Candidates field new questions at forum

Economic development was among the main issues Thursday as candidates for the March 5 municipal elections gathered for a third forum.

Global One Media hosted the most recent two-hour forum at the Clovis-Carver Public Library, with Raymond Mondragon as the moderator for the event.

Twelve of the 13 candidates attended, each fielding five questions with just one minute to speak.

The only candidate missing from the forum was Josefita Griego, who is seeking the District 4 Commission seat.

The question about economic development read in part:

"(C)itizens of Clovis have expressed concern for the lack of retail ... As mayor/commissioner, what plans will you have to assist in making improvements in that area so the citizens can shop Clovis first and keep our gross receipt dollars here in Clovis?"

Here are candidate responses:

n Mayor Mike Morris said nearly $500 million is being spent outside of the city's retail sector and going to other communities. He said he plans to continue to form plans and partnerships with companies to better the city.

"It's important that we fill that gap. What I've done is I've led the city in partnering with Retail Strategies, which is a company that does retail recruitment on our behalf. I've also led in developing a retail incentive. ... So what you're going to see over the next couple years is a lot of ribbons being cut and a lot of grand openings of new retail associations in our city," Morris said.

n Mayoral Candidate Misty Bertrand said though it is important to bring bigger retail stores, it is even more important to incentivize our local store owners. She said it's the city and Clovis Chamber of Commerce's responsibility to encourage businesses to come here.

"I think it's important for us to incentivize our small business owners and give them a reason to want to open their businesses here. And additionally to go after state grants and fundings that also offer those types of incentives and possibly tax breaks to these new businesses coming in."

n There are three pillars to economic development, said District 2 Commission candidate Victoria Robeldo.

"The first one is supporting business, which is something I think we're already doing a great job of. The next one is supporting quality of life. ... And the last one would be supporting workers. So workforce development, offering residents opportunities to learn different skills for a variety of jobs," Robeldo said.

n Highlighting her own experience as a business owner, District 2 Commission candidate Gail Tarson said it's been difficult as a nation to recover from the pandemic, but with communication and education the community can heal.

"Those stores closing and leaving is a national issue. ... COVID hit us hard, folks started shopping online and a lot of businesses closed because it hit them hard. It's been a hard recovery but we're going to continue our efforts in approaching these retail folks," Tarson said.

n Running unopposed, District 1 Commissioner George Jones said he will continue the initiatives he and the current Commission have put in place by educating bigger companies about the community.

"What we can do as a commission is try to find ways to incentivize these companies to come back into Clovis. I also think we need to get these large companies to understand how big of an area we actually service," Jones said.

n Helen Casaus, District 3 incumbent, said there are already negotiations in getting bigger companies to invest in Clovis and she plans to continue these negotiations if re-elected.

"Hopefully we can recruit bigger stores; other than that I think the mall is doing good. There are stores that are coming, but of course everything takes time," Casaus said.

n Though the city is heading in a good direction, District 3 candidate Bryan Davis said there is always room for further development.

"We can always look into further developing parts of our town that bring in events and things like that. It will get people to come in here, tourists, and see what a great community we have. Developing Main Street, developing Seventh Street and other areas like that, that's what's gonna help us reach more and more people," Davis said.

n District 3 Commission candidate Paul Nelson said the key to keeping gross receipts dollars in Clovis is communication with entities such as the Curry County Chamber of Commerce and Retail Strategies. Nelson also mentioned we should continuously seek technological advancement.

"We need to advertise more about having gigabyte broadband fiber around the community that not a lot of communities have and we could bring technology firms that can help boost our gross receipts and boost our payroll taxes in Clovis," Nelson said.

n Doug Pettigrew, District 3 commission candidate said for businesses to want to establish themselves at Clovis, the city needs to work on changing its aesthetic and prioritizing healthcare personnel.

"I think we need to clean Clovis up a little bit. We have a lot of abandoned houses. ... I would like to turn up the heat in that program and see if we can get rid of a lot more and make the city look a lot better," Pettigrew said.

n Also running for District 3 is Debbie Zamora, who thinks the city's partners have been doing good, the people will just have to be patient.

"I was in Santa Fe and I listened to their (Retail Strategist) presentation and it was a good presentation and they're doing their due diligence to try and come and help Clovis. ... It's just gonna have to take time," Zamora said.

n District 4 candidate Dean Hardage said he supports the programs and initiatives the Commission has pushed forward with, however he believes the city should look into building a better education for the workforce.

"In order to get retail here I think you need a workforce, a quality and trained workforce. So perhaps more education in those areas and vocational education," Hardage said.

n District 4 incumbent Chris Bryant echoed the thoughts of other candidates that working with city partners such as Retail Strategist is vital.

"We've got to look every way possible, every way we can to bring retail to our community," Bryant said.