Rio Rancho Regional Chamber of Commerce sponsored a forum at city hall for the Rio Rancho municipal candidates running in District 1, 4 and 6.

A sparse crowd showed up to hear the candidates’ ideas. District 6 Alonzo Clayton was absent from the forum.

The forum, however, was televised on Rio One Cable. Jamie Grindatto and Sandy Rea moderated the forum, which included a lightning round and some interesting questions, including some from the audience.

In the second half of the forum, featuring District 1 and 4 candidates, a member of the audience asked them to compare and contrast the relationship between the city council and the city manager over the past four years. Current city manager James Payne has led the city since December of 2006. Before that, Jim Palenick, was the city manager before being fired.

Current mayor and District 1 hopeful, Michael Williams said: “the relationship with the current city manager is going well and the one with the previous manager is obvious, he’s no longer here.”

District 1 hopeful Peter Rivas said the relationship between city council and Payne are going well and that things went well with Palenick until the incident.

District 1 challenger Rosemary Owen said the relationship with Palenick was good until the rolling quorums. She said it was odd that Palenick was given a raise and then two months later, fired. Regarding Payne, she said she did not know him well.

District 4 incumbent Howard Balmer said that Payne has stepped into a difficult situation and handled it admirable. Regarding Palenick, Balmer described him as talented and smart but that Palenick and the council wanted to go in two different directions.

Balmer’s challenger Steve Shaw said he worked for Palenick and he described Palenick as single-focused and not looking out for the city as a whole.

“He was more focused on the city center and what was going on around there,” Shaw said. “He seemed to overlook other aspects of needs of the community.”

Chamber president and CEO Debbi Moore was pleased with the forum.

“I thought the forum today went excellent. I was very pleased with their answers,” she said. “What we were looking for is a council that supports businesses. We are looking for the opportunity to educate the electorate and get the electorate to the ballot box.”

District 4

Incumbent Howard Balmer described his nine years on the council as a whirlwind of duty. He pointed out some of the accomplishments of the city in the past nine years that have dramatically improved the quality of life, including a new library, a city center, an arena, an aquatic center, the highest bond rating in the state and an increase in reserves from 2 percent to 15 percent.

Balmer’s challenger Steve Shaw touted his 20-plus years in law enforcement and his experience in building numerous relationships throughout the community and his involvement with the Chamber of Commerce, where he served on the Board of Directors. Shaw said he has the professional and public service skills necessary to lead Rio Rancho forward.

When asked what they would do to sustain and attract small businesses, Balmer said resident must shop locally and the governing body should streamline the development process, so businesses owners know what is expected of them when operating in the city. He said a development process manual is currently in the works. Shaw said his campaign is using local materials and he wants the city to use more local goods and services in its operations.

When asked what the top three challenges facing Rio Rancho are, Shaw said the city needs to increase gross receipt tax revenues, improve infrastructure and increase staffing in the Department of Public Safety. Shaw said there has been no growth, but grant funded growth since 1998.

Balmer said the No. 1 issue is the SAD 7 and infrastructure needs in Unit 17. He also said the infrastructure in the older neighborhoods needs to be improved and the city needs to resolve the pond and sludge issue at Chamisa Hills Country Club

Five attributes Shaw used to describe himself included honesty, integrity, commitment, a good listener and a hard worker.Balmer said he is a hard worker, straightforward, decisive, has a sense of humor and a team player.

District 1

Mike Williams touted his government, law enforcement and business experience as to why he should be elected. He pointed out that he is the only municipal certified official in the race and that he has a vested interest in the city, not a financial one.

Williams, who has only missed two meetings in eight years, said that if you want this job, do it from the heart. Don’t have vendettas and make personal attacks.

Peter Rivas asked the audience if we are better off now than we were four years ago. He says no and that’s why he is running.

Rosemary Owen said she wants to restore integrity to the council. She touted ethics reform and said other problems in the city cannot be resolved until integrity is restored.

When asked what the top three challenges facing Rio Rancho are Williams said the city needs to maintain its public safety and without it gets nothing. He also said the city needs to resurface roads in District 1 and solidify a master plan for the city.

Rivas said it’s not what he believes are the three top issues facing the city, but what the district’s residents believe. He said he would have an open door policy.

Owen said the older districts need repair, residents in Unit 10 need flood control and that gang violence has increased as the population has increased. She prefaced her comments, by saying that integrity needs to be restored.

When asked to describe herself, Owen said she has integrity, honesty and management skills.

Rivas said he has decisiveness, is a team player, charismatic, honesty and analytical.

Williams said he has integrity, is a facilitator and a negotiator, he has good communication with elected officials outside the city and he has the continuity to take the city from the past to the future.

District 6

Incumbent Marilyn Salzman told the audience she has lived in Rio Rancho for 18 years and has the same house, job and husband.

“How do you like that for continuity,” she said. “I have been involved in the city since day one and my record speaks for itself.”

She touted her community service and her desire to bring a community center to District 6 as well as her hopes to revisit the sports complex north.

Salzman also challenged the code enforcement department, saying: “Let’s bring enforcement back to code enforcement.”

Todd Hathorne said, “we need to get it right from the start.”

He constantly referred people to his Web site, www.letrightbedone.com and said several times that the city needs robust public discourse. With the looming recession that could hurt the city financially, Hathorne said he has the experience to navigate the financial rough waters.

Kathy Colley described herself as a “neophyte”, saying she has never been in politics before. She touted her professional experience as a vice president of a bank and feels like she can make a difference.

Charles Smiroldo touted his engineering experience to help the city. He said the city manager and council don’t have the experience and qualifications to handle the issues.

In the lightning round, candidates were supposed to answer only: “yes, no or pass” However, that one word answer stipulation was loosely, if at all, followed.

All of the candidates said they would be available to go to Santa Fe, if elected, to secure funding for Rio Rancho.

When asked if Rio Rancho is a leader in the region, Salzman said not quite and Colley said no. Smiroldo and Hathorne answered yes.

All of the candidates agreed that a higher education presence is vital for economic development.

When asked if they shop locally, all said yes, but Smiroldo prefaced his answer with “whenever possible.”

Rea and Grindatto cited the dismal 18 percent turnout in the 2006 municipal election and asked the candidates if the mayor and governing body should be more active in getting people to the polls. Hathorne, Salzman and Colley said yes, but Smiroldo said they should be neutral.

If asked if Special Assessment Districts serve as an effective way in dealing with development issues, Colley and Salzman said yes. Smiroldo said no and Hathorne said yes, but only if it includes PIDs (Public Improvement Districts)

Since the chamber of commerce is involved in assisting businesses, it was only natural that the chamber would ask the candidates what they would do to sustain and attract small businesses.

Smiroldo said that since the city is not that successful in drawing in big businesses, it must promote small businesses. Offer tax incentives, incubators and whatever benefits he could for small businesses.

Hathorne complemented the Chamber for their work, particularly with coaching small businesses and agreed with Smiroldo on the incubators.

Salzman pointed out that she is the only small business owner running in District 6 who operates in Rio Rancho. She said she shops locally and said the chamber does a great job supporting small, medium and large businesses.

Colley said she would work with the chamber and the economic development corporation to have an environment amenable to small businesses.

Similar to a job interview, candidates were asked to use three to five words to describe themselves.

Colley described herself as honest, dependable, very hard working, tenacious and ethical.

Smiroldo said he has a sense of humor, project management experience, engineering experience, honest and loves Rio Rancho.

Hathorne said he is solution-oriented, can build coalitions, is honest and ethical.

Salzman described herself as honest, possessing integrity, hard working, ethical and has never participated in back door politics.