 
 
Susan Morée: 
Okay. And next question, how would you successfully address those issues? 
 
Gilbert Guadiana: 
Water security should be done. There's already a framework that looks at the water use. There's an initiative that is combining the water systems in the mining district, as silver has their own, and then integrating Arenas Valley in that system. to look at the water monitoring in terms of the levels of the wells to ensure that the Mimbres Valley basin isn't being, or Mimbres Valley aquifer is keeping a steady level to ensure that water is available for all the entities using it. And if it is, we find that the water is being drawn out because of the new processes that are being used, then we have to address the regulation of the quantity of the water that's being used. Health care. We need to move towards making the hospital back into acute care. 
 
Susan Morée: 
And last question, what else do you think is important for voters to know about your campaign? 
 
Gilbert Guadiana: 
I served the COBRE School Board and the areas that are mostly in the mining district, that is District 2, and discovered a lot of things that needed to be brought to the attention that were under the surface for 30 years. And so, I was successful in doing that, identifying the issues that were concerned, documenting them, disseminating that information. There's still a long ways to go, but I am looking at the efficiency and not just coming to meetings. I have a plan. I would like to see more of a use of a strategic plan collaboratively within the County Commission and break away from the management from day-to-day practice to a long-term vision for the betterment of the county with the input of the county on what it is that is needed or can be enhanced.