Q&A - Portales native reflects on his time as councilman

At 20 years old, Richard E. Bradfute was the youngest person ever elected to Portales City Council, according to city records. He served from 1992 to 1996.

Bradfute, now 40, the senior vice president, chief information officer and director for the James Polk Stone Community Bank. He is also the husband of Christy Bradfute and the father of two children, daughter Taylor and son Tate.

The Portales native and Eastern New Mexico University alum reflects on the time he served as Ward B councilor.

Richard Bradfute

Youngest ever to serve Portales City Council

At age 20, what made you run for city councilor?

I ran for city council because I was concerned and frustrated with the direction our nation was heading. I was too young to run for Congress and I didn't have the means to do that anyway.

When I was a young boy, someone gave me a button that said, "Bloom where you're planted." God didn't put me in Albuquerque or Santa Fe. I prayed and asked him if I should run, and he gave me Proverbs 21:31: "The horse is made ready for the day of battle, but victory rests with the Lord." I won by three votes.

How was the campaigning process? What were some of the criticisms or concern, if any, directed toward you because of your age?

I got several of my friends from church to help me campaign. We went door to door and asked every registered voter in Ward B what they wanted to see happen in the city; we wrote down every suggestion, and I took them seriously.

Age was not necessarily a negative; I think a lot of people liked the fact that I was young and idealistic. I did get some criticism for being young and naive, but it was the exception rather than the rule.

What other activities and obligations did you have while serving and did your fellow ENMU students use you as their representative on council?

During my term, I was taking courses at ENMU while working full-time for ENMU's computer services division. I was (and still am) very active in my church, Faith Triumphant in Portales.

Needless to say, those were very busy times. Interestingly, I do not remember my fellow students coming to me with issues very often.

What were some hot button issues or memorable legislation/resolutions passed while you were on council?

The first hot button issue happened during the campaign; the city council planned to double their salaries from $200 a month to $400. The principle just irritated me (and several others), and I spoke out in opposition during the meeting when it was being considered. That resulted in a back-and-forth exchange between me and someone in the audience; he felt like they earned it and called my age and lack of experience into question. At any rate, the measure passed.

It didn't take me long on the council to realize that they earn every dollar, and that many times over. It is a very thankless and difficult job, but it is an honor and privilege to serve.

There were other hot button issues such as a proposed helmet law for motorcyclists (failed) and the city selling some of its water-rights at Ute. I lost that vote 7-1. I didn't want to sell them.

What were some of the solutions to issues that you spearheaded? What were you most passionate about fighting for or representing?

I am pretty passionate about what I believe; I remember getting into exchanges several times with fellow council members and others arguing points and positions.

Sometimes, I won, sometimes I lost, but never for lack of trying.

I miss the debates. It is not glamorous, but we were successful in updating the personnel manual. That was a lot of fun and a lot of work.

I am also proud of some of the hires we made. Personnel are key to any organization and we hired some good ones during my tenure.

I did not run with specific causes or actions to implement, I ran because I wanted to serve Portales and to do what I could to make a difference.

What did you learn while on council and what were some of your biggest challenges?

I learned that nothing is easy in government. There are no quick fixes, no magic bullets and no fairy godmothers.

Our system of government is the greatest in the world, divinely inspired, but the world is an imperfect place.

Our leaders often have to make decisions where no option is a good one. It is maddening to have to pick the least bad option instead of the best one.

For me, the biggest challenge I had was making sure that I never compromised what I believed was right, no matter the pressure or the frustration that comes from having no clear path to take and no good options.

I can confidently say that I lived up to that challenge.

How did that experience as a councilor play into your career?

Serving on the city council helped me in so many ways.

The processes of making and managing policy, the intricacies of human interaction (building consensus, bridging gaps and realizing when a gap cannot be bridged), the legal issues and the mechanics of a complex entity.

All of these skills and lessons have benefited, and continue to benefit me tremendously.

The opportunity to serve this community is an honor and privilege that to this day, and for the rest of my life, has left its mark on me.

What advice can you give to Matt Hunton, being the youngest councilor on the council now?

Matt is a sharp guy, he doesn't need my advice. I need his; my golf game is terrible.