White's 24-plus years in the Air Force included two tours in Vietnam where he learned leadership "on-the-job" in war-time under extreme stress. That, coupled with his years working for Congressman Udall, taught him how to apply his military leadership skills in a diplomatic way. His management skills were also learned and sharpened in the Air Force by attending many leadership schools and the USAF NCO Academy and by actually supervising and managing large numbers of employees (troops) and preparing annual budgets in the millions of dollars.

As a long-time Balloon Fiesta Launch Director (Zebra), he has spent 19 years working to protect the lives of the pilots, crews and spectators and learning how to deal with "life or death" situations in the midst of launching hundreds of balloons. The city charter states one of the responsibilities of the mayor is to be the CEO of city government - not the city manager, but the mayor. He said he will have a sign on his desk that reads, "The Buck Stops Here," because the mayor is the one person responsible for everything that happens in the City of Rio Rancho and the mayor is the one who needs to exercise the strong leadership needed to refocus the City of Vision to actually be "of the people, by the people, for the people..." His military background, tempered by his political background with Tom Udall makes him uniquely qualified to lead the city government into territory it hasn't seen in quite a while-being on the side of the people and not the developers -- , he said. As the CEO of Rio Rancho, he says he will take charge and make sweeping changes in the attitude and direction of the elected officials and ensure they comply with all the laws, ordinances and codes of the City and the State of New Mexico.

Q1: In most cities, crime is an issue. Are you satisfied with the performance of the Department of Public Safety? What would you do to assist or support DPS? A: Crime is an issue in Rio Rancho, but our Department of Public Safety has stayed "ahead of the power curve," even though drastically understaffed and underpaid. Our low crime rate and high arrest rate makes me sleep better and makes me want to invite friends and family to visit me here rather than go to them in Albuquerque. I would fight to get the funds necessary to convince our DPS personnel to stay in Rio Rancho through higher pay and better and more equipment. Our police, fire, code enforcement and animal control personnel deserve the best because they give us their best.

Q2: Explain your thoughts on the SAD 7 issue.

A: SAD7 is just that......sad. I was asked recently what would be the first thing I would do about the SAD7 issue if elected. I replied I'd hire an outside engineering/consulting firm to research the district independently of Wilson & Co. and present their plan because I'd never even consider having questionable surgery without a "second opinion" and I think 70 million dollars of our fellow Rio Ranchoans money also deserves, no, demands, a "second opinion." Since the storms that brought all this about were referred to as "100 or 500 year storms," it could be 100 to 500 years before we get another drenching like that and maybe we just need to "tweak" what we already have in place and just take the chance it might not happen again. But then I'm neither an engineer nor a gambler, so it's up to the people to make their feelings known and more importantly heard and an unofficial "vote" should be taken of all the landowners affected. The city councilors should then use that result along with the findings of Wilson & Co. and the "second opinion" to make their decision and not base that decision solely on Wilson & Co.'s analysis and plan alone. Many residents chose to live in rural Rio Rancho rather than a subdivision for the rural lifestyle and chose to live on dirt roads. Why force them to change their chosen lifestyle if it isn't proven necessary?

Q3: What is the biggest issue facing the city? How do you suggest solving the problem?

A: Based upon the recent hostility and volatility of our neighbors concerning both the SAD 7 and the La Plazuela de Sandoval Master Plan, it's obvious that the biggest issue in Rio Rancho is lack of communication. Our government is "closed" to the public and no one told us. Communication is the key to understanding and so many of our neighbors simply don't understand the "in's and out's" of many of the things going on not only in their neighborhoods, but all over Rio Rancho. And that's almost entirely because our city government has had an abysmal record of a "failure to communicate" with its residents on issues that the residents have a right to know the details of before projects are started or changes are made. After attending the Chamiza Estates Neighborhood Association meeting in January and then the city council meeting the next night, so many questions were asked that the landowners should have already known the answers to, so the frustration and hostility at those meetings was the direct result of poor, okay non-existent, communication from the city. The La Plazuela "Master Plan" had the same frustration and hostility for the exactly same reason -- poor communication by city officials. As mayor and CEO of Rio Rancho, my first edict would be to open the channels of communication with the public. City hall would discontinue working "in a vacuum" and you'd see a definite change in openness and a new spirit of cooperation with the public.

Q4: Is the city's level of openness with its citizens appropriate, too much or too little? What changes would you make and why?

A: See No. 5

Q5: What is the biggest issue facing your district? How do you suggest the solve the problem?

A: I've lived in Rio Rancho for nine years and Albuquerque and Alamogordo a combined 15 years before that. I volunteered to move here from Albuquerque to open Congressman Tom Udall's Rio Rancho office because I had wanted to live here for many years, but wouldn't make the move without a job here. In my 12 years in Albuquerque, my two vehicles were broken into a combined 18 times, with glass broken 10 times. The guys at the glass shop knew me by my first name. Rio Rancho's low crime rate was what attracted me. But now that I've lived here for nine years, it's the "new car smell" of Rio Rancho that I love. We have nothing but potential and I want to be a part of pulling our city together and becoming a Clovis or a Roswell or an Alamogordo or any other town or city in New Mexico with traditions and a sense of pride uniquely our own. Our new downtown, City Center, arena and new colleges will all help, but its getting our people together towards a common goal that will give Rio Rancho a sense of community pride and make that a true reality. Go to a Rio Rancho High School football game and watch the people. They're all our neighbors and they're all pulling together for a common goal-winning. With all the state championships our young men and women have won for our city, both athletically and academically, we need to join them in celebration of what they've accomplished and what they've done to start bringing Rio Rancho together towards a common goal, pride.