Joseph Maestas has proven track record
Joseph Maestas is an excellent candidate for mayor of Santa Fe. I hope you will join me in making him our city’s next leader. Joseph is a true progressive and committed public servant with a convincing track record. As a native Santa Fean and experienced city leader, he will work for all of us.
For over two decades, I have been engaged in conservation of New Mexico’s natural resources, and I know just how lucky we are to live with such abundance. Joseph was born in Santa Fe and shares my love of the city’s unmatched outdoor opportunities and the potential they hold for its future. He and I enjoy mountain biking our extensive trail systems that make Santa Fe such an attractive place to live. Joseph is a competitive athlete, placing nationally in triathlons, typically leaving me to eat dust.
Joseph has a record — as a lifelong public servant — of standing up for natural resources, especially our precious water. As a retired civil engineering manager in the Albuquerque area office of the federal Bureau of Reclamation, Joseph understands every aspect of water resources.
When Joseph was mayor of Española and president of the New Mexico Municipal League, I asked him to advocate for a proposal to give the highest degree of protection to all of New Mexico’s headwaters, the source of most resident’s drinking, agricultural and recreational water. Joseph understood immediately the value of protecting this irreplaceable resource and the good it would bring to every citizen across the state and was an ardent advocate. We eventually secured the protections guaranteeing a source of clean water for all future New Mexicans.
Joseph Maestas has always grasped the value of our public lands for Santa Fe’s cultural heritage and local economy. He is an advocate for their funding, preservation and careful management. As a Santa Fe City Councilor, Joseph sponsored legislation to explore a joint city/ county electric power authority, ensure our airport master plan includes future provision of solar power and recognize and support the need for Federal rule changes to reduce methane waste in oil and gas exploration.
Beyond, conservation, Joseph Maestas has a proven track record of saving taxpayer dollars, increasing public safety, expanding affordable housing, supporting public banking, streamlining public transportation, achieving broadband for all and championing voting rights. He supports ranked-choice voting.
Joseph was elected a city councilor in 2014 to represent Santa Fe District 2 (my district) and also served as mayor of Española from 2006 to 2010. He has served as president of Hispanic Elected Local Officials, on the board of directors of the National League of Cities and as president of the New Mexico Municipal League. New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson appointed Joseph to the New Mexico Economic Partnership board of directors. Joseph served as the vice-chairman of Conservation Voters New Mexico and as the chairman of New Mexico Voices for Children from 2012-13.
I ask you to join me in supporting Joseph Maestas for mayor of Santa Fe. I know he will serve us well and understands the city’s needs as a native son. Read more about his accomplishments as a public servant on his website maestasforsantafe.com.