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Living In Las Cruces- Spring/Summer 2008
FEATURE
By Jenna Frosch
Mayor Miyagishima
District 1
District 2
District 4
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City Councilman Nathan Small grew up in rural New Mexico—in Los Lunas—and attributes most of his support to traditional values and his willingness to work. At 25, Small has a firm understanding of the issues facing Las Cruces and New Mexico as a whole and his work on the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance has served him well in the area. “My grandfather told me when you see someone working, you either pitch in and help or you leave, because you never want to watch someone work. That’s why I’m here,” says Small.
LLC: What are some of your top priorities as a newly elected City Council member?
Small: First, to reduce the odor from the wastewater treatment plant; Second, investing in existing neighborhoods; improve pedestrian features from bikes in the road to walking paths for children and families; third, to encourage more outdoor activities and make the area more kid-friendly by offering more diverse outdoor opportunities; and finally, continue to work with the Mesilla Valley Economic Development Alliance to build up the West Mesa industrial park.
LLC: As a Las Cruces transplant, how were you able to garner support from Las Cruces residents? How close do you feel to the issues Las Cruces faces? What are some ways you are able to overcome the concern that you have not lived in the area long enough to represent Las Cruces residents?
Small: I think I received a lot of support because of my background— traditional values, and I worked with a lot of diverse groups. I walked neighborhoods, asking folks what they thought. They see you’re willing to work with them. I feel very optimistic about the council and very proud. I feel like I have a sense of responsibility to Las Cruces because we are at a crossroads. I see people from all political affiliations and all sides of the city, and most really want to work for what is best for Las Cruces. I put a lot of work and energy into listening to people. My volunteers and I told people where we were coming from and they realized we were willing to work hard for them.
LLC: How do you think the new dynamic will affect the City of Las Cruces and the decisions being made in regards to growth in Las Cruces and the annexation of new land for development?
Small: Those are big issues. First, we all believe in fairness - rigorous fairness. We want all developers to be treated the same, and a lot of us look forward to changing or reforming some of our growth policies. We will also continue to see a lot of questions related to growth because leadership is looking at the “what ifs” and asking the right questions, not being complacent and bringing new ideas to the table.
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