Candidates present at Roosevelt meeting

PORTALES — Not one but two candidates for state representative positions visited the Roosevelt County Commission on Tuesday during its regular meeting.

District 67 Republican Jack Chatfield and District 63 Democrat George Dodge presented at the morning meeting in Portales; the former seeks to replace outgoing representative Dennis Roch, while the latter seeks re-election to the position he’s held since 2010.

County Manager Amber Hamilton said the commission and county do not endorse any specific candidates, and that she also has standing invitations out to Chatfield and Dodge’s respective challengers, Mark McDonald and Martin Zamora.

“I have extended invitations and continue to work to contact these candidates,” Hamilton said. “I feel that it’s imperative they know of Roosevelt County and where we are, some of the great things we accomplish and challenges we face.”

The candidates’ visits consisted of introductions followed by their presentation of goals, followed by a Q&A with commissioners.

Of two items scheduled under new business, one was continued to next meeting and the other was discussed without action following.

A request to consider land acquisition of a property of 5.85 acres at 1320 N. Boston was tabled until the Nov. 9 meeting, while the topic of maintenance requests to four miles of South Roosevelt Road 41 is “still very much in discussion,” Hamilton said.

The commission also recognized two county employees “for going above and beyond,” Hamilton said. Assessor Jerry Desha and County Clerk DeAun Searl recently started picking up trash during walks around the square on their breaks.

“They just took it upon themselves,” Hamilton said. “It’s just exceptional to me.”