Mayoral candidates debate the future of Corrales

CORRALES — The new gym in Corrales was packed with people as the debate about Corrales’ future began Oct. 21 between incumbent Mayor James Fahey and his opposition Frederick Hashimoto.

Heather Balas, a 20-plus-year resident of Corrales, was in charge of asking questions created by Sandoval County Indivisible and submitted by village residents. She said it was a healthy part of the democratic process.

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WaterBoth Fahey and Hashimoto brought up water in their introductions, but Balas asked them to share on what they haven’t said before.

“I think water is a horribly important issue, probably the most important for Corrales and even for the Southwest,” Hashimoto said. He said he knows water contamination is an issue but that a village-wide sewer system isn’t justified. His priority was conservation.

“We need to look for new sources of water and actually we’ve been over diverting water, and we’re using them more than we’re supposed to use. We need to figure out how to conserve that water,” he added.

Fahey stated the water issue has become apparent in the past few years in Corrales. He said the Corrales siphon’s ineffectiveness has highlighted the issue. During his introduction, he reminded the crowd that Sandia Pueblo and the Middle Rio Grande Conservancy District recently signed a historical agreement that would move construction of a new siphon forward. But the discussion got the village thinking about water rights, he said.

“Initially, we talked to a consulting group we put together of experts who could help us look into the water rights issue, and we discovered that the village of Corrales is noncompliant. We have not been certified, permitted by the state for 22 years, so we have to get compliant first. We have to get it permitted first before we can start looking at purchasing any water rights, and we are in the process of doing that right now,” he said.

Another plan for the water Fahey discussed was a plan to pipe it down to the farming area and the other agricultural areas.

When it comes to pollution in the water, Fahey suggested a water testing program and said a talk with the New Mexico Environment Department about setting up a plan to do testing is going to happen.

Hashimoto said water rights are “useless.” He gave the example of city of Rio Rancho trying to use water rights for groundwater, which a judge recently turned down. However, the city is appealing the decision. Hashimoto said the solution was senior water rights, which would give water users priority over “junior” users, meaning they receive their full allocation of water first, especially during times of shortage.

Comprehensive PlanBalas next asked what parts of the plan the candidates are most aligned with and what parts they disagree with.

Fahey said he likes the plan because he appointed the committee for it. Aside from the plan being “a little longer” than he preferred, he had little issue with the priorities themselves ... “the stress on agriculture and open spaces pathways, basically family-related things as well as agriculture-related things. I think we try to use the comprehensive plan when we focus on a new ordinance or changing ordinances,” he said.

Hashimoto appreciated the idea of planning in the plan.

“For instance, it talks about neighborhood commercial development from Dixon to 350 feet east and west of Corrales as well. The comprehensive plan recommended a master plan be done for this; they recommended getting a consultant for this, and also recommended that the public have a stakeholder in this process,” he said.

He was disappointed the initial request for a planning department in Corrales didn’t move forward in the plan. “A lot is going on in Corrales ... there are a lot of hot issues and soft issues throughout and the planning department is recommended by the comprehensive plan, but administration did not want it, and so eventually it got deleted. I was very disappointed,” he said.

Fahey said his team looked into the planning issue and its appropriateness during the administration. “By and large on most things planning is included in what we do to begin with right now,” he said.

Leadership styleThe debate then moved into the candidates’ style in leading the village ,not just in policy but relationships with other agencies as well.

Hashimoto said he has a history of leadership from time at University of New Mexico’s School of Medicine of 50 years. “I was chief of the medical staff. I had leadership roles and elected the administrative and managerial type of responsibility.”

He also highlighted his decision-making skills, collaboration with others and communication. “I think I am a top-down leader,” he said.

He added that he already has relationships with surrounding pueblos and municipalities and looks forward to growing those if he is elected.

Fahey agreed with Hashimoto’s choice of words for his own leadership style.

”I think that my management style is one of of cooperation and collaboration with our employees with our department heads and with anybody involved in any decisions that we make,” he said.

TrafficOne of the most popular questions collected by Balas was about traffic in Corrales, including foot traffic.

Fahey first brought up a dangerous stretch of Corrales Road that is an “S” curve with elm trees hugging the corners. He mentioned that the New Mexico Department of Transportation, though noncommunicative in prior years, has been “receptive” to Fahey’s and the community’s concerns.

“In fact, we’re going to have a safety study done of Corrales Road soon, and those of you who met on the north end here and happen to drive around the corner with those two big, huge elm trees. I have been told by the the new district manager that they’re going to cut those down,” he said.

As for the possible solutions to inspiring safety there, Fahey said people have not been happy about the suggestion of lower speed limits. He suggested changing the look and style of the road to make people feel like it’s tight and slow them down.

Hashimoto was heartened to hear the responsiveness of NMDOT but said lower speed limits might be the best way to reduce danger.

“Most of this traffic comes from us, probably about 90% of it does, and for better or worse, we are the big cause, and population growth is a big fan to the flame,” he said.

However, he also said commuters from Albuquerque and Rio Rancho have contributed to the problem, too.

Arts and entertainmentSeveral submissions asked about the arts in the village and how they can be encouraged by the next mayor.

For Hashimoto, arts take many forms and the village has many existing spaces where performances and exhibitions can be held. He was against the idea of a performing arts center.

”Depends on the size of a ‘small’ performing arts center. That’s great. A large (center), like I said, it’s not super, bringing people from everywhere,” he said.

He said he would be amenable to a small center, though.

Fahey said arts are critical in the Corrales community, adding that they are a part of the history, nature and education in the village.

”Art to one person, maybe trash to another, vice versa. That’s probably not a good comparison, but anyway, the idea is it’s a perception,” he said.

He said he has tried for a performing arts center unsuccessfully before but that when it comes up again he would like to do better.

”I believe it will come back at some point in the future,” he said.

Small businessThe village’s small business landscape was also something the community asked about.

Fahey said there is a small commercial core in Corrales, but aside from providing guidelines, he doesn’t think the administration needs to be more involved than necessary.

“We have them follow certain rules and guidelines when they set up their business, and once they’ve done that, they certainly can set up their business and do what they want to do,” he said.

But Fahey also thinks the village could do with more gross receipts tax.

“We are getting more investor seats all the time because our businesses are very successful. I like restaurants. I like to go to different restaurants, and we have some really fantastic restaurants here in the community,” he said.

He doesn’t think the administration needs to “put its thumb on the scale” for businesses in either direction in terms of making it easier or harder for them to open.

Hashimoto suggested that the business in Corrales has been robust since about 2008, adding that it even did well during the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Something people don’t realize is business is bringing about 60% of the revenue generated in those years for operations; 40% is from personal property taxes,” he said.

He added that a lot of the business stems from artists, markets and home offices. His concern lies with increasing traffic with more business in the village.

Fahey argued almost immediately in rebuttal that Hashimoto’s percentages were off because there is no way to determine the exact percentage of income from home office versus brick-and-mortar facilities.

“Since 2021, the gross receipts tax have just gone way up because of the change in state law. In 2008, we were in dire state, and thanks to (previous mayor), we were able to get out of that time of trouble,” Fahey said.

He doubled down that gross receipts taxes are what will keep business thriving in Corrales.

AgricultureBalas asked whateach of the candidate believes is the future of agriculture in Corrales.

Hashimoto said the big issue with agriculture in Corrales is the water.

“I was really glad that ... Thornburg Grant, the source program is going to look at surface water and irrigation and groundwater and the relation between them, get the data from those studies and turn it into education for farmers to figure out how they can do their job better,” he said.

He fully supported the Corrales Farmers Market as well. He added that he would like to see more of a showcase in agriculture in the village with a heritage garden or something similar.

For Fahey, agriculture is critical to the village and is part of its nature. “As I was winding up my career in orthopedics, I started going to the Growers’ Market on Sundays. I was a vendor. I ultimately became market manager for a year, and I had to quit that when I got elected into office. I thought that was a conflict of interest, but I still had a big interest in farming and the agricultural business.”

He added that because of his experience on a ranch in Texas, he understands how important it is to support farmers. He also referred back to his suggestions on water to address the question there.

Love of CorralesOne thing was clear between the two candidates, and that was how much they care for the village of Corrales.

As a joke, Fahey said he loves the village because his wife is there. On a more serious note, he said he likes the people, the agriculture and the nature that make up Corrales.

”It’s just a great place to live. We happened to find it by accident, and I was very taken to the open spaces,” he said.

Hashimoto agreed about his wife as well but also commended the people that live in Corrales.

”The people in Corrales are incomparable,” he said.